Stop Dragging The Handle For More Distance

In this lesson, I’m going to help those of you who tend to drag the handle through impact, in an attempt to gain more distance.

 The problem

In modern golf instruction, there’s an obsession with getting “shaft lean”. Shaft lean is when the club handle is significantly in front of the club head at the moment of impact. This is something that many PGA players do. However, these guys are the best in the world. They can afford to have severe amounts of shaft lean because they create plenty of speed in their swings, and therefore a combination of that speed and shaft lean, allows them to still get maximum height and distance on their shots.

 However, if you have insufficient speed in your swing, you will struggle to get enough height and distance from your shots.

 The solution

If you’re a slower swing-speed golfer, and you drag the handle through impact, you need to forget about the aesthetics of shaft lean, and align the shaft and the handle a little bit more, so they’re almost vertical at impact. In fact, you want the handle just slightly ahead of the club head. A useful reference point is to have your hands just about on the inside of the lead leg at the point of impact. This adds loft to the ball helping you to hit the ball higher.

 There are 2 drills to help you achieve this.

 Drill 1

1. Without a ball, with your feet together, address the ball with the club head and handle in line.
2. Take some practice swings with the leading edge just brushing the ground.
3. Standing with your feet together encourages you to align the handle and the club head back up at impact. If you were to drag the handle too far forward that would pull your body towards the target and you would lose balance.

Drill 2

1. Place a tee underneath your lead armpit.
2. Carry out some practice swings with the tee tucked in this position.
3. If you were to drag the handle too far, i.e. if the handle is too far ahead of the club head, your front arm would separate from your torso causing the tee to fall out. This is another great way of lining up the handle and club head.

Summary:

Resist the beautiful aesthetics of “shaft lean” in favour of height and distance if you have a slow swing. Line up the club head with your hands by practicing the two simple drills above.

 This drill is for those golfers who drag the handle down to achieve greater distance. If you struggle with the opposite problem, however, i.e. that you scoop your shots, this drill is not for you!

Watch the full video here: