Solid Sense About Irons and Chipping from Dave Pelz

Dave's Daily Tip:      8/27/2010


If you consistently make good wedge swings with no slide and no significant collapsing of your hands and wrists, the bottom of your swing will occur at a spot, about two inches forward of the center of your stance. To verify this low point take a swing and see where the divot begins and ends. Between those two points, at the bottom of the divot, is the low point. The fact that the perfect swing does not bottom out at the center of the stance surprises many golfers.

The low point is forward of center because the body transfers weight forward during the downswing, moving your center of mass slightly forward through impact. Why is this important? Because your ball must be positioned at the start (not the center) of where your divot starts to avoid the dreaded fat shot. 
Read more about this in Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible, Chapter 4.