LAG & RELEASE

Hitting the ball further is a great way to improve your fun and enjoyment of the game, not to mention your results! Two factors are common to all long hitters – “lag” and “release”. But what does this mean?

Lag can be defined simply as “cocking the wrists (or maintaining the wrist angle)  in the downswing”

Release can be defined simply as “uncocking the wrists into impact”

In other words, in the downswing long hitters increase the wrist angle (lag) and just before impact they rapidly open up this angle (release). This “straightening” of the wrists produces a massive acceleration of the club head.

In the following photo sequence you can see an example of lag in my swing:

TOP OF BACKSWING:

WRIST ANGLE HAS INCREASED

INTO THE DOWNSWING

AT THIS POINT THE WRISTS START TO UNCOCK,

RELEASING THE STORED ENERGY.

THE CLUBHEAD SPEED INCREASES DRAMATICALLY:

THE WRIST ANGLE HAS BEEN FULLY OPENED UP AT IMPACT:

Summary:

By increasing the wrist angle in the downswing (lag) you “load up” with energy which enables a massive acceleration of the club head as it approaches the ball (release).

Recent studies have revealed that this massive increase in the angular speed of the club is not only due to physical forces (inertia) but also due to the stretched muscles in the arms and wrists releasing their stored energy (like an elastic band). If you can get these two forces working together you can really hit the ball a long way!

Regardless of your ability the use of lag in your downswing will lead to more distance.