Achieve Proper Shaft Lean at Impact: Why It Matters and How to Get It Right

You probably have the general idea that having forward shaft lean at impact is important. But why?

Shaft lean at impact is what allows you to keep the clubface square through impact for the longest period of time. If you had the option for a longer square clubface, wouldn’t it make it easier to hit straight shots? Absolutely.

The problem is that most amateurs try to achieve more shaft lean at impact the wrong way.

After analyzing more than 1,000,000 golf swings using the HackMotion device, we’ve learned exactly how to position the shaft at impact and how much forward shaft lean you should have.

Shaft Lean at Impact – Key Takeaways

• Shaft lean at impact is necessary to compress the ball, maximize distance, and achieve optimal ball flight.
• A slight shaft lean at setup will help you return to this position at impact.
• The amount of flexion or bowing in your lead wrist at impact directly affects the amount of shaft lean.
• The lead wrist is more flexed at impact than at address, meaning the club handle will be a bit higher and the lead wrist more bowed than at address.
• Proper swing sequence and timing are essential to maintain shaft lean at impact.
• Practicing with the HackMotion device and swinging in slow motion is like having a golf coach with you, ensuring you achieve the correct shaft lean.

If you prefer to learn via video, take a look at the mistakes and fixes, Rob Cheney talks about in this video about shaft lean at impact.

Most Common Mistakes in Creating Shaft Lean at Impact

Most amateur golfers understand that the shaft being forward at address is important.

All it takes is one or two small chips around the green to realize that this is really the only position for the golf club at impact that makes sense.

However, many mistakes still happen when players try to create shafts lean at impact.

Too Much Shaft Lean at Address

A little bit of shaft lean at address is great. However, if you add too much shaft lean, you will put yourself in a position you can’t recover from.

Place the hands slightly in front of the golf ball. Check your address position continually by using the HackMotion device.

HackMotion records wrist data at address, and you can use this to see if you are creating a consistent address position.

Hinging Too Quickly in the Backswing

One of the best golf swing tips is to let your hinge in your wrists hinge naturally. Instead, focus on the right arm’s position and the right wrist staying bent.

You will get to a much better place at the top of the backswing if you focus on that as opposed to a hinge as your first movement away from the ball.

Too Much Extension at the Top of the Backswing

At the top of the backswing, many amateur players have added too much extension in their wrists.

From this position, it’s hard to square the clubface, and shaft lean is probably not going to happen.

Look at players like Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, and Dustin Johnson to see how they have more flexion than extension at the top of their backswing.

Although we all don’t have the same wrist flexibility or grip position that they do, getting your position at the top to have less extension is the goal.

Improper Wrist Action Throughout the Swing

Wrist action, in general, is often overlooked by amateur golfers as it can be a little difficult to understand at first.

When using HackMotion, you can quickly learn the proper patterns that all great players are using and apply them to your swing.

There is no perfect wrist angle or wrist position in golf. The shape of your hands, wrists, arms, body, and individual playing styles comes into play here.

However, learning proper wrist action and then developing it with HackMotion training will absolutely lead to more shaft lean at impact.

How to Create More Shaft Lean at Impact

If you are a golfer who struggles with getting enough shaft lean you’ll need to learn some adjustments that help you get your consistency back.

Here is how to create more shaft lean at impact.

Step 1: Recognize the Difference Between Horizontal and Vertical Motions

First, you should be able to recognize horizontal and vertical motions.

Wrist hinging and bending are not the same thing. There is a clear difference between the motion wrist hinging and bending created.

• Wrist hinge (adding radial deviation) moves the shaft vertically.
• Bending the wrists back and forth (extension/flexion) moves the shaft horizontally.

The bending of the wrists is the key motion you should be optimizing for when working on creating shaft lean at impact. With this bending (extension/flexion) of the wrists, you can control the clubface; the wrist hinge does not provide this same amount of control.

If you are looking for additional explanation on how wrist motion affects the golf swing, read about the role of wrist angles here.

Step 2: Know What Proper Shaft Lean Looks Like

The shaft should be pushed forward slightly at address and again at impact, but the motion is not exaggerated. In fact, when the shaft lean is exaggerated, it can cause issues with ball flight and direction.

At impact, the hands are pushed just forward enough that they are in line with your lead leg. Setup to hit a shot and then rotate forward to the position you will be at impact. You should notice that your left wrist didn’t hinge at all; in fact, all it did was bow a little more, decreasing even more of the extension.

This is why flexion and extension of the wrists should be your primary concern in your golf game.

Step 3: Understanding the Wrist Hinge

As you swing a golf club back, at some point your wrists will hinge. This motion helps to give some of the vertical plane that we need in the swing. Hinging can also be a source of power if done correctly.

However, you should not focus on the hinge to create shaft lean. Instead, you need a repeatable pattern for flexion and extension.

The lead wrist should lose a certain amount of extension during the swing. Whether the lead wrist should be completely flat at impact depends on your grip strength (stronger grips have more lead wrist extension throughout the swing).

Based on HackMotion data and insights from the world’s leading golf coaches and top players, we have been able to identify that pros do 2 things to control the clubface:

• Maintain stable extension from address to top.
• Consistently decrease wrist extension before reaching impact.

Step 4: The Role of the Body

At HackMotion, we deal a lot with the wrists and how they control the clubface. However, the legs and lower