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... Played with a guy today that watched me hit several 4 irons on the green from around 200yds while he struggled with hybrids and fairway woods from that distance. He asked me if I could give him just one tip, what would it be. I said if I could only give him one tip, it would be "don't release the club head". Now before I start, obviously the club head has to be released. But one of the flaws I see in higher index players is forcing the club head to release instead of just allowing it to happen naturally. We hear a lot about lag, but trying to achieve it can cause the opposite effect of not releasing the club head at all by attempting to hold the angle thru impact, which causes tension and slows the club head down.  

... I will keep this simple. If you are holding the club with the proper tension and have loose hands, wrists and forearms it is impossible to not release the club head even if you make no attempt to do so. Swing the club forwarding doing nothing with your hands other than holding onto the grip and watch the club head zip thru the bottom of the swing. Many grip too tight and swing too hard with tight muscles, and while some may actually achieve some level of success doing so, it is infinitely easier to let the club swing and allow centrifugal force to sling the club head thru impact. For many this will be a completely new experience and goes against everything you have been doing. Start with very short mini swings attempting to just swing the club back and forth without releasing it but not holding it back either, then just allow the club to swing farther and farther until you get to a full swing and I am guessing most will be surprised by how fast the club head is moving with seemingly very little effort. Good luck!

Driver:     :taylormade-small:  Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R
Fairway:  :cobra-small: Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:  :ping-small:      430 Hybrid 22*... Steelfiber 780Hy 
                  :taylormade-small:  DHy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r 
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Wedges:  :taylormade-small: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:     :cobra-small:  Sport-60 33" 
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As I read your description of this I was picturing a youtube video I have seen recently of an upside down trebuchet laid over a really nice golf swing (not that recently, because I can't find it again).  Arms/hands/clubhead aren't in the position many people think they are in a powerful accelerating impact.

I envision many people "over-releasing" and hitting at the ball instead of swinging through it.  This mysterious video showed that a full extension wasn't reached until a little after impact, just as the trebuchet actually throws the projectile a hair before it is fully extended.

 

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I don't have a considerable problem with my release, but I can't seem to get my hips to turn properly. I will start the downswing with some hip turn, but it stalls and I end up just making a lateral move with my hips which places me in a bad position at impact. It forces me to dump the club at the very last second striking the ball with the shaft almost straight up and down and presenting more loft than what is ideal. Would you happen to have any good tips or drills to encourage proper hip turn?

Driver: :mizuno-small: ST190 9.5* Fujikura Atmos Blue 5S
Fairway Wood: :mizuno-small: ST190 15* Fujikura Atmos Blue 6S
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Okay....just for my edification....clarify "release the clubhead".... 

You have a rod/stick with a handle at one end and an odd shaped weight at the other end (clubhead)....the only thing you can 'release' is the club itself and throw it in the direction you want it to go.  I realize you don't mean that but...is 'releasing' the clubhead allowing the end without the handle to pass forward of the end with the handle at some point? 

So - an 'early' release would be a situation in which the clubhead passes by the handle prior to impact with the ball and a 'late' release is when it happens after contact with the ball?

face open/face closed/release the clubhead/strong grip/weak grip.... some of these terms are a bit convoluted...

DriverCobra  Aerojet LS
Woods-
Cobra  LTD 3w 15*, 5W 19*,  F9 24* 
Irons- XXIO X (6-A)

Wedges- Callaway Jaws Raw (54/58)

Putter- Bettinardi BB56
Ball- Maxfli Tour X/Wilson Triad
Buggy- Clicgear 4.0
Bag- Callaway Org 14/Fairway C

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2 hours ago, GolfSpy Stroker said:

Okay....just for my edification....clarify "release the clubhead".... 

You have a rod/stick with a handle at one end and an odd shaped weight at the other end (clubhead)....the only thing you can 'release' is the club itself and throw it in the direction you want it to go.  I realize you don't mean that but...is 'releasing' the clubhead ALLOWING the end without the handle to pass forward of the end with the handle at some point? 

So - an 'early' release would be a situation in which the clubhead passes by the handle prior to impact with the ball and a 'late' release is when it happens after contact with the ball?

face open/face closed/release the clubhead/strong grip/weak grip.... some of these terms are a bit convoluted...

