This Common Mistake is Ruining Your Golf Swing

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If you struggle with fat shots, thin shots, or irons that simply don’t go as far as they should, this lesson will be eye-opening. Coach Ed Schwent works with Tom — a strong, experienced golfer — to diagnose why solid contact wasn’t translating into proper distance. The culprit? An early release (casting) that flattened Tom’s angle of attack and effectively turned his irons into weaker lofted clubs at impact.

Using a combination of TrackMan data, HackMotion feedback, and simple indoor drills, Ed shows how to fix this problem fast. You’ll learn the towel-and-tee drill to control low point, how holding wrist angles longer improves attack angle, and why forward shaft lean at impact is critical for proper distance. These are practical drills you can use indoors on a mat or outdoors on the range all winter long.

The lesson also covers ball position, weight shift, early extension, and how the same casting issue shows up in chipping and putting. If you’ve ever wondered why your irons launch high but come up short — or why your distances don’t match your swing speed — this real-world lesson will give you clear answers and a proven path to better iron play.

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Hey, if you have trouble hitting fat or thin shots, or maybe you hit pretty solid shots most of the time, but you don’t think your irons are going the distance they should go, maybe they’re going 100 yards instead of 120 or 120 instead of 150. Well, it could be your angle of attack at impact as a result of casting the club a little early on the way down. My buddy Tom here’s really good players. got one of my favorite swings. And when I put him on a Hack Motion sensor and I put him on Trackman, we could see that he was releasing the club too early on the way down and as a result, his attack angle with these irons pretty much every iron in his bag was right at zero. I worked with a lot of drills on him to help improve that angle of attack. And if you’re having the same issue, the Hack Motion can help you a lot. Uh, a launch monitor can help you a lot. And the drills I gave Tom will help you even more. When your club path is zero, that’s outstanding. That means you’re perfectly on plane. Okay? When your face is basically zero, that means it’s square. Okay? Uh the only thing and it’s because of the flip or the cast. >> Okay. >> Um Trackman identifies that uh by attack angle. >> Oh, okay. >> So that was basically zero there. >> Um and with irons, we’d like it to be minus. >> Okay. Yeah. >> -2 minus3 minus4 with seven iron. >> Okay. >> Okay. The very first thing I noticed from the very first shots that Tom hit was that his angles of attack were either zero or plus one. And then when we looked at the hack motion data, um, he was in the green on almost every category except on the down swing. He was in the red because he was releasing the club and casting it too early, which would result in a incorrect attack angle like Trackman told us. So using both tools, it was pretty easy for me to see what I needed to work with with Tom. And the main thing that really helped him was putting a towel down behind the ball and putting a tea on the ground in front of the ball. And I wanted him to miss the towel and hit the tea. You can take you a T. >> Mhm. >> Um you can do this on the driving range outside or you can do it on a mat. It doesn’t matter. >> Okay. >> And I just like to lay the tea down about three or four inches in front of the ball. >> All right. >> And you should be trying to hit the tea into the screen. Okay. >> After you hit the ball, >> okay, >> um the other thing that you can do, >> again, as good a player as you already are, >> um especially indoors on a mat, I like to put a towel behind the ball, >> lay it flat, >> probably about that far behind. >> Okay. >> Um if I release early, see, I’m going to bottom out at the towel. And if I hold that angle longer, I won’t. And so in combination with both, boy, we’d like to miss the towel, hit the ball, still be low enough to hit the tea on the way through. >> Okay. >> So, just try. >> All right. >> Just try that for me. >> And and the main thing to focus on really is the tea in front of the ball. If you if you hit the tea in front of the ball, you won’t hit the towel. Does that make sense? Yes. >> Yes, sir. >> Good. So, do you see your path and all that’s still good? But then we got the minus two that time attack angle. >> The other thing on