Friday, March 29, 2013

Online Golf Lesson - How To Create Lag In Your Golf Swing

We get asked a lot for a full swing golf drill to help players create lag in the golf swing. Not many people asking this question even know what lag is or what they are asking us. So, what in the world is lag in the golf swing? Lag in the golf swing is the act of pulling the golf club as opposed to pushing the golf club during the full swing. Why is this important and why would I want to do this? It is important so that you can full swing the golf club in the most efficient manner to gain the most distance while also retaining accuracy.

The best picture that I can give you pertaining to lag is to imagine that you are trying to swing a bucket of water. To keep the water in the bucket, you will start turning your bigger muscles to make it happen. This will allow you to keep the water in the bucket. If you try to use your hands and arms to make this happen the water will start to come out of the bucket and get you wet!

An easy full swing drill that can help you create lag in the golf swing is what I call the gun grip full swing drill. Pick a target and address the golf ball as you normally would. Now for a right handed golfer, take your thumb and index finger of your right hand off of the golf club. Making your thumb and index finger to look like a gun or a pistol will return the best results. Do not get lazy and let these two fingers start to curl back around the grip of the golf club. This will defeat the purpose.

This will feel out of control at first but it has helped many of my students. Pay attention to the golf club at the top of the swing. It should feel like it is dropping and not moving forward. With this you will create lag in your full swing.


Monday, March 11, 2013

Does A One Handed Putting Drill Actually Work?

I am taking putting lessons from my local pro. I asked him for some putting drills to improve my stroke and he has me putting only with my right hand on the putter. Have you ever heard of this and do you make your students do this putting drill?

Yes I have and I do use this drill with my students!

Two reasons that I highly encourage my students to practice this one handed putting drill is that it gives them the exact feel of a proper putting motion and it develops a feel for the proper impact position for the putting stroke. This is a very simple thing to implement into your putting practice. Take your grip stance and posture and proceed to setup to stroke a putt from just two to three feet away from the hole.

Take your usual putting grip for a putting stroke. Assuming you are putting right handed, take your left hand off the putter leaving only your right hand on the putter in the hands usual position. Now you should have your putter in its regular position and the ball position placed in your usual position as well. The palm of your right hand should be equal to the direction of your putter face.

One reason for doing this golf putting drill from such a short distance as two or three feet is the backswing will not need very much movement. This should allow you to "feel" the putter head as it moves through the motion no matter how strong you are. The right wrist should keep the same angle throughout the stroke as at address and will not break AT ALL during this stroke from this distance.

With the correct grip pressure, you will be able to feel your putter load against the index finger of your right hand (again, for a right handed golfer). This load that is properly stored will be delivered to the golf ball during the forward stroke and will be lost just after impact. If you use a stripped range ball while doing this putting drill, place the stripe so it is parallel to the green surface and make your stroke under the stripe on the range ball. Your right hand should be ahead of the ball at impact. To finish the putting drill, hold your finish to a slow count of three. The putter head should be under your hands and not way out in front of your hands. Remember, your right wrist angle should not change.