SHORT GAME - Forward Swing TECHNIQUE
If you have not familiarized yourself with the lead up article, 7 KEYS TO A BETTER SHORT GAME, and SHORT GAME - BACKSWING TECHNIQUE, please do so prior to focussing on your FORWARD SWING TECHNIQUE. The proper setup and takeaway are both non-negotiable requirement for the steps that follow.
Finesse Wedge Fundamental No. 3
Finesse Sequence
“The downswing necessitates nothing more than letting the club fall back to the ground in a circle as if pulled by gravity, and letting your chest rotate to support the motion of the swing. There is a natural weight shift, or energy flow, towards the target as the lower body remains level and relatively quiet until the club passes is, allowing the clubhead to release under its own momentum. Let gravity be your friend.”
This is a smooth-flowing sequence of events that makes great wedge players great. Any sort of jerkiness or controlling of the club is detrimental to great wedge play.
Ultimately, the feeling in the finesse swing is that your arms are soft and relaxed as they smoothly swing the clubhead past your lower body while your chest catches their momentum and rotates toward the target at the same pace. These are not power sequences and should not be used in your power game. These swings are not about creating speed, but rather controlling it. Great wedge players are weak on purpose.
To begin the finesse sequence discussion, it’s good to get a quick grasp on what the bounce of the golf club is and why it is important. The bounce of the club is a design feature that prevents the club from digging into the ground. I had a chat with Bob Vokey, the master wedge designer for Titleist one day and asked him what the secret was to great wedge play. His response was:
1. Help everyone understand that “bounce is their friend”
2. Make sure they hit between grooves 2 and 4 on the club face
For far too long, teachers (myself included up until a couple years ago) taught that the leading edge of the club should lead through your shot and the club should be “held-off” so that the head of the club didn’t pass my hands. Then I learned what the best in the world actually do in their swings which coincided to what I was doing in my swing on video. Phew! No more confusion, but I have a lot of people to help from years prior. (email me!)
When using the leading edge in your short game, you increase the probability of digging the club into the turf and hitting fats shots and stalling of the natural rotation of the swing.
So How Do I Use the Bounce?
The only way to use the bounce is to let your clubs release through the shot and not hold them off. This doesn’t mean to flip your hands through impact either. The release of the club is simply a matter of gravity taking over, rather than effort. It looks like this:
1. Feel the weight of the club head in your hands as your arms and hands remain tension free throughout the swing.
2. As you move from backswing to downswing, do it slowly and let gravity and the weight of the club head work together to drop the club head back down the shaft plane
3. Through impact, swing the club head naturally past your hands into a great finish position
Have a look at the following images. In image 1 below, you will see that in my set up position, I am relaxed, with the triangle of forearms and shoulders outlined for referencing again at impact.
Image two (below) is the moment of impact (plus 1 frame). You can see that the triangle has been maintained with the shoulders and arms and the club is even with the hands. You will also notice that the lower body remains relatively quiet and level without much rotation or excessive tilt.
In the next image, you will see that the ball has taken off and the club head is ahead of my hands! Crazy stuff. The cupped lead wrist has been maintained throughout the swing and the club face is in an open position, not closing like a full swing. This open position is evidence that the trail arm has rotated clockwise (think about it) through impact and the swing is open-to-open from backswing to follow through. Doing so allows me/you to use the bounce of the club correctly so that the sole contacts the turf and not the leading edge. Bye-bye chunks and chili-dips. You can also see that the body is beginning to turn towards the target and not stopping in this position, like a punch shot.
Finally, you will see the momentum flowing towards the target. The hips have cleared through, and the chest is turning towards the target.
If these concepts seem a little complicated, seek the help of a PGA Professional who specializes in the short game who can observe your movements and give you simple feedback to help you improve.
The other way to do this is in a full length mirror. Set up (without a ball) with a mirror to the left of you for the down-the-line angle and turn your head toward the mirror. If you swing the club through properly, pay close attention to the point where the club shaft is parallel to the floor. At this key checkpoint in the swing, as the club is horizontal to the floor/ground, it should point straight at your target (imagine a laser shooting out of the grip end of the club), with the club face open, and the club head hiding your hands.
If you have any questions about the content you have read here, please reach out to us and we would be happy to further assist you on your journey to better golf.