this one, you So, you were almost two inches after the ball. Your your average has been a half a half an inch on this side of the ball. So, >> so that was already a lot better. >> And that affects the loft. See, the the more we tend to hit behind it, >> the more the handles back this way. >> Mhm. >> That obviously. So, you turn your seven iron into an eight iron or >> nine. Right. >> Right. And so, and so the way you bottom out in front is to have the handle lean forward. And you can see the difference in loft there. But see, if I sold this flat, do you see where the handle is? >> Mhm. >> In front. >> See, that’s where I should be at impact with this seven iron. With a wedge, it’d be even more. >> And this is the easiest way that I found um to improve those numbers on that hack motion is just a simple tea and a simple towel and and and learn to do it. Uh, I’ve used the towel before, but I’ve never put a tea up in front of the ball like that. And I like that because like you say, if you concentrate on that tea >> Yep. >> That’s what I need to concentrate on. You know, >> it is to tell big time on that. >> Yep. And the T’s still there. >> Yep. >> And say you’re zero. Yeah. Yeah. >> But pretty simple way to practice. >> Yeah. No. >> And and a lot of guys don’t even look at the ball. They look at the tea. >> Uhhuh. I did the first time. >> That time I >> And most really good players like yourself, Tom, when that attack angle’s just at zero, uh, they tend to hit hooks. >> Okay. Okay. >> Okay. So, especially with their longer clubs, >> right? even more so driver 3-wood. So, I don’t know if that’s you >> uh >> on the golf course if that’s your bad shot. >> Sometimes it is. You know, the still the big thing I I keep working on >> is the uh extension thing, early extension. You know, I’ve uh >> I’ve been doing those those those drills that you, you know, it’s just >> and that helps. But it’s funny when I when I play around, I start off better than when I’m starting to >> get tired. I don’t know if I’m getting tired and that’s what’s causing me to >> Yeah, probably >> to do my faults or >> because I’m convinced I if I could take that out of my game, the early extension >> this is actually even in your I was going to mention that um as we went along, but this is a pretty good setup for chipping too to miss the towel and hit the tea. Okay. You can see that time you were plus 2.8. Do you see that? >> We just did a video earlier and I showed this drill. Another pretty good drill for you to feel that with these irons. >> Uhhuh. >> Um, is if you set up, you don’t have to swing very hard, but if you put all your weight on this left foot and just put this toe down for balance. >> Okay. and and and then you know just you know make a 3/4 swing but really feel you’re on this left leg. And if you’re on this left leg by the way uh this hip’s going to go this way >> and you won’t go that way. >> Uhhuh. >> So it’ll probably help your early extension too by doing this. Okay. >> All right. And you’ll see, step back just a little there, and I’ll hit one. And you’ll see if I do this drill. Um, and I make contact there, you can see what my angle of attack is. Do you see it’s minus five, >> right? Right. >> And so, so a lot of times where that low, See, if I’m on this foot, >> see, then the club’s going to swing up. Mhm. >> And so I think it’s just that you’re not enough at impact on this left side to hit that tee. >> I agree 100%. >> Okay. So, let me see you hit a couple uh just nice and smooth just standing on this leg and let’s just see if that changes your number. If you want to take a couple practice swings. >> Yeah. >> Just to feel your balance. >> So, keep about the same the same width. >> Yeah. Same width. >> And just drop it back. >> Uh-huh. And then even more on your toe on that back foot. There we go. We’re really standing on that left leg. >> And you’re just going to keep that. That’s all right. >> Good. So, go ahead and step up to the ball and just make that swing and let’s just see what happens. So, lift that toe up. There you go. All your weight left. Do it again. I was still plus, but that’s okay. That’s what I wanted to see. >> Yeah, >> that surprised me actually. >> So, the ball kind of be the same as it would be on a regular shot. Too far forward. >> Yeah, you might be too far forward there. Yeah. And that might be one of your issues anyway. It may be too far forward in your normal stance. You’re pretty consistent on that angle of attack. Let’s go back to putting the tea in front of the ball