How to keep the hands from getting TOO FAR forward at impact.

[Brian Manzella]

Allowing right wrist to straighten toward impact (where it still will be bent some), is the answer.

I discuss it in Soft Draw 1.0

Too much force across the shaft is a culprit, as is over acceleration of the left arm.

Learn to open the club enough on the backswing, and keep it from closing too quickly coming down, and you'll never hit it straight with over-forward hands.

The back-and-forth swing drill is very good for this problem, as is a better pivot. If your center is moving forward, you low point will often go with it.

 

[garymag]

what allows/initiates the right wrist to straighten? If the wrist was the generating force, I would tend to believe that this could lead to a flippy move. Thoughts?

 

[smooth]

Allowing right wrist to straighten toward impact (where it still will be bent some), is the answer.

I discuss it in Soft Draw 1.0

Thanks for this answer Brian. I have SD 1.0 so will need to check it out again...

My instructor has been teaching me something similar i.e. allowing the right wrist to straighten a bit at impact to not have the hands extremely too far ahead.

All i could think of was 'oh no he is teaching me to have throwaway!!' It just sounded the opposite of everything i've heard particularly in TGM circles but i guess you can overdo things!

Thanks again....

 

[krmorgan]

So it is possible for the hands to be too far forward at impact. What are the disadvantages of this. I assume that it is harder to get the ball in the air. I am curious because my current instructor told me the hands can't be too far forward at impact but I can't imagine hitting a driver with my hands as far forward as he wants them. When I try it I hit the ball about 5 feet high.

 

[tennisdu]

Trust me you can get you hand too forward at impact.

How much should you allow your right wrist to straighten and at what point in the downswing (ideally)?

 

[birdie_man]

Your true path will be more in to out the more you hit down on it and the more forward lean you have!! (with all else equal more forward lean means more downward hit)

Very important!!

The typical good player has trouble with a path too far in to out...

Hooking it?...path too far in to out in relation to clubface...

Low shots?......probably (and in your case very likely)...

...not enough loft because of too much forward lean- and your path will be more in to out as a result...and if your face is closed to the path you will hit it even lower. (and with a hook if it even gets off the ground enough TO hook)

The other thing to check is axis tilt. (spine tilt leaning away from the target)

But D-Plane man...Brian and everyone is right...MEGA important. It simply is all the ball knows direction-wise. (minus contact quality, dirt on ball, WIND, etc. etc. anything else like that)

It should be common knowledge!! For everyone.

(search D-Plane on the forum)

 

[mb6606]

Are we talking about hands to far forward or shaft lean?? Why would having the hands forward as long as there is not excessive shaft lean would be a problem? JB has his hands forward and the ball position forward with his driver?
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrg07AIYuAQ[/media]

 

[krmorgan]

I think I am in over my head, but how can your hands be forward and the shaft not be leaning forward? Axis tilt?? Sorry, if this is a dumb question. This is all pretty new information to me.

 

[Kevin Shields]

I just had this today with a local professional. Sorta out of sequence pivot but mostly too much pivot force on the left arm and a runaway upper body. Slowing the pivot with some toss got him thinking in a different direction.

 

[birdie_man]

I think I am in over my head, but how can your hands be forward and the shaft not be leaning forward?

I mean too MUCH forward lean. You need to find an optimal amount for the shot you are trying to hit.

Just know that if your clubead is still moving down it is still moving in to out. (if you are looking down at the golf ball imagine a windshield wiper swipe...)

Be careful of too MUCH forward lean!!

Very important...and flat Truth. (Trackman Confirmed)

Axis tilt?? Sorry, if this is a dumb question. This is all pretty new information to me.

Not dumb at all. Can't expect you to know something if you haven't learned it yet.

Axis tilt is spine tilt away from the target.

Axis tilt:

Every golfer who can hit it at all will have a good bit at impact.

If you need to know more it may be worth it to search the forum (probably search thread titles)...I'm sure there'll be a good bit on it.

 

[savydan]

I noticed the July 08 date of Brian's post. This is still D-plane approved?

 

[Jwat]

Are we talking about hands to far forward or shaft lean?? Why would having the hands forward as long as there is not excessive shaft lean would be a problem? JB has his hands forward and the ball position forward with his driver?
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrg07AIYuAQ[/media]

This is what Brian had me do 2 weeks ago. Increased Distance and greatly increased accuracy. For me, I just have to really make sure and get a full turn and pivot to be able to get back to the ball on the downswing. You can't short swing it.

 

[Tball88]

That above view is awesome. I didn't realize how closed face JB was at setup, however he goes hard left, so he's probably swinging left of the face to get that cut shot.

 

[curtisj76]

This is what Brian had me do 2 weeks ago. Increased Distance and greatly increased accuracy. For me, I just have to really make sure and get a full turn and pivot to be able to get back to the ball on the downswing. You can't short swing it.

Jwat, I'm trying to figure this out. What did Brian have you do? Get them forward or NOT get them forward? Thanks!

Curtis

 

[Jwat]

Jwat, I'm trying to figure this out. What did Brian have you do? Get them forward or NOT get them forward? Thanks!

Curtis

He got me to put the ball on the outside of my left foot with the driver and really swing through the ball with my right side. He showed me kind of a preshot routine with a 45deg open stance so I can fill what it is like to have my left side open and really swing my right side through. Naturally I kind of press my hands forward a bit at address and with the ball so forward it felt weird at first. He told me to do what feels good with the hands because what we are trying to do is get the left side more open and swing through with my right.

My occasional miss with the driver now is a slight block because I didn't get fully turned behind the ball. But I swear that this has totally changed my trajectory and ball striking consistency. I maybe have 1 bad drive per round now and this is coming from one of the most inconsistent ball strikers. Did he get me to add more yards? I definitely carry it alot farther now w/out the roll.

For me personally, I think it is important to have your hands ahead of the ball even if it is teed that far forward. For someone who has extremely quick hands, we need to cheat them forward a little to help stay in sequence. I know my lingo is wrong on the golf terms, but what I was taught was 100% correct for me. That is why Brian is such a great teacher. He takes what you personally need to do based on your body type, swing speed, etc to hit the ball square and solid. If someone is disappointed after a TM Manzella lesson, then you need to look at yourself and not the instructor and say, "Why didn't I get better". Because with both those tools in front of you there should be 100% chance of improvement.

 

[Jwat]

Jwat, I'm trying to figure this out. What did Brian have you do? Get them forward or NOT get them forward? Thanks!

Curtis

So yes my hands were forward of the ball with my driver even though the ball is outside my left foot. He didn't really teach me that, but the way i was hitting the ball it was something he definitley didn't have a problem with.

 

[Jared Willerson]

Keeping a bent right wrist through the ball ruins golf swings. Unbending the right wrist is a major source of power.

But...you need a good pivot to unbend the right wrist without looking silly.

 

[spmurph]

Keeping a bent right wrist through the ball ruins golf swings. Unbending the right wrist is a major source of power.

But...you need a good pivot to unbend the right wrist without looking silly.

Is there a certain aspect of the pivot which aids in the unbending of the right wrist?

 

[Jared Willerson]

When the pivot is too "out" oriented, meaning the shoulders are carrying the sweetspot to the ball instead of the unbending of the right wrist getting the sweetspot to the ball...faster, btw.

Back and forth drill is great for this. To a lot of people (especially TGM devotees) having that bent right wrist is so ingrained that the club never whips past the hands, robbing clubhead speed, instead people just rotate the right shoulder out too much and keep all that wrist bend and consequently the hands accelerate faster than the clubhead.

 

[Marktui]

What is the back and forth drill?