Opening Golf Nuggets

Opening teaching moment…Loading the interactive Golf Nuggets view.

Short Game · Drill

Thumbs off drill for soft landing wedge shots

To play the soft landing (release two) shot from a runoff lie with little green, you need very light grip pressure so the club swings on its own momentum. Squeezing the pads of the thumbs creates lag, delofts the club and makes the ball come off too fast. Do practice swings holding the club in the fingers at the back of the grip with the thumbs literally taken off.

Channel: Dan Grieve

Watch official source at 7:43

Try it

  1. keep the thumbs light
  2. do some practice swings where you're holding the club very much in the fingers at the back of the grip
  3. take the thumbs literally off the grip and just make some swings

Why this context matters

For a soft shot off a runoff lie with a quick slope down to the hole.