Focus on pressure points to feel Lag
You may have played the game for a long time and never heard of them…
If so, I urge you to read this!!!
Pressure points could improve your game forever and simplify a lot of things in your swing by focusing your mind on feel rather than technique. As a bonus, once you learn to rely on your pressure points, the game of Golf becomes more of a sensation than a mechanical cheklist!
But for the moment, think about this for a second: In order to move something like a shopping cart you need to push against it with your hands (actually, you could also pull it, but for simplicity stakes, let’s stick to pushing…).
While you push the cart, you feel a pressure in the point(s) of contact of your hand(s) against the handle of the cart: These are pressure points.
In the Golf swing there are 4 distinct pressure points (more on that in another article) but again, for simplicity stakes, we will focus on the easiest and more convenient to feel: the meaty part of your index (the "trigger finger") of your trailing hand where it touches the club.
Here is the trick: Are you able to perform a Golf stroke while feeling pressure in this index from start down to both arms straight (the end of the follow-through and before the finish)???
Even better: if you can feel this pressure not decreasing (unrelentless pressure), I bet my shirt you must be a 1 digit handicap as you must have Lag in your swing with all the good things that come with it!
Poor players have almost no pressure feel at all because they are "running after the club", exactly as you would run after your cart after having pushed it violently: the pressure against the handle was very strong the moment you pushed hard but disappeared as the cart when away from you (you can’t push something faster you can run!).
A player who casts the club (club head throwaway) does exactly that: he feels a lot of pressure in the start of the downswing (by accelerating the club very hard and convulsively). Such a sudden accelartion thows the club away with no chance to catch it up before impact.
Needless to say, that player feels no pressure at all in the index finger when the club head arrives at the ball.
The correct way to do it is to push your cart evenly with no over-acceleration.
The correct feel is a pressure in the trigger finger that is even and present from start-down to follow-through. Light or heavy pressure doesn’t matter. The important thing is that it must be there and steady.
A Tour Player’s feels exactly that. But imagine he is able to put and keep (most important!) a LOT of pressure in the trigger finger: harder to sustain during the swing but highly rewarding in terms of ball compression/distance/control.
Sounds easy to practice? Next time you go to the range, spend a bucket of ball focusing on that pressure. Start with half swings as it is easy to feel with shorter backswings.
Oh, by the way: This is how Lag feels; it’s a pressure in your hands!!! – The more unrelentless pressure you feel, the more Lag you have!
And if you are a Golf nut like us, look for the feel the next time you push your cart in the shopping mall!
Very good advice as always on this blog !
I’m looking forward to hearing from the other pressure points.
King regards,
A Golf Nuts on hold (haven’t played for a while)
Thanks for your interest Seb, I appreciate very much.
You’ve asked for it: There are four pressure points to be aware of during the Golf swing:
#1: The heel of the right hand where it touches the left hand thumb
#2: The last three fingers of the left hand
#3: The trigger finger as explained in this article
#4: The left arm pressing against the chest
However, our mind can hardly monitor many things at the same time. Luckily enough, the most important pressure point to monitor is the #3 pressure point – it’s the Master of all accumulators because all the power generated by the swing ends-up as a pressure that can be easily monitored there.
More to come on this subject and how each pressure feels on another post!
Best regards.
Bonjour.
Intéressante cette étude des points de pression au niveau des mains. Outre les 4 points cités n’y en a t’il pas un 5°, à savoir l’index et le majeur de la main droite?
Autre question: ces points de pression sont-ils appliqués de façon constante et uniforme ou progressive et dans un ordre chronologique établi?
Je m’explique:
- légère augmentation de pression des 3 deniers doigts de la main gauche lors du take away?
- relais pris par la pression de la main droite au niveau de la ligne de vie sur le pouce gauche (le coude droit se plie)?
- au sommet du backswing pression accentuée de l’index droit (assurant le déclenchement du dowswing) maintenue durant la descente, le contact et le finish?
- la pression du bras gauche, quant à elle, serait constante durant tout le swing, ne se libérant qu’au finish?
Dernière question: ces points de pression doivent-ils devenir inconscients ou simplement ressentis, sans action volontaire?
Cordialement.
Hi Biggolf17, nice to see you again!
Nope, there only 4 Pressure Points: You may sense a pressure in the middle finger of your left hand as well as the index finger but the correct and simplest way is to concentrate on the pressure in the trigger finger (index).