and the ball back there with a normal stance. And I’d like you to play it a little more in the middle of your stance on a couple shots just to see what happens. >> All right. >> And I’ll show it to you this way first. Go ahead and set up to it there. >> So if I put that there right over the ball, do you see where that’s hitting you? >> Oh, wow. Yeah. >> And that’s what I look for ball position is upper body. >> Uhhuh. >> Not your feet, >> right? >> Cuz your arms are swinging the club. So, it’s it’s where it is in relation up here than rather cuz if a guy’s got a really wide stance and they play it off their foot, well, shoot that ball’s past my shoulder. >> Uhhuh. >> And if I have a narrow stance and I play it off this foot, well, shoot, it’s right in the middle of me. >> Uhhuh. >> And so, you can you get a bad perspective only looking at feet. >> Right. Right. Okay. Well, that’s good. Yeah. I >> I haven’t thought of that before, but Yeah. But see, that’s just like perfectly in the middle of you. >> Okay. >> And so let’s just hit it from there and see what happens. And that might be a as good as your club paths are, that could be a pretty good spot for you. >> I hit that damn T finally. >> Uhhuh. >> But still one. >> I know. Still one. >> Well, that’s going to be your practice over the winter. We’re going to hit that T and get to minus. We want all those numbers like that except attack angle. And man, if you could get that attack angle >> to minus two or three, you would hit it 160 yards instead of 145. >> He would. >> Yeah, he’s got you can tell he’s got a lot of speed. >> If it says he’s casting on the early down, what do you think that would cause that in his swing if all his other numbers look so good? Um, it’s a good question. Uh, because I wonder that too. As we got a little farther, um, in the lesson session, he was still having trouble after a couple other drills I worked with him on getting the correct angle of attack. And what I showed him simply to feel was that he got in a good position on the back swing where his lead arm and the shaft was at a 90° angle. And I just wanted him in slow motion to feel that he’s maintaining that angle until his hand gets to where the ball is and he sts. And that’s when he’s going to release it. And if I told him at home if he even just hit little pitch shots and wedge shots with that simple motion, it would really help him. And you’ll see that it did with this video is once you’re back here, do you see how I have a 90 degree angle here? So, what they’re saying is you’re losing that angle too soon. >> So, what I would do a lot of even practicing chipping. >> Okay. >> Okay. Cuz I like doing it slow. I I think that’s a way to learn. So, even if I was even if I was using a sand wedge, um, I can get this angle. And boy, I would, even as I’m approaching the ball, you still see how I still have it, >> right? >> And if you really watch tour players on TV, you will see this 90° angle here. And as they swing down, they still have it when their hand reaches the ball >> and then it releases >> and so so even in at home in slow motion just learning to hold that angle as as your arm as your you can turn at the same time and shift your weight doing it if you want but just learn to hold that angle. See what I think simply happens to you is what I said earlier. See the weight of this club wants that head to go this way. And that I think it’s one of the strings >> angle more. It would be it’s a lot lighter if the head’s up like this like that. >> And if it’s lighter, you’re going to go faster. >> Uh-huh. Uh-huh. True. >> Okay. True. >> So, um, you’re old enough as I am. A lot of the old golf instructors, that’s what they would tell you to do was to feel like this club was light back here instead of heavy. >> Mhm. >> And nobody hardly talks about that anymore, but but it it’s actually a pretty good thought where you’re trying to feel that this club’s as light as it can be here rather than heavy. >> And so, but boy, I would do a lot of these and and even chipping then you can you can just go from here And then just pitch it in your net, >> right? >> And just go to here and >> pitch it in your net and just make that easy of a swing. And >> I don’t think it’ll take you very long to feel what that feels like. >> And then maybe >> and even chipping, you could put the tea out in front and you know if if if I if I you know I do that drill, you know I’m going to hit that tee into the net every time. And you’ll see my attack angle was minus 11. >> Right. Right. Right. And I think that’s why uh this whole attack angle thing is why I don’t get the distance I think I should be getting. >> Absolutely. >> Like on my gap wedge and even my sand wedge. