Am I a swatter, GregJWillis?

I just checked out your right hand drill that everyone is always talking about. The driving range lesson, I realized, is basically how I hit short pitches. Here's the thing - I can hit a pitch with a 56* wedge like that 60 to 65 yards with less than a half swing. It's probably more like a quarter swing. But with a full swing pitching wedge, I can only hit it 100-110 yards. That makes no sense!

All I think about on the short pitches is playing the ball off my right ankle (my feet are 45* towards the target) and having my hands up by my left thigh. This gives me that wrist cock or cupped position you talk about. Also by setting up this way, my hips and shoulders are open to begin with, so at impact it's exactly that position you mention - 180* to the target, cupped wrist, etc. And I just make sure I hit down on the back of the ball and keep my hands forward. The result: nice, medium ball flight, vary accurate, and like I say, 60-65 yards with what's probably a quarter swing: very little effort.

Note also that I hit my regular full iron shots very, very high. I'm guessing if I worked on keeping this cupped position in my full swing, I would probably bring my ball flight down, which I would like to do, and also gain quite a bit of distance, not to mention accuracy. Am I right?

Another indication that I'm a swatter is my full sand wedge - it literally goes straight up. That sounds like swatter-city now that I understand it from watching your drill. Just wanted your opinion.

__________________
Mike Ryan
Rhinebeck, NY

TaylorMade R5 N, 8.5*
TaylorMade V-Steel, Aldila NV 65 Stiff, 13*
TaylorMade Rescue Mid, 25*
Mizuno MP-32, 4-PW
Cleveland Tour Action 588 Wedge, 52*, 56* & 60*
Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2
Nike Tour Accuracy TW

"You can talk to a fade, but a hook won't listen."
- Lee Trevino

It makes sense when you realize that what you think is 1/4 to 1/2 % of a full swing is never actually that true %. Where you take you arms up does not regulate the exact %, there are the hands, the shoulders and the hips that also get included in the calculation.

I guess the easiest way to describe what I'm seeing is that if I hit the ball with my hands ahead of the clubface, I get alot more power, ie distance, and control. That seems to be exactly what your right hand drill is saying, correct?

Yes. Your flight will be lower and more controled - less likely to slice and hook. I guess I was reading your post wrong then. I thought you had a question about % of swings in relation to distance, but now reading it again makes sense. Sorry about that.

And probably a boatload more distance, too, I would guess...

Yes, if you were seeing very high results from swatting, and now a lower flight then that will get more overall distance.