Try to hit a ball with your middle finger off the club: no problem to hit it solid – remove your index finger: beware of clubhead throwaway!
Do yourself a favor Biggolf17 and for now on, forget about Pressures in the takeaway.
Regarding pressure points: Our mind can hardly focus on two things at a time – needless to say 4 things (or 4 pressure points located at 4 different places in your body)!
The ONLY ONE you should monitor at that time is the #3 pressure point: the index forefinger where it touches the clubshaft.
If you can manage to GENERATE and SUSTAIN a HUGE sensation of PRESSURE and HEAVYNESS in #3, you subconscious will automatically set you up and you’ll later see that you can feel pressure in the other Points ALONG with #3.
The pressure in this one is CONSTANT from STARTDOWN to both arms straight (end of the followthrough).
Think about it: If the pressure here is CONSTANT it means that the blubhead will not pass the hands before impact which is what we are looking for (the Lag).
Therefore, your mind must be in your hands. Stop thinking about the clubhead, the clubface (worse!) or specific positions in your swing.
Let your hands guide your body (Body controlled hands instead of hands controlled body):
Move your hands (ie: move your #3 pressure point) and the club will follow 100% of the time.
So, I insist on your last question: you must be very aware and conscious about #3 pressure point. It should become an obsession and the ONLY thought you take with you on the course. You’ll be amazed on how your body will automatically adopt the correct positions to support that pressure.
A lot to read here but lots of interesting questions need lots of responses don’t you think
.
Bonjour Johb Di Lagito.
Je pense que le ressenti des 4 points de pression préconisés nécessite un minimum d’apprentissage et que cela demande en outre de faire la part entre pression et relâchement. Trop de pression pourrait en effet détruire le relâchement nécessaire pour délivrer de la puissance.
J’ai bien compris que le point de pression n°3 (celui de l’index droit) est essentiel et qu’il doit accaparer toute notre attention. Avec une position classique de cet index droit, i.e. en crochet sous le shaft j’ai un peu de mal à ressentir cette pression continue. Aprés plusieurs essais je me suis rendu compte que je ressentais beaucoup mieux ma poussée main droite en étendant légèrement l’index le long du shaft.
Puis-je considérer cette position comme une étape ou est-ce une hérésie totale?
Cordialement.
Hi again Biggolf17.
You are right. Lag feel is a distincs feel to learn through diligent practice. It is elusive and the slightest amount of “over acceleration” can ruin everything.
Despite what you think, you can’t have too much Lag/Pressure. In fact, the more the better.
However, the more the pressure, the heavier the fell of the clubhead and the harder it is to sustain such pressure and heavyness from top to both arms straight.
Too much pressure won’t “limit the release of the clubhead” as you said.
On the contrary, you must look for a NO RELEASE feel!!!
Check the Trevino swing sequence face-on at the bottom of this page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/golflagtips/2231145322/). Lee applies a steady pressure on his shaft from top (frame 5) to both arms straight (frame 10). Only at this point the downward thrust stops and only at frame 11 the clubhead passes above the hands (the release).
Again, the corresponding fell is a STEADY pressure in pressure point #3 as far as possible as it there where no release AT ALL!
If you do this correctly, the clubhead will still be bellow the hands as far as both arms straigh!
Then, automatically the clubhead will release and you will “swivel” to the finish.
Regarding your new awareness of your #3 pressure point: you say that wrapping your index finger UNDER the shaft makes it difficult to feel it and extending the index finger along the shaft helped…
Congratulations! You’ve just discovered that to properly support Lag and its tremmendous pressure, your #3 pressure point must be located BEHIND the shaft and not UNDER!
This is a major discovery. Do whatever changes in the way you place your index finger on the grip to place pressure point #3 in a supporting position BEHIND the shaft.
Keep going the good work Biggolf, there is so much more you’ll have to discover!
As a retired engineering professor, I know from my teaching experiences how a student can all of a sudden get an “Aha!” experience when he or she hears something in a different way, and it changes the message. Your conversation with Biggolf17 on changing the position of the finger on the shaft to feel the lag not only helped me find a way to feel the lag, but it also explained whey we are taught to grip the club handle with the right index finger in a trigger finger position (as with a revolver or rifle). No one told me why previously, only to do it; but I felt more secure just wrapping my fingers around the shaft. I couldn’t feel the pressure of the index finger on the shaft–all I could feel was tension at the base of the right thumb and at the end of the index finger beyond the knuckle. Not only do I feel the lag now, but I have an even more secure feel in my right hand than I did by just wrapping my right hand fingers around the shaft. I’m a slow learner and have to hear things several times in several different ways. Thanks.