 

... Shankster I hear ya, there are many ways to manipulate the club head and many ways to describe properly swinging a club, and of course lots of convoluted terms. To answer your question, the key word in what I am talking about is "allowing" the end without the handle to pass forward of the end with the handle. Many try to "actively" make the head pass the handle. You have the early release correct and have the late release basically correct. In a late release the clubhead is releasing THRU impact and is a straight line when contacting the ball. With an iron the handle is still in front of the clubhead (with another convoluted term: forward shaft lean)  Maximum acceleration occurs with the shaft in a straight line not once the head passes your hands (the handle). 

... To get a feel for this for a right handed golfer, grip the club in your right hand holding it as loosely as possible. Attempting to have zero tension in your wrist and arms, swing the club back and then allow it to just fall with no hand or arm manipulation.  Start with the shaft parallel to the ground just above your waist in front of you and pointing to the target and then swing back with zero tension allowing the club to cock immediately. Then allow it to fall with zero tension holding your grip as loose as possible. (I grip the club so loose, my right hand comes off the club thru impact similar to Couples and Singh) You should feel the club uncock thru the bottom of the mini swing and recock just after the bottom. The clubhead moves surprisingly quick if you have always actively tried to release the clubhead and it really surprised many of my students that did this drill. I hope that answers your question

 

Driver:     :taylormade-small:  Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R
Fairway:  :cobra-small: Aerojet 3/5 ... Kai'li Blue 60R
Hybrids:  :ping-small:      430 Hybrid 22*... Steelfiber 780Hy 
                  :taylormade-small:  DHy #4 ... Diamana LTD 65r 
Irons:       :titleist-small:         '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r
Wedges:  :taylormade-small: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r
Putter:     :cobra-small:  Sport-60 33" 
Ball:           Maxfli     Maxfli Tour

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1 hour ago, chisag said:

 

... Shankster I hear ya, there are many ways to manipulate the club head and many ways to describe properly swinging a club, and of course lots of convoluted terms. To answer your question, the key word in what I am talking about is "allowing" the end without the handle to pass forward of the end with the handle. Many try to "actively" make the head pass the handle. You have the early release correct and have the late release basically correct. In a late release the clubhead is releasing THRU impact and is a straight line when contacting the ball. With an iron the handle is still in front of the clubhead (with another convoluted term: forward shaft lean)  Maximum acceleration occurs with the shaft in a straight line not once the head passes your hands (the handle). 

... To get a feel for this for a right handed golfer, grip the club in your right hand holding it as loosely as possible. Attempting to have zero tension in your wrist and arms, swing the club back and then allow it to just fall with no hand or arm manipulation.  Start with the shaft parallel to the ground just above your waist in front of you and pointing to the target and then swing back with zero tension allowing the club to cock immediately. Then allow it to fall with zero tension holding your grip as loose as possible. (I grip the club so loose, my right hand comes off the club thru impact similar to Couples and Singh) You should feel the club uncock thru the bottom of the mini swing and recock just after the bottom. The clubhead moves surprisingly quick if you have always actively tried to release the clubhead and it really surprised many of my students that did this drill. I hope that answers your question

 

Thanks for the description @chisag !  When I went for a fitting a few years ago in a cold Feb snowstorm the fitter kept saying "go ahead and release the club"... but he didn't really describe it very well, it was really cold and I was pretty sure he didn't want me to throw it from the bay into the snow. LOL

I will try what you've suggested; I used to have a terrible early-release or, if timed right, what I call a 'right-at-release' in which the clubface/shaft/handle/ball relationship was all in a straight line.  Sometimes I still do it but I have consciously tried to incorporate more shaft lean (which I realize has other variables like hip rotation, weight transfer, etc.) but I never want to feel like I am forcing things to happen.

I asked a buddy of mine who's a scratch player and hasn't ever had lessons how he is able to compress the ball so well and he said that when he gets to the top he just feels like the club falls toward the ground and barely even feels a downswing.

 

As an aside it's funny you mention 'strength' ... I've played with some what I will call "strong" guys.  Good athletes, especially when it comes to sports where strength is key and they try to apply that same type of strength to golf and rarely does it lead to success. 😉 

DriverCobra  Aerojet LS
Woods-
Cobra  LTD 3w 15*, 5W 19*,  F9 24* 
Irons- XXIO X (6-A)

Wedges- Callaway Jaws Raw (54/58)

Putter- Bettinardi BB56
Ball- Maxfli Tour X/Wilson Triad
Buggy- Clicgear 4.0
Bag- Callaway Org 14/Fairway C

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On 2/12/2019 at 11:05 PM, chisag said:

..let the club swing and allow centrifugal force to sling the club head thru impact. For many this will be a completely new experience and goes against everything you have been doing..

