Happy my hunch came true and we're from the same place :)
So compared to the shield throwing which had an impact when hitting enemies etc, the close-range attack doesn't seem to create the feel of impact. Sort of like only playing the animation and it's unclear whether the hit was registered at all.
Ways I think could improve it:
1. Hit-Stop
2. Player-slow down when swinging
3. A particle effect when the hit registers
Keep in mind that I'm nitpicking, the game is genuinely amazing!