Forward shaft lean

[Duff McGee]

I have been trying to implement a forward shaft lean with my irons and the results have been mixed. I am pushing all of my shots and I've been hitting some thin shots as well. I am starting to slice my long irons which has never been an issue for me before. The feeling just feels extremely unnatural. It feels like I have to close the club face more to get it square to target. Then to open it up on the backswing feels unnatural as well and with weight moving forward it feels like I have to be completely closed just to get the club face to make contact with the ball without shanking it. And it feels strange to take a full swing and more like I am trying to hit a low punch, which sends my ball off as a push or a slice with the longer irons. Do you guys have any tips or videos about this that you like? Kidd anyone else have a problem making the transition?

[Duff McGee]

After some online review and old threads, it seems I might be leaning it too far forward.

[mchepp]

I recommend you post a video. One face on one down the line and you can see for sure what is happening. Ball flight can tell you some things but the camera never lies.

[Duff McGee]

I have a swing thread but was just wondering about your guys' experiences with forward shaft lean. If I don't start hitting the ball cleaner I will post s video of my shirt iron swing.

[mchepp]

I have a swing thread but was just wondering about your guys' experiences with forward shaft lean. If I don't start hitting the ball cleaner I will post s video of my shirt iron swing.

You are right. Sorry. You have posted alot (which is good) so I missed it.

Based on this picture I doubt you have too much shaft lean.

Here is what someone would like like with a lot of shaft lean.

[Duff McGee]

Thanks but the reason I have introduced so much more forward shaft lean is because of the advice I received from the above pictured swing. I've been working like crazy to get my weight forward and stop my early release. Thank you for the help.

[mvmac]

After some online review and old threads, it seems I might be leaning it too far forward.

Yeah try to post an updated video, the problem probably isn't too much shaft lean. It's probably the other stuff I mentioned in your swing thread.

[Duff McGee]

Yeah try to post an updated video, the problem probably isn't too much shaft lean. It's probably the other stuff I mentioned in your swing thread.

Yeah I definitely will. I have a tournament coming up in a week so probably won't try to change much until then. But a video of my iron shots might help before I go.

[JazzFatCat]

Maybe a "Tour Striker" training iron would help?

http://thesandtrap.com/t/31339/tour-striker-training-aid

[mvmac]

Yeah I definitely will. I have a tournament coming up in a week so probably won't try to change much until then. But a video of my iron shots might help before I go.

Ok cool. The reason I say it's probably not too much shaft lean is because it's an extremely rare problem, especially for an amateur golfer. Not "picking" on you

[Duff McGee]

Ok cool. The reason I say it's probably not too much shaft lean is because it's an extremely rare problem, especially for an amateur golfer. Not "picking" on you ;-)

I have complete trust in you as a coach and I wouldn't think you would pick on people. You know way more than I do about the golf swing and volunteer your time to help people on here. I appreciate it! As for the shaft lean "problem." Like you guys expected, it wasn't the shaft lean that was the issue. I realized towards the end of another crappy round that I was basically hitting down on the ball like some kind of weird punch shot from the woods. It wasn't as much a swing as it was a huge divot creating chop into the turf. I took the "practice like it is a punch shot to feel good contact thing too far I think. When I kept the shaft lean and took a normal swing it went much straighter. When I was "hitting down hard" on the ball I was apparently coming over the top by the look of my divots.