The Hidden Secrets of Shaft Lean and Club Face Control
Updated: May 28
Hey there, golfers! Coach Erik Schjolberg here, from the EJS Golf Academy in sunny Scottsdale, AZ. If you're looking to take your golf game to the next level, you've come to the right place. At EJS Golf Academy, we're all about unlocking your true potential and helping you achieve consistent and precise ball striking. Today, I want to share with you some hidden secrets that will revolutionize your understanding of shaft lean and club face control. Get ready for a game-changing experience!
Picture this: you're standing with the club in front of you, and you notice the club face is straight up and down, perpendicular to the ground. We'll call this a square club face. Now, if you twist the club face closed, let's say at a 45-degree angle, and bring it down to the ball, you have a closed club face. Conversely, if you twist it open, with the toe pointing behind the heel, you have an open club face. These two positions have a significant impact on your swing and ball flight.
Here's the hidden secret of shaft lean that I want to share with you—the club face angle determines the amount of shaft lean you need to achieve at impact. Let me explain further. With a closed club face, you'll need to get the handle forward at impact to square the face. This means you have to push your hands forward toward the target. On the other hand, with an open club face, you'll need to get the handle back to square it. In this case, you push your hands back away from the target.
Understanding this relationship between club face angle, shaft lean, and handle position is vital for consistent and solid ball striking. Take a moment to think about players like Dustin Johnson, who has exceptional shaft lean and handle position at impact. His closed club face demands him to get the handle forward to avoid hitting the ball left. It's motivation to achieve the right swing dynamics.
So, how can you implement this knowledge into your own game? There are two primary ways: through your grip and wrist angles. First, you can adjust your grip to make it stronger. For right-handed golfers, this means turning your hands clockwise on the club, creating a stronger grip. A stronger grip naturally helps to close the club face and encourages shaft lean.
The second approach involves modifying your wrist angles. If you have a neutral grip and notice the club face too toe up during the takeaway, you can add wrist angles to correct it. Bowing your lead wrist or pointing your right palm downward helps close the club face and promotes the necessary shaft lean. See my other videos on YouTube where I talk about the Motorcycle move to get optimal wrist angles.
Now that you understand the concepts behind shaft lean and club face control, it's time to put them into practice. I recommend using an alignment rod during your practice sessions. Place the rod on the side of the club and make half swings, ensuring that the rod doesn't hit you until after impact. This drill reinforces the feeling of a closed club face and encourages you to push the handle forward.
Start by hitting shots about 50-75 yards, focusing on achieving a closed club face and getting the handle forward. Once you can consistently hit shots to the left (for right-handed golfers), you're on the right track. Gradually increase the distance as you become more comfortable and confident in your swing mechanics.
Video: This could be you
Remember, this process takes time and repetition. Don't expect instant results. Practice diligently and build your skills progressively. The goal is to achieve a stable club face angle and precise shaft lean, eliminating timing issues from your swing. In conclusion, unlocking the secrets of shaft lean and club face control is a game-changer for any golfer.
Implementing a stronger grip or adjusting wrist angles can help you achieve a closed club face, setting the foundation for proper shaft lean. Practice with an alignment rod to reinforce these concepts and develop the muscle memory required for consistent ball striking. Start with shorter shots and gradually increase the distance as you become more proficient. Remember, mastering shaft lean and club face control takes time and dedication. It's not an overnight transformation, but the rewards are well worth the effort. With practice and a solid understanding of these principles, you'll be well on your way to hitting powerful and accurate shots like the pros. Check out my YouTube channel to look for drills on the Motorcycle Move.
If you're ready to take your game to the next level and receive expert guidance, I invite you to join me at the EJS Golf Academy located in Scottsdale, AZ. At our academy, we offer personalized lessons for golfers of all skill levels, including both in-person sessions at the beautiful McCormick Ranch Golf Club and online golf lessons for your convenience. Our goal is to help you unleash your full potential and achieve your golfing dreams. To learn more about our academy and the range of services we provide, visit our website at ejsgolf.com. Explore our Scottsdale Lessons page and discover how we can help you elevate your game. We also offer online golf lessons for those looking to improve from the comfort of their own homes.
Don't miss this opportunity to transform your golfing experience. Join the EJS Golf Academy community today and start your journey towards becoming the golfer you've always aspired to be. See you on the fairway!
