A shorter arm swing then a faster pivot than you are used to on a half-shot might feel uncomfortable, but that speed and uncoiling drags the arms into the correct position and sets the wrists perfectly – regardless if you hinge a lot or not much on the backswing.
Keys to look out for in the video:
- My acceleration
- Tempo and length of swing (same back, same through)
- Wrist-hinge (I hinge a little more nowadays than in the video, but, I had enough then to hit these shots well)
- Mental: I talk about “knowing the swing you are going to make before you make it” (know the swing length, wrist hinge release and tempo you will use before you swing – then swing!)
Thin-shots with half-shots (40-80 yards)
If you hit thin-shots with half-swings (40-80 yard pitches), you do NOT have enough wrist-hinge, and possibly, are not moving your body fast enough through the shot; it something that needs work, that is, swinging shorter with wrist-hinge, whilst accelerating enough, so you shift your weight. But, you can’t rush it from the top; timing has to be just right).
Wrist-hinge, correct spine angle and acceleration will see you hit the ball then take a divot. If your set-up is okay, and you are still “thinning” the ball (and scaring the hell out of animals and playing partners), you need to fix the three points mentioned.
If there is not enough hinging there is not enough downward swing. You are swinging too much around yourself – like a baseball batter. If on the other hand, you were swinging like an axe-man, there would be too much downward hit.
For more on Regulating your arm swing and tempo, check out courses: TRAIN IT – For a Better On-Plane, Repeatable Adults Golf Swing and, CREATE SHOTS – which prepares you to create top shots on-course for low scoring, via, the Think, See, Feel, Swing process that all great players follow. And Build a Better Shortgame covers more on half shots and pitching – as well as chipping and bunkers shots.