Scooping is a tendency in players who try to help the ball get airborne. It leads to a medley of fat, thin, and topped shots. It’s also why most players struggle with their iron game. They don’t understand the concept of hitting down on the ball, and, they’ve never been taught a technique that consistently strikes the ball first and ground second.
As mentioned, the origins of scooping come from not utilizing the loft of the club to get the ball airborne. Instead, the player tries to help the ball into the air by flicking the club with the wrists. A scooping motion takes form as the club moves quickly in front of the hands with a large break in the wrists.
Scooping is terrible for every aspect of your game because it leads to a breakdown in the left wrist (see bottom left). That makes it impossible to strike down and through the ball, which is a necessity, especially for all iron shots. Notice the difference in the left wrist in the picture below.
Also, the handle of the club does not lean forward (also known as shaft lean, see bottom right). This is what you will see in better players who strike down on the ball. The shaft is either vertical or leaning slightly backwards at impact (also know as backward shaft lean, see bottom left). You no longer can hit down on the ball from this position.
The solution to the problem starts by hitting shots while focusing on a flat left wrist and more weight in the left leg. When you do the handle of the shaft will lean toward the target, not away. That’s the key to hitting solid iron shots. One of the great training aids we use at the Jim McLean Golf School to accomplish a flat left wrist is called the Taly.
Connect the Taly to your lead arm and extend the rod like the pictures below.
As you take a practice swing don’t allow your club shaft to pass the extended rod on the Taly. This will keep your left wrist flat and develop some shaft lean at impact.
To order your Taly, please visit Taly.com.
Long and Straight,
Adam
Hey Adam, thanks so much for all your articles and tips. They have helped me more than many of the useless training aids i have bought and now leave in my closet. I was wondering in this article what my follow through should look like. Currently, I look like the picture at the top of this article where my hands turn over and my watch faces sideways on my right arm. Your article shows a picture at the very end where your hands never turn over so Im unsure to when my hands should turn over. Thanks for any advice.
On a half swing pitch shot, or less, there is no turnover with the wrists. Only when you begin to make a three quarter swing does the right wrist roll over the left. We call that swing the “L” to “L.” Take the club back and stop when the left arm is parallel to the ground and the shaft is pointing to the sky. Your left arm and club shaft will form the letter “L.” Now swing through and stop when your right arm is parallel to the ground and the club shaft is again pointing to the sky. Again, the letter “L” forms between the club shaft and the right arm. This is the type of swing which requires the right wrist to roll over the left. Check out the http://www.swingyde.com. They have a great training aid for working the club on plane from “L” to “L.”
Thanks!
Adam