There is nothing quite as frustrating in golf as staring down a long approach shot. You pull out your fairway wood. You swing hard. Then you top the ball ten yards into the rough. As players get older and lose swing speed, those trusty mid irons simply do not reach the greens anymore.
You are forced to rely on hybrids and fairway woods to close the gap. But the low loft on these clubs makes getting the ball airborne incredibly difficult. You end up hitting the ground early or missing the ball completely.
Top golf coach Danny Maude has a simple fix. He teaches a three step method to stop chunking and start launching longer clubs. You will learn how to fix your setup, control your swing arc, and master a natural wrist release.
The Fairway Sweeper
How to Fix Your Setup and Stop Chunking
An iron requires a descending blow. A wood requires a sweep. You hit down with a short iron to take a divot. You want to strike the ball before the club reaches the low point of its circle. But this logic fails with longer clubs.
A hybrid or a fairway wood has very little loft. If you play the ball back in your stance, you take all that loft away. A 20 degree hybrid suddenly points straight into the turf. You might strike the ball first, but it will never get off the ground.
You must move the ball forward in your stance.
- Place it just inside your lead heel.
- This golf club setup protects the natural loft of the club at impact.
- It gives the ball a chance to launch.
But there is a catch. Moving the ball forward increases your risk of hitting the ground early. If you try to chop down on a ball positioned this far forward, you will chunk it. You need to flatten your swing. This leads directly to the next crucial step.
The Chin on a Shelf Drill for Better Contact
Hitting the ground inches behind the ball ruins your scorecard. You must change how your club interacts with the turf. Your goal with a wood is to graze the grass. You want to take absolutely zero divot. To do this, you must control the depth of your hybrid golf swing.
Many players miss the ground entirely by standing up early. Others drop their shoulders and dig massive trenches. You need a steady mental picture. Picture your chin resting on a wooden shelf.
Keep your chin on that shelf all the way back and all the way through your swing. Do not let your head drop into the shelf. Do not lift your head off of it. This keeps your body level.
Once your head is steady, look at your arms. You want to maintain a wide arm radius. Keep your arms straight and wide through impact. Do not crumple them into your chest. Let the club glide across the grass. You will feel a pure, clean strike without leaving a mark on the ground.
Use the Fish Tail to Square Your Clubface
An open clubface causes a weak slice. Most amateur players lift, pull, or roll their wrists as they swing down. This leaves the clubface wide open. It destroys your fairway wood contact. You need a reliable way to square the face and sweep the ball.
You can fix this with the Fish Tail drill. Hold your trail hand up. Hinge your trail wrist backward. Then hinge it forward. It moves just like a fish swimming through water. This simple hinging motion creates a beautiful natural arc. If your wrist hinges backward, the clubface naturally stays square.
Wrist Hinge Blend
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Isolate the Wrist
Start with practice swings using only wrist motion. Feel the rhythm of the club brushing the grass.
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Add Body Rotation
Once you feel the rhythm, add your body turn. Blend the wrist hinge seamlessly with your turning torso.
- Isolate the wrist: Start by making a few practice swings using only this wrist motion. Feel the rhythm of the club brushing the grass.
- Add body rotation: Once you feel the rhythm, add your body turn. Blend the wrist hinge with your turning torso.
This specific release creates a flat bottom to your swing arc. You do not have to lift the club to help the ball up. The Fish Tail motion presents the exact right loft to the golf ball. It acts as the ultimate safety net to help you strike woods and long irons.
A Simple Strategy to Lower Your Score
Long clubs are incredibly volatile. Even the best players in the world struggle to hit them straight. Shot Scope data shows that Tour professionals miss their exact intended target line with fairway woods 90 percent of the time. You need to manage your expectations on the course.
Do not aim directly for the pin if trouble surrounds the green. Aim for the safest, widest part of the fairway. Let go of the pressure to hit a miracle shot. Picture a scenario on a long hole where you are over 300 yards out.
Your goal is not to reach the green. Your goal is to advance the ball cleanly. A solid strike with a 3 wood will leave a simple 30 yard pitch shot. A good strike is always better than exact aim. Relax your expectations to free up your hybrid golf swing.
How to Stop Pulling Your Arms In
Many golfers bend their arms too quickly during the swing. They pull their arms close to their chest on the way down. This changes the depth of your swing arc. It makes a clean strike nearly impossible. You end up hitting the top of the ball.
You need to keep the width of your swing. Picture your arms staying perfectly straight all the way back and all the way through. Do not crumple them in. Let the club head glide through the grass.
This keeps your swing radius exactly the same from start to finish. A steady radius means your fairway wood contact stays consistent every time.
Why Trying to Scoop the Ball Ruins Your Shot
The Sweeping Strike
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Trust the Loft
You do not need to lift the ball. The club has built-in loft designed to do the work for you.
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Smooth Rhythm
Present the face to the ball with a smooth sweeping motion rather than a sudden jerk.
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No Chopping
Do not rush or chop at the grass. A steep angle causes you to hit the ground first or top the ball.
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Effortless Strike
When you sweep the ball off the turf, you will strike woods and long irons beautifully without force.
It is tempting to help a flat club get the ball in the air. You look down at a 3 wood and panic. You lean back and try to scoop the ball upward. This causes you to hit the ground first or top the ball completely.
You do not need to lift the golf club up to get height. The club already has enough loft built into the face. Your only job is to present that face to the ball with a smooth rhythm. Do not rush your downswing. Do not chop at the grass.
When you use a smooth sweeping motion, the club does the hard work for you. You will strike woods and long irons beautifully without forcing a thing.
Conclusion
You now have the tools to hit your lowest lofted clubs. Remember to move the ball forward to your lead heel to preserve loft. Keep your chin on the shelf to stop dipping and chunking. Use the Fish Tail wrist motion to square the face and sweep the grass cleanly.
It takes a little practice to break old habits. Try these three drills during your next trip to the driving range. You will quickly learn how to strike woods and long irons with power and consistency.