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Delofting

luvagoodshot

luvagoodshot

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I keep reading about people delofting their club on shots. I assume they mean they are closing the club face a bit. It makes me wonder. If someone feels they have to deloft their SW then why not just go up a club and use something like a 54 or 52 wedge?
 
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I'm no expert but if you swing an iron with hands forward of the ball during the strike you are de-lofting the club. I think that is what you are referring to. It's the difference between actual loft and dynamic loft!
 
luvagoodshot said:
I keep reading about people delofting their club on shots. I assume they mean they are closing the club face a bit. It makes me wonder. If someone feels they have to delofting their SW then why not just go up a club and use something like a 54 or 52 wedge?
Click to expand...

It's not so much closing the club face at address, it's putting forward shaft lean on the club at impact so your 56 degree SW for instance now has the loft of a 52-54 wedge.
 
MWard said:
It's not so much closing the club face at address, it's putting forward shaft lean on the club at impact so your 56 degree SW for instance now has the loft of a 52-54 wedge.
Click to expand...

Dynamic loft comes into play as well.

I'm not correcting you, just adding to your post.
 
Reason why not go up a club is because you want the loft and the attack angle of a club with shaft lean, takes the bounce out of it and execute a shot in tight lies.
 
Ditto to what others are saying...

But also add that it's not feeling you have to, it just happens naturally if you're loading and lagging the club correctly. Your hands should be in front of the club head at impact. That's how you generate more distance. So clubbing up would actually cause it to go further up as well.
 
luvagoodshot said:
I keep reading about people delofting their club on shots. I assume they mean they are closing the club face a bit. It makes me wonder. If someone feels they have to delofting their SW then why not just go up a club and use something like a 54 or 52 wedge?
Click to expand...

it is not closing the club face, it is leaning the shaft forward...which does cause less loft...I personally do this when needing to hit a lower shot...i.e. into the wind...it also (for me) creates more spin, so if I have a
green with less depth and need to stop quick, or a backstop that I want to pull a ball back to the pin, I will hit a "knock down/stinger/delofted" shot...not all conditions call for throwing a normal lofted iron into a green, or even driver/hybrid etc.
 
RNG said:
I'm no expert but if you swing an iron with hands forward of the ball during the strike you are de-lofting the club. I think that is what you are referring to. It's the difference between actual loft and dynamic loft!
Click to expand...

absolutely, and you can accomplish this by your follow through as well...if you have a higher follow through (generally speaking) you will have a higher loft...and conversely lower hands means lower launch...

Here is a good video on this...

 
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Hearing some one is delofting a club I would assume they are using more of a forward press with their hands to take the loft off the club and reduce the effective bounce being used.
 
Thanks to everyone for your helpful and insightful responses
 
Mtdream said:
it is not closing the club face, it is leaning the shaft forward...which does cause less loft...I personally do this when needing to hit a lower shot...i.e. into the wind...it also (for me) creates more spin, so if I have a
green with less depth and need to stop quick, or a backstop that I want to pull a ball back to the pin, I will hit a "knock down/stinger/delofted" shot...not all conditions call for throwing a normal lofted iron into a green, or even driver/hybrid etc.
Click to expand...

I agree with all of this. I use it when winds are with or against the shot and I don't want to let the wind affect the ball as much. I also use it when I want to feel more control, this delofting allows me to feel like I am placing the ball more precisely versus throwing it up there and hoping it comes down in the right spot.
 
I do not do it by closing the club face, I keep the club square to target and move the ball back in my stance half to a ball back in my stance. This puts my hands further in front of the ball reducing loft or "de-lofting" the club.

I do it for a couple different reasons, control trajectory, shape, control distance, spin control and I don't just do it with my wedges. I have zero qualms doing it with every iron I carry.

The more shots I have in my game the more options I give myself to put the ball where I want it.


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It's really about the forward shaft lean that stabilizes the club face through impact, for a more solid strike, and less likely to hit it fat, certainly gain some distance if you want.
 
It's something I struggle with, especially with the wedges. I'm generally a long hitter with the big clubs in my bag but it seems everybody on the internet hits their wedges further than I do. I think I have too much loft at impact.
 
I tend to use a forward shaft lean as a trigger to start my swing. Similar to how Stenson uses his lower body.

I believe I get above average distance out of my irons, so I feel the shaft lean is helping me get my hands forward and hit down on the ball effectively.
 
I move the ball back in my stance. I find it especially useful with wedges when I need a bit more out of a club.
 
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