Wrist angle
Compression drill
Hands scoop the ball up at impact
Strike the ball with the shaft leaning towards the target, so that you compress it into the ground instead of helping it up.
Recognise this?
- The ball goes higher than you want and comes down shorter than expected; with a mid iron the strike feels loose.
- You hit the ground behind the ball or just above it, with no middle ground.
- It feels as though you are helping the ball up with your hands.
- You take little or no divot ahead of the ball.
Why it happens
TPI describes scooping as an early release of your wrist angles, with the lead wrist bent at impact. That adds loft and costs power and consistency, and it often goes together with casting. As the main cause TPI names a lower body that contributes too little to the downswing, plus limited hip mobility, a weak torso and wrist restrictions. GOLFTEC coach Cameron Kelly describes the same fault as hands that stay behind the ball at impact while the club scoops, with weak, high-flying balls without compression as the result. Forward shaft lean at impact is what gives you lower, more penetrating balls with more spin, distance and control.
What the drill fixes
The drill puts your hands ahead of the clubhead from the start and has you stop at hip height. That means you cannot release the wrist angle early without seeing it immediately in your divot and your ball flight.
What you need
- A mid iron
- A ball, first from a tee and later from the mat
medium
How to do it
Step 1: Set the clubhead behind your hands
At address, set the club down so that the clubhead sits slightly behind your hands, which puts your hands ahead of the ball.
Step 2: Thumbs towards the ground
Make a short backswing and in the downswing turn your thumbs towards the ground, while your arms stay straight.
Step 3: Divot ahead of the ball
Hit the ground ahead of the ball, with the shaft leaning towards the target. The check is that your divot starts on the target side of the ball.
Step 4: Stop at hip height
Stop the club at hip height in the follow-through, with your arms and the shaft in line. Expect low, squeezed shots at first.
How often
3 sets of 8 shots
Short and with a stopped follow-through, because the drill only works as long as you consciously arrive at the stopping point. At a full follow-through the feedback disappears.
Safety
The abrupt stopping of the club has to be absorbed by your torso, not by your wrists. So keep the speed low until the movement feels familiar.
Sources
- Scooping | Swing Characteristics | TPI
- How to Stop Flipping at Impact and Start Compressing the Ball, Cameron Kelly, GOLFTEC Scramble
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