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. >> Absolutely. Cuz if I’m at zero, >> see this this is my 50° gap wedge. Okay. Mhm. >> So if that sole’s flat, where’s the handle? >> Right? >> You see how far See, that’s how come it’s minus 10. See, it’s almost how far this is in front of this is what your tag angle is going to be, >> right? >> But when you’re at Z, but that’s 50° of loft. >> Mhm. >> Okay. >> If I’m at zero, I I’m at 58 degrees of loft. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And so it’s not going to go as far. It’s that simple. Mm-m. >> Understand? >> Oh, yeah. And that’s why I hit them so high, too. >> Exactly. >> You know, I I’ve got a a high ball flight. >> And so, and that’s it’s not a terrible thing. And I don’t think it’ll cost you a tremendous amount of height cuz frankly, I think you’ll spin the ball more >> and I think the backspin will help it >> get up. So, I don’t think it’ll cost you much in terms of how high you’re hitting it. >> Okay. So, set up where you can take a couple practice swings there. >> Okay. >> And then, um, so go ahead and hold on. I’m going to swing you. >> So, so that we get that hinge. >> So, we have this 90° angle here. >> And then as you approach the ball, you still got that 90° angle to here. >> Okay. >> And so, boy, you can just >> parallel. Yep. You can just do this back. Yep. You can just do this back and down. And then once your hands are here, that’s when you release the your hands and they’ll unhinge. So they’re not going this way. They’re just unhinging down. >> I kind of just want to get >> Yeah. Just like that. >> Turning this way, too. >> Yeah. You can you can incorporate that in there, too. >> Yep. Try to hit one. And you’re trying to hit the tea. >> It got a ding. >> Did. Hey, look at that one. Yeah, >> that was better. >> Much better. >> Better. >> Anything once we get to minus3 is pretty good, but you saw mine was minus 10. >> Yep. Yeah. >> A tour player with there with sand wedges, gap wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge, it’d be minus 12, minus4. Mhm. >> Oh, that was even better. That was just plus three. So, you’re getting >> Yeah, minus eight, I think. >> Yeah, I could really feel that I was more like this on that one. >> Yeah. Good. >> That’s awesome. >> That is >> Yeah, that was your best one yet on >> 96 yards. >> Well, that’s what’s going to create that yardage is having that shaft leaned >> correctly at impact where you’re hitting it with the correct loft. That was good again. >> Yeah. Well, so this was that was another plus four. So for casting. So that’s uh I think you’re you’re trending in the right direction. >> Well, you got one of my favorite swings. So >> Mhm. >> Well, nice. >> You do. I love how you swing. >> I appreciate that. It means a lot. Thanks. >> Well, I see a lot of people. It’s one of my It’s one of my f >> I’ve seen a lot of your lessons, too. I’d say you got one of the best ones I’ve seen. >> Yeah, I’d uh one of my my goals and it’s it should get easier as I get get older, but I want to shoot my age. I want to have a round >> where where I shoot my age. >> Mhm. >> And uh that’s kind of my ultimate >> Yeah. >> goal. >> I bet you can do that. >> I think you can. I did it this year for the first time. >> Congratulations. >> So, yeah. Down at Delhusi. >> Oh, really? Yeah. >> Nice track on. It was >> we moved on to putting just to be interested in the hack motion frankly to to see the data that it would um support there. And um it didn’t take me one or two putts and I could see that he had too much face rotation on the follow through um which would tend to close the putter face and have him miss to the left. And the track motion just picked up on that perfectly as well. And at home, he’ll be able to use his hack motion sensor and to where he can get in the green at impact and he can learn to feel what the correct motion is through the putting stroke. And it should greatly improve his putting for next year. >> Made it. >> First ding that time. >> Good one. Yeah. So, >> so it’s going to show he’s got too much rotation on the follow through. >> Well, so so one Yeah. So, one thing it’s showing you is you’re you got a little cupping action, I guess, at the >> on the back swing. >> Yeah. Well, actually, that’s more at impact it’s it’s showing you, but >> So, here, so at the