Coach Erik Schjolberg
EJS Golf Academy
Transcripts from Transform your Golf Swing with Shaft Lean:
all right hi friends of golfers um just wanted to show you a quick little uh deal here maybe this will help you if you struggle um I want to show you something here uh student I have here I mean this guy pretty amazing how um he sent us seven iron here on the right this is the beginning let me unlink and so you can see it here and you know about 90 I think not even going hard I was getting up to 96.
A really exciting big time I mean just massive early extension um you know I mean the ball was all over the place but I mean just to generate that kind of speed with um this mechanics here right there that row yeah what it should tell everybody here that it is just fascinated I guess with you know one thing I was here is okay if I want to hit it fast like I turn my hips quicker and it's like I I should I probably shouldn't laugh I'm sorry but it's um this this should prove it to you it's not the hiss because he at impact is barely cleared at all like you can't you can't see his like left butt and I'll show his left butt cheek in the down the line View uh from that line it almost looks like he's uh at address still so it should prove to everybody out there it's not best your hips are turning the other thing is that'll prove it to you really quick is the um a win in turn their hips faster than men so when you have a speed issue do not start looking at your hips as the first reason okay I know they clear theirs out of the way but look at that as a pivot reason and what they're doing okay look at look at their pivot just look at their whole body in general and what's happening with it and how they're using their bodies to support what's happening okay I'm just look just give it a different look so here I have in just one of my favorite drills to do with people to get a good sense of feeling um but he picked this up pretty quick too um I want to feel like when we have our wrist already hinged like this we can just kind of take it back and you can see before us we did some 22 and a half degree drills okay um so when you're hinged like this all you really have to do is get extension you know extend you need to I I like to feel like you get with going back with your hands and get a nice turn okay and I also have the TRS here on the end so you can work on rotating out of the way the first time he did he just nailed himself but this is what's going to be neat for you guys see this.
First lesson here folks so and believe me you know like I'm not one of those coaches out there it's just shows you this great stuff that's happening things I'm you know this great coach I tell him and I tell everybody this a lot of what happens is based on athleticism okay so he is he's super athletic okay so he he was able to pick up something really really really quick um so to a degree you know I I don't know what I'd rate on a scale of one to ten but he's he's super athletic and I feel like you know down the scale from somebody who's on the other side of what he is they wouldn't learn this as quick and and I'll also add to it I think that's not a 100 Fair too because one thing I learned in all these years and I told my students that I have on um my like year-long programs that are you know kind of this intensive you know go from 20 handicapped to four just like crazy changes in a year um I tell them all this that you're gonna have a sticking point somewhere something is gonna happen I've never seen anybody go through my program where there isn't some point that hits on them and they're like everything kind of stalls and it's like whoa how do I get through this and then it's like then they need to really work harder at that part so you know let's say you're coming your way over the top you know you you can finally get unrest fine but then you know maybe you from in transition becomes this huge struggle with you for how what how to do or how to move and transition Source whatever whatever it is and you're moving your body that you struggle with there's one with everybody that I found nobody just cruises through there's always a sticking point that something is going to be harder than others and it's not the same with everybody it's not like there's this commonality it's like always this always different which makes it fun to be a coach I think right um so again just kind of turning I only want to build a left arm parallel so it went maybe a little bit far here not too bad though right
See that nice separations like here I mean just felia's here and if I show you down the line you would see that his left hip's finally clearing but look at this right here all that shaft Lane is like stupid um and then look he gets out of the way he clears all the way and he's not even using his leg yet yet to push his hip back so the next time I see him because I know he'll have this down we'll be working on this how to move this action here so we can clean this up so he's not even using this action here yet which is going to be make him feel great when he figures out how to do this too so when he uses that leg to straighten to push that hip back he's gonna feel really good about it but I mean you can look here how he hit before this is this natural this is how he does it the leg bent when he's hitting so you know chunking right guys only one and girls one thing at a time then we move on once we kind of Master it so um show you this again so turn kind of push hands away from you kind of leans a little into his left and then we're just turning rotating and keep rotating left left left left boom that looks so pretty so hope this helps you guys if you got any questions let me know you can find me ejsgolf.com check out check me out for online lessons if you want and uh yeah leave a comment take care bye