John,
This is excellent! When I think about it, I try to feel that index finger, but because I do not compress the ball on the center of the face, I lose concentration on it.
My golf swing is an anomaly. I am very athletic and fit, so I hit the ball a long way, but with inefficient swing technique. I am constantly working on it, and it is getting better, but I wonder how far I’d hit it with a square contact and compression?
I am working on a one plane swing to simplify it, and it seems to be working. On the range, I can now swing more around my body, and make better contact, but have a ways to go.
I use to come down with a very vertical shaft, and then raise up, causing my to flip my hands at impact, resulting in thin toe shots…ugh, but still with a decent amount of distance, and with all that going on, play to a 7 handicap.
I feel my potential is more like a scratch, but will continue to practice (currently 2 hours a day) til I become a better ball striker and putter.
Thanks,
Mike
Look no longer Mike, you are describing almost the same things I went through a few years ago: I’m a former pro tennis player, very athletic and always used to hit hit miles away – with a far from optimal motion and repeatability problems.
I knew there was something about Lag that could help my game… I was far from realizing its paramount importance.
IMO, do not spend too much time on a method or another (one plane swing, hitting, swinging) unless you MASTER lag technique first! Better yet: you will discover that in the process of searching to load and sustain the lag everything else will comply and adapt and you’ll discover your own motion and its associated FEEL in your hands.
John,
I hope your opinion is right! That if I focus on lag, my own swing technique will come out. I am going to the range today, and the only focus today will be lag, pressure points, and right arm extension through the ball.
Thanks once again John!
There is a wealth of knowledge on your site.
I “tweeted” about your site on http://twitter.com/golftrainer this morning.
Best,
Mike
Have faith, many good things come out with Lag pressure and it can fit in any technique or motion you favor – it will never be a waste of time.
Replace any quickness you may FEEL in your motion with “heaviness” – a good tip to feel that heaviness is to perform your normal backswing and suddenly, before completing the backstroke send your hands the other way this is a way to LOAD THE LAG – from there, your next task is to manage this heaviness through impact – this is SUSTAINING THE LAG.
Thanks for the Tweet!
One concern I have is “pulling” the butt of the club to far through impact and not keep the shaft in front of me. That may be hard from me to do as I am far from that at this point
I will try that setting of the hands with a shorter swing to see if I can get that heavy feeling.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
Thanks again John!
Mike
Mike,
Pulling the butt of the club as you intend to do is not the right way to create Lag.
I know this is what we all read in magazines (AKA the late hit) but this is holding the shot resulting in lotsa blocked shots to the right and no right arm extension.
The proof is that you may have very well done that without sensing any pressure in your index trigger finger.
Just concentrate and feel that strong and steady pressure on this index finger FROM THE TOP to THE END OF THE FOLLOW THROUGH.
Focus your mind in your hands and nowhere else!
The proper curriculum is indeed to hit miniature swings (Basic Motion, 2 feet back, 2 feet through) and ingrain that pressure FEEL all the way through – it may take a few days with a few buckets a day to reach your Haha moment!
Go Mike, I know you can do it!
Well…I wish I would have seen your above response before I left LOL. Makes sense, but I found that I could not keep the sensation of the trigger pressure at all in the downswing.
And I think after a while, I was gripping the club really tight not allowing for a release or any chance of a divot. Believe it or not, even with a sand wedge, I was barely taking and grass let alone dirt.
When I relaxed my hands, the club was going into the ground after impact a bit better, but with no accuracy at all.
I am way too good of an athlete to struggle with this!!!
My other of many swing faults is also coming into impact steep, making it very difficult to compress the ball or hit it solid. When I focus on swinging around my body with a flatter swing, I seem to hit it better, but I have to constantly remind myself to swing around not up.
The journey continues (or maybe not…lol).
“…but I found that I could not keep the sensation of the trigger pressure at all in the downswing…”
Dedicate one of your two hours working on this alone for one week – small shots – 40 yards with a 7 iron.
Nobody likes doing that, everybody prefers hitting full shots… but this is the way to find it.