Chisag, thx once again for sharing your wisdom! We haven't met but I think you've described me there..^

I've been working a lot on better weight shift and transfer through the swing ("loading / unloading"), and it's helping but I know I still have other problems in the wrists, elbows, etc at various points in the backswing and downswing.

The visual reference I'm trying  (emphasized) to emulate is some of the lady golfers with their free-flowing, loose swing .. you can almost see the circular path of the clubhead from start to finish.

WITB of an "aspiring"  😉 play-ah ...
Driver...Callaway Paradym (Aldila Ascent PL Blue 40/A)
5W...Callaway Great Big Bertha (MCA Kai'Li Red 50/R)
7W...Tour Edge Exotics EXS (Tensei CK Blue 50/R)

4H...Callaway Epic Super Hybrid (Recoil ZT9 F3)
5H...Callaway Big Bertha ('19) (Recoil 460 ESX F3)
6i-GW...Sub 70 699 V2 (Recoil 660 F3) 
54°, 60°...Cleveland CBX2, CBX 60 (Rotex graphite)
Putter...Ev
nRoll ER5 or MLA Tour XDream (P2 Reflex grip on both)
...all in a Datrek bag on an MGI Zip Navigator electric cart. Ball often, not always, MaxFli Tour.

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It’s a nice tip - thanks for sharing it!


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  • 4 weeks later...

I am terrible about death gripping clubs 🤣

Charleston, SC

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I am terrible about death gripping clubs 🤣

I was also until I learned that my grips were too small. I use MCC+4's now and have a light grip.


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10 minutes ago, tony@CIC said:


I was also until I learned that my grips were too small. I use MCC+4's now and have a light grip.


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yea i switched over my putter grip to a fat superstroke grip and it definitely helps ease up grip strength.

Charleston, SC

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  • Driver: :taylormade-small:  M6 9* with 65g Stiff Mitsubishi Tensei Red shaft
  • 3 wood: :ping-small:  G425 stiff shaft
  • 5 wood: :taylormade-small: Stealth 2 stiff shaft
  • 4-gw irons:  :mizuno-small: JPX 921 Hot Metal w/ X-stiff KBS 130gr shafts (soft stepped)
  • Wedges: :taylormade-small: MG3 52, 56, 60 
  • Putter: 34" Scotty Cameron 12.5
  • Ball: :titelist-small: ProV-1x
  • Tracked By: :Arccos:

MGS Tester '20 - :ping-small: G710 Iron Review

MGS Tester '19 - :918457628_PrecisionPro:Precision Pro NX9 HD Pro laser rangefinder

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On 2/13/2019 at 2:26 AM, romeopapazulu said:

As I read your description of this I was picturing a youtube video I have seen recently of an upside down trebuchet laid over a really nice golf swing (not that recently, because I can't find it again).  Arms/hands/clubhead aren't in the position many people think they are in a powerful accelerating impact.

I envision many people "over-releasing" and hitting at the ball instead of swinging through it.  This mysterious video showed that a full extension wasn't reached until a little after impact, just as the trebuchet actually throws the projectile a hair before it is fully extended.

 

Is this the video? It's a nice visual for the point being made.

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Angry Yeti said:

Is this the video? It's a nice visual for the point being made.

 

 

 

Thanks, I am pretty sure this is the one.  I came across this on their website but the incessant popups defeated me and I didn't make it far enough in to verify.  I just came across another one last night that talks about the same thing.  There is some useful writeup on the blog, but I will link straight to the video as well.  I can't wait to get out on the range with some face on video to see where I am at.  My guess is I am close to zero, which, if I understand this correctly, may explain why some days I feel ready for the web.com tour and others, when the timing is just a bit off, I feel like burying myself in the nearest fairway bunker to save myself the embarrassment of hitting another ball in front of my friends.  Sorry @chisag if this is hijacking the thread, but this what I am envisioning from your description.  That acceleration through the ball is what leads to the great compression, which means we don't reach that straight forearm-club position until right after impact.

https://www.bebettergolf.net/home/controversy-about-lag-tension

 

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