@Koa
You can say the same for your stance. The more shaft lean, the more open your stance should be.
Keegan said:
@Koa
You can say the same for your stance. The more shaft lean, the more open your stance should be.
That’s true
Keegan said:
@Koa
You can say the same for your stance. The more shaft lean, the more open your stance should be.
I’ll be doing a split with my pitching wedge.
Keegan said:
@Koa
You can say the same for your stance. The more shaft lean, the more open your stance should be.
I’ll be doing a split with my pitching wedge.
Not wider but open with your front foot.
Forward almost always
When the shaft is straight up and down, the face sits closed. Wedges are made to set up with shaft lean.
It depends on the club. Even with wedges, it could be neutral, slanted back, or slanted forward depending on the shot you want to hit.
Sage said:
It depends on the club. Even with wedges, it could be neutral, slanted back, or slanted forward depending on the shot you want to hit.
Just a straight and high shot. I find I can hit my wedges nicely using either method, but some people have told me I should or shouldn’t shaft lean.
@Dakota
Everyone has their own way of doing it, and instructors vary. Grieve is one of the hot guys right now and teaches three different releases with wedge shots. One release has the club slightly forward, using the front edge of the bounce for a lower shot that runs more (like a chip). The second release is neutral, using the middle of the bounce, that flies high and stops (like a pitch). The third release leans the club back, using the back edge of the bounce for a shorter or very high shot that stops immediately (like a flop shot). These are just basic descriptions but it’s to start the conversation. His book is called The Three Releases.
@Sage
Your description of different releases makes me realize how little I know about how to play the game. I only have one shot. Straight-ish and high. I have so much to learn. It makes perfect sense as I read it though.
@Dakota
If it helps, it’s a lot easier to talk about and describe than to actually do it with consistency. Short game stuff takes a lot of practice to nail down. Most of us try to justify the shot we’re most comfortable with rather than the shot that might be best for a specific situation. His ideas about using the three different areas of the bounce were something that never occurred to me, but they make perfect sense.
Left of zipper
In my opinion, keep it centered with the ball slightly back in your stance.
The grip of the club should point toward your left thigh. That’s what my trainer taught me, and it’s an important pre-swing tip.
What kind of shot are you trying to hit? A low or high shot? Something with more or less spin? It’s all in the setup and how you release the club at impact.
Generally speaking, having shaft lean at address helps promote hands forward impact for irons. This helps create a downward angle of attack and reduces the loft of the club to compress the ball. A good basis is to have the butt of the club pointing toward your front pocket. You have to be careful at address to stay square to your ball and target because applying shaft lean can open the club face if you don’t adjust your grip right. Even hybrids and woods can have a little shaft lean since you still want a downward angle of attack there. Where you don’t want shaft lean is with a driver.
My shaft leans forward because I play the wedges off my back foot. I usually load my wrists 80 yards out and use a pendulum motion for short chips.
For normal shots, I have the shaft lean pointing to the lead ear or shoulder.
Shaft lean a bit, it varies by club and loft, and then grip. Don’t grip with the club neutral in front of you and then try to force shaft lean.
I really like some lean. And not the purple kind.