Lag is not about retaining the angles as long as possible in the downswing; It is a FEEL, a pressure in your index trigger finger – and its is reffered as LAG PRESSURE FEEL.
Common Mike, you can do it – I know it’s hard step but it’s a step you’ll need to do to become the scratch player you can be.
All the best,
John.
I had trouble understanding this. I think I have it figured out. I did the mop test and felt the pressure on my finger. But when I went out, I could not figure out how to modify my swing to get the pressure. I then realized, I was supposed to push with my right hand enough to fell the pressure. I had to modify my grip to get more of my index finger on the side of the shaft. But now when I downswing, I start by pressing my right hand index finger as part of the start and try to feel that pressing throughout the swing. My hits are straight when I do it (unfortunately straight to the left, I’m working out the indside out swing now because I have an obvious outside in swing – my divots tell me so).
Does this sound correct or am I misunderstanding the feel?
Hi Steve,
You are right on track: You’ve just discovered that the pressure points must be dead behind the shaft (aft) to correctly resist Lag pressure – adapting the grip is the solution.
This is a great discovery that will soon lead you to feel that you also need to keep your right forearm on plane (dead behind the shaft) for greater efficiency. I’ll write on that very important topic soon.
Your shots going to the left are another story.
You certainly must revise your geometry to hit it straight: if you’ve never thought that the center of the radius of your swing is your left shoulder I urge you to read those two posts on that topic – take time to get a feel by looking the drawings – and from then understand why you need to go DOWN and OUT (as opposed as an in to out swing path!):
http://www.golflagtips.com/hit-down-on-the-golf-ball-dammit/
http://www.golflagtips.com/hit-out-on-the-golf-ball/
Without that understanding, doing all this in to out swing path stuff is useless…
!
And once you’ll get that it will be useless too as your shots will certainly be dead straight
John, can you clear up something you wrote in this reply to Steve (“the center of the radius of your swing is your right shoulder”) and, from the hit-out-on-the golf-ball-blog, “The outmost point of the club-head orbit is exactly in front of the leading shoulder as it is the center of the swing circle.” This should be the left shoulder. Oh, maybe Steve is left handed, so his lead shoulder will be his right side.
Oops my bad!
But fortunately you were following!
).
I meant the LEFT shoulder here assuming you are right handed (with apologies for the lefties out there
Comment edited to correct that, thanks Charlie Y.
Okay John!
I am STILL struggling with compressing the golf ball. The harder I try the worse it gets. Still thin and off the toe no matter what.
I don’t know if you’ve seen this site, but it’s pretty cool. You can upload a video, and when you register, it’s FREE, you can go in and do an analysis of any swing with lines, circles, angles, etc…
I just did an 8 iron dtl swing in my back yard with no ball of course.
You can see it here:
http://www.swingacademy.com/swinganalysistool.aspx?id=3053
I did a face on view, but for some reason it isn’t coming out. Will try to get it to work, as I know that is the better camera angle to see what the heck I’m doing.
Mike
Yes, nice site Mike.
Pretty cool, it plays frame after frame…
Unfortunately without a ball everybody’s swing is perfect – go find a ball!
However, I think I have some clues and even an exercice for you to do.
More on that after you’ve uploaded a faceon view WITH a ball!
I just recently changed my posture, but now I think it’s much too upright. My left arm is still really high and steep for an 8 iron swing.
Also, notice how my hips don’t start to rotate from the top. That is my nemesis. I am an upper body hitter of the ball.
Hmmmmm???????
Come on give me something! I can’t get the fricking face on to work for some reason. UGH!
Okay. I think I got the face on to work.
http://www.swingacademy.com/swinganalysistool.aspx?id=3056
OK, OK Mike, I’ll give you my thoughts. But remember to also post a swing with a ball…
You have two problems here: One is geometrical, the second is dynamic.
Geometrical:
From the down the line view you must put your right forearm in a position that is called “on-plane”: from this view we should see your right forearm and the clubshaft ON THE SAME LINE.
Check this video of Brian Gay at address. He is the poster’s child for the right forearm on plane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhwAZ2E1YzM&feature=related
Currently, your right forearm is too high and ALREADY STRAIGHT. With this position at startup you will “run out of right arm” at impact and have no choice but to cast the club in an attempt to reach to the ball, which is pretty obvious from the face-on view.
To get a feel for it, grab a 7 iron and swing with your right arm only. After a few misses, you’ll sense that the only way to make it work and feel comfortable is to sense that your right forearm is on line and behind the shaft.
