Pros & Cons of Presetting shaft lean on iron shots?

obedt

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I've started recently experimenting with presetting my hands forward as a kind of trigger for full iron shots. I'm finding it easier to return my hands/club to that position leading to better contact, higher on the clubface. Fighting a case of the lefts with that set-up but I think can get it under control.

Was wondering if anyone else did this, and if not what reasons are there to not go with this approach.
 
Horschel does this sometimes to make sure that his shaft isn't leaning back at address. I don't think there is anything wrong with that trigger move. Just don't end up over-doing it and you should be fine!
 
I think Alex Noren is another one who does that forward shaft lean before he takes the club back.

I messed around with it, I just didn't like how it's basically de-lofting the club, personally.
 
I have messed with this a bit and it is an interesting idea. That being said, sometimes I would end up coming in to steep and almost driving the club head into the ground and not getting thru the shot.
 
I've started recently experimenting with presetting my hands forward as a kind of trigger for full iron shots. I'm finding it easier to return my hands/club to that position leading to better contact, higher on the clubface. Fighting a case of the lefts with that set-up but I think can get it under control.

Was wondering if anyone else did this, and if not what reasons are there to not go with this approach.

I just started doing this too. My AOA is terrible on my irons.
I'm a handle-lifted & then I stand up out of my posture. I also lean back a bit.
So I hit my 6 iron barely 160yds for I launch it at where a 9 iron should be. When I swing correctly, I can hit that same 6 iron 175.

The fwd lead (press) puts me in a better position & gets me to swing a bit different. To swing down to go ball then turf and not ball/turf simultaneously.
It feels weird, but swinging "rightly" is the wrong way for me.

I found if I open the iron face, just a hair, it stops the "lefts" unless I'm doing something else poorly
 
I've noticed that I do this a little but it's not something I've done consciously. I have no idea when it started but it almost acts as a trigger for me. I didn't notice it until I watched video of myself a couple seasons ago.
 
DJ does it. If the #1 player on the planet does it, I doubt there's anything particularly wrong. Results are results
 
Too much forward press at address is not good IMO, I used to do that and it took a while to get it out of my setup, lots of low shots left.

DJ sets up with the perfect amount of forward press, just a little to the inside thigh, and then starts his swing by setting his wrists, which presses the shaft forward, I think that's fine and different from setting up with too much forward press.
 
While I'm aware that I press my hands a little bit, my trigger is actually to kick my right knee in to start the swing a la Gary Player. It has a much more natural limit than a forward press...that is, I can really only physically kick my knee in a hair and it helps prevent swaying. I found when I did a forward press as a trigger and liked it, I did it more and more until I was producing positions that demanded work to recover from.
 
I have a forward press at setup. Started doing during my Golftec lessons a few years ago. We did that to get me to feel me a better impact position. Just stuck with it.
 
DJ does it. If the #1 player on the planet does it, I doubt there's anything particularly wrong. Results are results

DJ's swing is really interesting. He presets his wrists, with all clubs, then just takes it back dead shut, obviously. That move takes his hands completely out of the swing. If you watch his action, he's all body. He has to use his hips for speed. I have messed around with it, as a "just try to swing like DJ" sort of thing. It doesn't feel awful. Almost like it's more repeatable than the conventional swing.
 
DJ's swing is really interesting. He presets his wrists, with all clubs, then just takes it back dead shut, obviously. That move takes his hands completely out of the swing. If you watch his action, he's all body. He has to use his hips for speed. I have messed around with it, as a "just try to swing like DJ" sort of thing. It doesn't feel awful. Almost like it's more repeatable than the conventional swing.

Not sure how long I could swing like that and not have serious back issues.
 
DJ's swing is really interesting. He presets his wrists, with all clubs, then just takes it back dead shut, obviously. That move takes his hands completely out of the swing. If you watch his action, he's all body. He has to use his hips for speed. I have messed around with it, as a "just try to swing like DJ" sort of thing. It doesn't feel awful. Almost like it's more repeatable than the conventional swing.

It helps to be tall and lanky. I agree that it's a more repeatable swing, but for the 5'6" T-Rexes out there like me, we need a little bit of wrist action to get club-head speed.
 
Not sure how long I could swing like that and not have serious back issues.

Maybe. Or, since everybody's swing would is limited by their flexibility, you would reach you the natural end of your swing more consistently and not overswing with your arms and hands. By not overswinging, maybe you would preserve your back. It's a thought.
 
It helps to be tall and lanky. I agree that it's a more repeatable swing, but for the 5'6" T-Rexes out there like me, we need a little bit of wrist action to get club-head speed.

Even at the expense of consistency? It's an interesting dilemma.
 
While I'm aware that I press my hands a little bit, my trigger is actually to kick my right knee in to start the swing a la Gary Player. It has a much more natural limit than a forward press...that is, I can really only physically kick my knee in a hair and it helps prevent swaying. I found when I did a forward press as a trigger and liked it, I did it more and more until I was producing positions that demanded work to recover from.

I do the same lower body move to trigger my swing. I have an issue with not letting the lower body get through first on my down swing so this move helps with that. At the same time it also gives me a bit of forward press with my irons which helps since I'm a pretty shallow swinger.
 
I've tried it and it makes me too inconsistent. Love the feel; hate the results. And like most things in the golf swing, you will start to unconsciously get more and more lean until it hurts your contact. I've seen it over and over.
 
I do it at times. One of the things I battle is casting the club, so presetting my wrists, and then having that be my swing thought (maintain wrist angle all the way through), has definitely helped. But I also eventually start overdoing it, so I abandon that setup for awhile. Lately, my irons have gotten higher and with a little more fade then I want, so it may be time to experiment with it again.
 
I started doing it a couple years ago along with strengthening the grip and closing the face up a bit at the behest of an instructor. I immediately started striking the ball well again (I had really been struggling with my irons) and found a lovely draw. But then about a year ago I started over doing it to the point where it gets completely out of control and I feel like I can’t pull the trigger until I press the hands way forward and shut down the club face and then basically have no chance. I wish I never went down that road.
 
I tried to lessen the amount of shaft lean and had a fairly disgusting ball striking day. Will try and get a range session this week and find some normalcy.


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