Here is the BIG misconception on this subject that gets everyone in trouble.
Throwing the lag away (casting) and unwinding it earlier are two COMPLETELY different motions. Most people think they are the same.
One involves a break down of the left wrist which cannot be fixed by “holding the lag.” Shorter back swing, keeping upper body behind ball, etc., is how you get rid of that “loss of lag.”
The other involves connecting the clubface to the turn and having the club rotate with the turn from the top of the down swing.
When you try and hold the lag or create more lag, you disconnect the rotation of the club from the turn and cause more issues than you can count.
It is a totally irrelevant discussion.
When you make a good swing, you get X amount of lag. If you try and create it, you get X on the scorecard.
Streaming Video Series
Excellent as usual. Thanks Monte!
“If you pull it into impact (forced lag) separated from your turn it’ll work”.
Charles Howell III ? How many of us could do that?
Monte’s version of release has really helped me. I think Tom Watson would agree with Monte. I think most of us could do that type of release.
proper posture
spine tilt
hands in front of body on takeaway
shorter backswing (stop at end of shoulder turn)
upper body back on downswing
smooth, unforced release
Everything I really needed to know about golf I learned in Monte’s kindergarten.
This is not a snide comment – it’s a statement of deep appreciation for the simplicity in Monte’s overall approach. I’m a 61 year old guy coming off of major back surgery who handn’t played in over 10 years until this past season. I lucked into Monte’s you tube channel when I was relearning the game. I played to a 7 handicap this season (identical to what I was over 10 years ago when I had to quit the game) – and I’m hitting the ball about a club farther. I actually hit the ball much better than that, but my short game was pretty bad (that’s the area of concentration for 2012). If I hadn’t found Monte’s channel I might have actually tried some hold-the-lag-Xfactor crap and screwed my back for good.
The golf swing is more simple than what we’ve been traditionally taught – not easy, mind you, but simple. What is difficult is convincing ourselves to step away from the Golf Digest instructional articles, Golf Channel gurus, the latest practice aids – and instead learn a swing that that suits us as individuals. That’s Monte’s approach – and it works. Thanks again, Monte.
You…er, remind me of Ben Hogan. I’m reading “Five Lessons.”
I find that on page 83, Ben wanted to find a ‘slot’ at the TOP of his backswing: “…If I could swing the club into the slot on every swing–well, that would solve my problem of inconsistency.”
What you’re doing with the shortened backswing is finding a consistent slot at the top.
And, how about this for another Monte-ism? Having your swing stop when the turn stops: (p.79) “…poor golfers…when they are nearing the top of the backswing…when their hands are about shoulder high, they suddenly lift their arms…”
This puzzles me. I think Monte is giving away the knack for swinging a golf club here.
I was expecting a flood of questions.
Me too.
Ha, you think you can compete against the full bleed glossy pages saying the complete opposite?
HA!
As always – thanks Monte!
Great stuff.
The day I let Monte’s gradual release sink in and stopped trying to hold lag, was the first day I felt the golf club really SWING. An excellent feeling, and it got me a whole lot more distance and accuracy too.