You should also take a look at your equipment; it seems that your shaft is a bit too flexible.
Dynamic:
You cast the club at impact (good geometry will help). So there is no way you feel that precious Lag…
You must look like that at and post impact:
http://www.golflagtips.com/wp-content/uploads/090204-hittingimpact.jpg
You fail to achieve this because you slow down your hands around impact – your clubhead catches with your hands and win the race!
You must find a way to move your hands faster than your clubhead on the downswing!
Notice that I didn’t say to swing faster… on the contrary
This can be done by moving your clubhead way slower to give a chance to your hands to win.
To get a feel for it, find yourself a golf cart tire do this drill: http://www.bendoylegolf.com/videotips.htm
The better if you can hit a ball after a few hits in the tire – you’ll be amazed.
Have faith my friend!
Thanks John!
The video did some weird things. My shafts are very stiff, so I don’t know why they looked flimsy on film. Also, without the ball I really flipped at it, which I don’t do as my arms with a ball are not that relaxed. Hitting a ball is key, but I wanted to get something up there, and then begged you for some feedback
Also, I am way too upright with both my posture AND left arm plane. I will bring it back down just a bit, but I’m surprised you didn’t mention how high my left arm was at the top and how deep I got. And, I noticed I roll my left wrist at initial point of takeaway, opening up the face way too early. I can see right there how that could be a problem hitting solid shots.
My right shoulder does not rotate back on takeaway, so it’s a false shoulder turn. I lift the club and do not rotate my shoulders.
Tons of bad stuff going on here UGH!
Thanks again,
Mike
Nope Mike,
Believe me; you focus on something that is not the source of your problems.
Despite what you are thinking your upright posture has nothing wrong. The plane of your swing is just steeper that way and that leads to a perfectly normal high position of your left arm at the top.
Again, nothing wrong with your takeaway and the way you think that your right shoulder is not going back… in fact its going back perfectly right – this is called a Right Forearm Takeaway and it’s very good.
Everything is simpler (I did not say easier!) that you think – I’ll prove that in my upcoming post (this week) with my wife as a “guinea pig”!
But before going any further you must provide videos with a ball as it may look completely different.
John,
Thanks. I did read those articles first, but reading and really understanding are two different things. I read and understood how the club should travel, but I did not fully understand what that meant for my body and what it should do.
If I understand correctly, part of the movement is to start my arms down while starting my turn for the downswing. Specifically, feel like I’m pulling my right arm down (kind of elbow to hip) so I get both down and out movement, not just down and not just out.
The other thing I did not do was read one of your responses earlier in the post. You mentioned pressure point #4, left arm against chest. I did find that tip on another site and tried it. That helped with me pulling my shots left. So I am hitting straight now.
Once I fully get the down part in tune with the out (and I think the pressure points will help with that), I can see if my distance improves.
For a Swinger, the release of accumulators is “sequenced” (one after another) and generaly overlapped in that order: #4 (body power), #2 (uncoking the left wrist – the throw), #3 (roll).
This indeed means that you start by blasting-off your left arm out of your chest WHILE throwing the clubhead down plane as hard as you can.
The harder you’ll blast-off your left arm and the harder you throw your clubhead, the harder you’ll hit the ball.
I’ve seen you mention blast-off your left arm before. I’m not picturing it though. Is this like a backhand swing in tennis (just tilted down)?
Yes, pretty much the same.
You should feel a lot of pressure against your nipple and it will fade away around impact when the left arm will be blasted out of your chest (this is the Release of power accumulator #4 – related to pressure point #4 – pressure of your left arm against your chest!).
There is a lot of power in that move
John,
I will go to my grave saying, the move in my hands in the takeaway is so slight to the human, but I “feel” and know that I am fanning open the clubface (and maybe the right forearm) right at the initial part of the takeaway.
This is now opening the face way early in the swing. So then I get too deep and long at the top of my swing. Then my “hit” impulse kicks in and from the top, my upper body dives down with no rotation (hips and shoulders) and I have a wide open clubface either causing a big block right, or at the minimum a thin toe shot.
I know this in my bones!
My question is with the hands in the first 1-2 feet of the takeaway. They should not be doing anything correct? I mean the body (core and shoulders) are taking the club back with no hand involvement at all right?
The clubface this early on should be square to the path right? And still facing the ball until hip height right?