top, you’re good. Um, it’s really just impact. It’s that and it says your your rotation’s a little closed on the way through. So, >> it it picked that up. They’re not not terrible, but it’s but >> but the red is these is these impact and he’s like this. Yes. Exactly. >> See that’s going to make the face go left. So you’re going to pull him. >> Okay. >> So it wants you to keep it more more >> neutral is left. >> Yeah. >> But it’ll show you >> that’ll help your putting a lot. That’s where I think this is probably the most valuable thing is in >> putting and chipping and because the hands are so important. Well, and you did the demo of like really exaggerating a real wristy putter and it picks up like real good. >> So, what this is to me what this is showing you is it’s >> it’s show it’s saying that you’re kind of doing this on the way through. It’s almost similar. It’s actually similar to the full swing. Same issue. >> And it wants you to have that more of a flat a flat wrist through impact. >> See, it’s the same thing. It’s trying to keep you to keep that handle lean forward >> as opposed to you letting it release early. >> So that was about same same two things. It was still just a little little cupping there as you hit it and then a little bit closed on the way through. So which as Ed said could be the same thing, right? >> Yeah. Same thing. Yeah. >> Yep. But then you can also see so you see these graphs you can see um your that’s that’s showing so that flexion extension that’s this motion in your wrist. >> Okay >> that’s showing that you’re really neutral until you get to impact you’re letting that thing flip through and so it would like you to be >> more neutral there. So something another cool thing to work on. >> But your other ones look good. That’s your er so that’s this motion. >> Okay. >> You’re like really stable through there and you’re right in the middle of where they like you. >> Uhhuh. uh rotation also. That’s another one. So, you’re rotating a little much through the zone and you can see it’s in that red part of the bar there. So, they will want you in the green. So, you’re >> So, when you’re coming through, you’re really flipping that thing close through impact a lot, which is probably if you do you miss your putts left more often. >> Mhm. >> So, that’s probably why. >> Mhm. >> Something to work on. >> Yeah. Absolutely. >> Yeah. Absolutely. >> You just sit there at home until those they’re all green. >> Yeah. I bet you make more putts. >> So, it’s actually not >> that technical. It’s more just feel what it feels like till you do it right. >> Yeah. >> Figure out that feel. >> That’s right. >> I’ve often said I think there’s three innovations in teaching that have been the most significant. Um the video camera and the improvement of video capture is probably by far the biggest improvement in the last 30 years. Um, the last 10 years, the launch monitors like TrackMan have been a huge technology improvement in helping people learn to play. And I’ve often said I kind of think this hack motion technology for being able to measure your arm and wrist rotation and the way they move is maybe be the third cog in this technology for instruction that’s really going to make a significant impact. The reason why Tom came to see us today is he’s purchased a hack motion. He watches our videos all the time and um was interested in really taking a lesson with it and to learn how to use it. So I had Patrick come in and we hooked him up to the Hack Motion and you know based on what I could see with my eyes and what I could measure on Trackman. Having the data from Hack Motion to support what my eyes and what Trackman were telling me was really really great stuff. And um as as Tom practices at home with his device, um as avid as a golfer as he is, and as much as he likes to practice, uh I think he’s going to see significant improvement based on using Hack Motion at home and learning how to use his hands correctly at impact. And this video is not sponsored by HackMotion at all, but we like it. Um, and we do have an affiliate link with them that if you’re interested in a discount, just click on the link below and you can you can check it out. Uh, they have a really good return policy. If you get it and you decide it’s not for you, send it back and they’ll give you your money back. Um, but I think this technology is important and I do think people that really struggle with using their arms and hands and controlling the club face and the delivery of the club correctly, that could be for you.