Subscribe now to watch the full video.

Open Trail Hand - Finesse Wedge

This variation of the classic "open trail hand" drill is one of my favorites. When done properly, it improves both the sequencing and release mechanics for the finesse wedge. More specifically, it helps players learn to "coast" with the body while keeping the trail hand more "underneath" through the release; these are two key differences between this version and its full-swing counterpart.

Playlists: Finesse Wedge - Chipping and Pitching

Tags: Poor Contact, Pitch, Chip, Drill, Intermediate

00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000
The drill is finesse wedge, open trail hand.

00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:11,000
So the open trail hand is one of the really great anti-flip drills.

00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,000
It's interesting because it also is one of the great coasting drills.

00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:21,000
So I'll talk to you a little bit about why it might build complementary skills or what

00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,000
seems like opposite skills while doing the same drill.

00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:31,000
But the full swing when I am going to have the bracing, if I'm scooping or staying

00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:36,000
underneath, the weight of the club is going to cause a little bit of disconnect.

00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:41,000
But in the finesse wedge, because there's no bracing, there's no force causing the club

00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,000
to release snap.

00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:46,000
So there's no real force that would cause my hands to separate.

00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:53,000
So it's actually good at helping train staying under without having any real massive

00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:58,000
bracing movement because if I were to flip or really throw at the hands, I could feel

00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,000
a little bit of sliding because my hands stayed under.

00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:06,000
So the big difference, there are two big differences in the finesse wedge version versus

00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:07,000
the full swing version.

00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:13,000
In the finesse wedge version, you want your hand to stay more underneath the shaft on

00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:18,000
the way through, not get on top of it because there's a very little shaft rotation.

00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:27,000
And then too, you want your body to continue moving and coast on the way through versus

00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:31,000
having that lead leg really push and creating more of a bracing movement.

00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:36,000
So open trail hand.

00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,000
You can use this in a variety of different ways.

00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,000
Either hit from the top, brushing drills.

00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:49,000
Sometimes I'll combine this with a feeling of the rhythm or the brushing drill, kind of

00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,000
like that.

00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:55,000
Or you can do it just as a stand alone drill.

00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,000
So I'm just going to get set up.

00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,000
Take the swing.

00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:06,000
And it's helpful to work on, I'd say, multiple distances.

00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:12,000
Some golfers tend to have a lot of trouble with either the real short chip shot and other

00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:17,000
golfers have trouble with more of the longer chip shot, the 20-25 yard one.

00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:23,000
So I would experiment with both of those different zones, focusing on when you come through

00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:30,000
that the hand stays underneath and doesn't rotate on top.

00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:35,000
Then what can be helpful if it feels drastically different is you can stop at different

00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,000
points in the swing and close your hand.

00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:42,000
You'd say, oh, normally the club is out there or normally the club is there and you

00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:50,000
can start to associate what's different in this little one hand or open hand drill compared

00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:51,000
to your regular swing.

00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:56,000
So if you have an overactive right side, it gets into internal rotation, it tends to

00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:57,000
re-hinge.

00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,000
This can be a great way of taking some power away from the trail arm.

00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:07,000
And ultimately you'll hit these poorly unless you keep your body coasting on the way

00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:08,000
through.

00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,000
That's why this is one of my favorite sequencing or coasting drills for your wedge-by.