5 hcap. Trying hard but still releasing / casting too early on downswing and so have high / weakish ball flight.
Am having lessons, am trying to hit ground in front of ball, and I’m using towel behind ball drill to try and increase AoA. Limited progress.
So, is there a reason I shouldn’t just build this into my address position: hands slightly further fwd (flat left wrist) ball slightly further back? Apart from feeling like a cheat, is there a reason not to do this with irons?
If you can fix something with setup, I say go for it. No different than strengthening or weakening a grip to chase different results.
A couple of things. In general, everyone’s swing is a bit different. Look at Jim Furyk on an extreme level. However, if you look at every single very good player, the bottom arc of the swing (from 3oclock to impact to 9oclock) is pretty darn close. Everyone is attempting to impact the ball with a pronated left wrist if you are right-handed, with a squared club face at a maximum speed to produce control and distance. I think I said that correctly??? So, in general, if this works and helps you to get there…to be quite frank…do it. The whole point is to produce a relatively repeatable effort to achieve a desired result for you. Good Luck!
The DST Compressor golf aid has a curved shaft meaning the hands have to be forward otherwise you wont get the ball in the air.
Here is the blurb from their website “The DST Compressor 8 Iron warm up club comprises all aspects of the DST patented technology. The scientifically curved shaft replicates the shape of a normal shaft under its maximum load during impact, the DST Compressor forces you into a position where your hands lead the club face through impact and control it until after the ball has been struck. The curved shaft combined with the DST Impact Line enables you to locate a set up position and practice returning the club to the same position through impact every time. The DST Compressor forces you to feel the same movements and sensations as the greatest ball strikers in history and develop a repeatable, reliable movement through impact. The DST Compressor forces you to locate, train and perfect the optimal impact position.”
I would say to “give it a try”! One thing to be cautious about is if you will “correct” a different address position somewhere else in your swing pattern. If you can keep everything else the same and it works…do it! Just make sure to manage your expectations and monitor a possible “compensation” somewhere else that you didn’t expect. Good luck!
I like mine. It’s a difficult training aid at first, but give it time and it will work.
Nice thing is you can use a wiffle ball and/or just a divot board and just do it in your back yard.
Interesting at range today. Ball slightly back and hands further forward makes everything look very different from my address eyeline. Obviously main thing is club loft looks alot less.
And actually strikes pretty good. More penetrating and lower. The odd one where I shift fwd instead of rotating and bunt it out right, and the odd - disastrous - smoother hook. But so far seems to be worth pursuing.
And actually this new to me address might just be what everyone else sees all the time!!
A looking at tour strike or DST compressor - thanks.
For me I set up with my hands slightly forward for a similar reason. It gets your hands where they are supposed to be finishing. I heard a tour pro say that they were taught to “cover” (by sight) their front foot with your hands at setup. In other words, look down and you shouldn’t really see your lead foot. This sets up the hands ahead of the ball and gets you started on the right track.
Setup:
Parallel to target
Shoulders square
Athletic posture
Hands slightly forward
Imagine if you didn’t do those things to start and the adjustments you would have to make in the middle of your swing to make it come out with any kind of consistency. Setup with open shoulders and twist perfectly in your swing to adjust… Setting your hands neutral or behind the ball forces you to adjust in your swing to get your hands ahead of it at impact. Yes I know momentum is going to help but if you are casting currently I would try setting up with them ahead of the ball and make sure to hold it while staying extended and through impact.
https://www.titleist.com/instruction/lead-leg-loaded-drill?instructor=Justin%20%20Parsons
This is slightly off topic of setup, but it really is a good drill for clipping the ball first
Yup…that’s what I was taught…cover the ball with your irons. And the funny thing is, when you do it correctly…you don’t even have to swing hard. The sequence has to be correct and the club does all the work. As a matter of fact, when I try to speed up the process I tend to lose distance and control…mostly because MY tendency is to come out of posture, I lose tilt and spine angle…yea it looks as ugly as it sounds.
Thanks, interesting and I’ll try that drill.
My pro, I’ve moved recently, has also told me to swing harder !! I quite like that advice. Current swing is a little to much like a metronome and I need to get some speed, ‘snap’ and power into it. Currently I hit 8 iron 148 and 6 iron 165 yds. I’m chasing more iron distance. (But happy-ish with driver at 270 inc roll out)
I’m a ‘send it’ convert and have semi retired my 2iron from the tee, and want the extra iron length as I firmly believe having an 7 iron in is better than a 5 iron.
So, apart from adopting new address position, lack of compression, and swing speed I’m really happy with my game !!! 
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Currently 5 trying to get down to a 2.
My pro had me switch to this setup about a month ago. Irons were getting weak, and missing short and right. This set up has completely changed my iron game.
Misses tend to be long and left, but with good tempo, I get a nice draw. Distance has increased and just feel like I have so much more control of my irons.
Took a while to get used to looking down and seeing the club so delofted at set up. Now I don’t even think about it.
Complete game changer for me.
The cause and the effect should not be reversed.
Dynamic loft happen mostly bc of the shaft bent and the moving of the core and the attached arms and hands. Unless, you’re swing a golf club which does not bent, it could not be benefiting.
If you contact the ground before the golf ball ( hitting behind, hitting fat ), 99% it is caused by failed to shift weight to the left. Have someone video tape your swing (weight shift), pay attention to where the pivot is going into the impact and through; most likely you failed to shift the weight to the left side, could also be sliding hip to the rear/left. If you could not figure out by watching the video, seek professional help. An experienced teaching pro should spot it immediately.