Hands Forward with Hybrids and Long Irons
Do your hybrids and long irons not travel much farther than your other clubs? Danny Maude demonstrates a counterintuitive adjustment: moving your hands and weight forward doesn’t cause the ball to fly lower. The club stays on its path and delivers its full loft along the target line.
To be continued
What the lesson shows
The common misconception is that positioning your hands and weight forward causes the ball to fly lower. Danny Maude demonstrates the opposite. By moving the grip and weight forward, A slight angle forms in the rear arm at address. The club then remains on the “circle” of the swing and delivers maximum loft along the target line. If the hands are too far back, the club breaks out of this circle and traces another one that’s angled to the left: it loses its loft, crosses the ball, and you compensate with a “chicken wing.”.
The setting: ball at least one club width inside the front heel, weight distribution approximately 60/40 on the front foot, grip positioned forward, arms close together. During the swing, just one thought: either Continue shifting your weight toward the target rather than turning too much, or keep your arms close together through the impact. Bonus: Since the ball is struck before it reaches its lowest point, the path curves to the right; a clubface positioned slightly to the right of the target but closed relative to the path produces a draw.
The Exercise, Step by Step
- Place the ball at least one club width inside the front heel, or even a little further in.
- Shift your weight to your front foot—about 60/40 to start.
- Move the handle forward and feel the slight angle that forms in your back arm.
- Bring your arms together in front of your chest.
- Pause at the address to remember the feel, take a swing, and then return to that position to get comfortable with it.
- During the swing, focus on just one thing: shifting your weight sideways toward your front foot, or maintaining your arm position through impact.
Key Takeaways
Mistakes to Avoid
- Move your hands back to help the ball rise: the club loses its loft.
- Turning too much instead of shifting your weight forward: the club goes over your head.
- Spread your arms at impact, which causes the club to swing away and the clubface to close too much.
- Move the low point back to close the face when slicing: the path goes to the left.
- Think about several things at once during the swing.
Driving Range Mode
Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.
- Stance: ball of the foot on the inside of the front heel, weight distribution 60/40, grip positioned forward
- A series of shots focused solely on the weight of the shot as it heads toward the target
- A series focused solely on close-set arms
- Watch the curve: start on the right, return toward the target
Your Questions
Won't moving my hands forward cause my hybrids to fly lower?
That’s the trap Danny Maude describes. Keeping your hands and weight forward keeps the club on its path, allowing it to deliver its full loft along the target line. It’s hands that are too far back that reduce the club’s loft.
What should you keep in mind during your swing?
Just one. Either shift your weight to your front foot through impact—which is helpful if you’re turning too much—or keep your arms close together so you don’t swing the club too wide.
Why does his ball end up on the target when the clubface is pointing to the right?
The ball is struck before the lowest point of the arc, when the club is still moving to the right. At impact, the clubface was 2.5° to the right and the path was 4.4° to the right: the clubface is closed relative to the path, and the ball curves to the draw.
What if the ball goes too far to the left?
All of a sudden, his clubface had closed too much. He attributes this to the club being thrown forward at impact: keeping his arms closer together helps control the clubface better. He also mentions the possibility of opening the clubface slightly at address.
Learn More
Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Danny Maude). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.