High Finish - Not ideal anymore?

Hi

I have noticed that that many of the pros don't seem to finish high with their irons.

They almost seem like they are "punching" the shot even though they may be playing a standard approach. b

By that i mean quite a short follow through when compared to a long flowing swings you used to see.

It almost seems like this is a modern way to achieve accuracy when raw distance isn't so important such as off the tee?

Am I dreaming or is this the case?

Definitely Tiger has shortened his follow through. with irons and especially wedges. He says it has helped him with his distance control and with his spin control. Previously he had trouble with too much spin that affected his distance control. Personally i have no trouble with that. When im playing badly sometimes i do abbreviate my swing to play more of a punch/stinger

A high finish seems to promote a fade. I think the day of the long flowing swing is certainly gone - with better athletes in better condition, the longer swing is no longer necessary to create distance.

I'm working with a great instructor (Brian Manzella -brianmanzella.com) and this is the reason you don't want a high finish. When you finish high, the clubface is more open at impact (pre-impact to separation). Many times, this is due to a person trying to add height to their shot.

What he has me do is swinging left (after impact) with secondary axis tilt...and finishing with the club going more left and across the top of the chest...finishing lower.

If you do this and add the secondary axis tilt, you'll get a nice straight shot or slight draw. if you don't add SAT, you will hook it because the club will be closed.

Hope this makes sense and helps.

It might be just me, and I've never actually seen a video of my own swing, but to the best of my recall, the hands actually don't get much if at all above the line of the shoulders on either the BS or FT.

I can understand the notion that lifting your hands high would open and tilt the face away at impact as you would be "lifting" the club artificially through...

That said, I'm playing on Saturday and I'm going to try and just swing every shot where I would otherwise swing fully at about 3/4's and see what happens...

I don't think I'll lose any distance, maybe I'll hit it straighter..

With a full swing I like to finish with a good body turn, belt buckle just left of target, back foot up on the toes, hands just above eye level with the butt end pointing to target. Pitch shots again with hands high. This ensures that I have made good acceleration through impact.

I only use short follow thorough where I need a low flying punch or a delicate 15 yard type pitch.

hi
i'm with brian, i like to finnish high with most shots as i feel it helps me swing through the ball and get that nice crisp strike through the ball, if i want to hit a draw i finnish with my hand down about my shoulders. i like to finish high when having a pitch and chip too as i feel the club head if always moving forward and not slowing into the ball, feel it helps a lot in a short pitch or chip from just off the green or in a bunker. that way i dont leave it short as i use to if i did not finnish with a high swing.
bill

Here is a video of a good swing with nice high hands at follow through.

http://coachesinfo.com/movies/articl...lf_Expert2.avi