I really feel like this “hands” issue, and lack of earlier shoulder rotation (I slide the right shoulder) maybe be the main cause of my fault(s).
The lack of hip rotation coming down is another mystery to me, but I feel like they are all inter-related.
Going to the range to do some partial swings, focusing on rotation and a “no hands” takeaway.
Mike
Slow down Mike, you are going nowhere!
You want to convince yourself that your motion is flawed but – I REPEAT AGAIN – the flaw is in your DYNAMICS!!!
(for example, opening your clubface right away like you do is the perfect move for the swinger).
What you do is very good UNTIL you arrive at impact because you throw that club away and flip your wrists.
I had exactly the same kind of swing you just have right now and the very same problems – so I know that you are convinced that the flaw MUST lie in your motion/positions.
Unfortunately it is not working like that.
As a former top level athlete myself, I intuitively thought that I was strong enough to force my body to comply with the planed motions.
If you take that path you’ll waste your time chasing unicorns!
It takes courage because it’s a completely different approach of the golf Swing.
Dynamics are the key for you.
Be honest to yourself and start from the beginning: are you able to perform say a 50 yards pitch shot with a 7 iron while TRULLY feeling a STRONG pressure against your index trigger finger of the right hand ALL the way down until the END of the follow through?
I don’t care how you do it. Turning, not turning, rotating, not rotating your butt
– because all this has no meaning if you cannot feel that pressure.
It is really that simple – go out there to the range, perform half swings with the ONLY GOAL to find a way to feel that strong and constant/steady pressure all the way down.
You’ll know with no doubt when you really get it.
Trust me, this is the only way.
Hi John. Your explanations are very helpful. Something you said about ‘firing your hands” reminded me of drills I did while taking Karate long ago. The idea was to forget about your arms and their attendant weight and to fire them like a proverbial spear to a point. I think you might be saying something similar with regards to the # 3 PP. In other words, yo are saying that if a person fires their right hand down through the ground and down-plane and around while feeling LAG, that person will be on plane, automatically regardless of correct BLP to the target line.
You are right Innercityteacher:
This is simple, powerful and beautiful!
As humans, we are not so good at doing many things at the same time.
Putting your mind into your hands and consciously monitoring their travel is far much easier and accurate than thinking of performing a full body turn while staying on plane while thinking about weight shift and other stuff like that!
Just like when pulling a cart: You lead and the cart will always follow on the same track.
Just move your hands along the right path and the clubhead will ALWAYS follow the right path.
Many golfers have their mind in their clubhead instead (they intend to move the clubhead).
This can be done in two ways:
- By “tracing the base of the plane line” (plane/ground intersection) back and forth with your #3PP
- By directing the thrust (your #3PP again) at the ball as if you wanted to spear a fish (this is what you are explaining)
Both mental images produce the same travel of the hands (pick up one at a time!).
Good work, keep shaking the tree!
John.
John,
Too funny! I just got back from the range to read this response, and we must have esp, because that is exactly what I DID
It was really windy, so I practiced an impact drill, then tried right arm only, trying to maintain right wrist lag, couldn’t really do that one, then did half speed, half swing first with an 8 iron (100 balls), then with a pitching wedge (100 balls).
I experimented with the last 10 balls and something happened.
I really tried to “punch” my right arm into and past the ball and I really felt the compression. I started I think exaggerating it, but it got better and better.
Is this what I should feel. The ball was really compressing and jumping off the face.
My ONLY concern is I felt like I was doing it really hard through the ball, and not swinging like I could on the course.
I have NEVER felt my right arm EXTEND past impact like those last 10 balls. Is that the feeling? The feeling of the right arm REALLY straightening after impact, because that was what I was doing, but again…I felt like I wasn’t making a full swing (follow through) like I would on the course, but don’t know either.
Mike
Well done Mike!
Yes, this is what you are looking for – at last a good starting point to build around.
Exagerating is a also a good thing because you cannot have too much Lag – as you’ve discovered, the more the better!
Explore your limits: discover how much pressure/heaviness you can sustain before being unmanageable.
It is hard to believe how heavy impact is when done properly – this is the feel. Impact feels and sound like hitting a rock (but doesn’t hurt like hitting a rock
).
Your concern is normal: the first time you discover Lag it’s a bit like an ON/OFF switch: you get 100% “wild” Lag or nothing! You get compression feel but it is hard to manage.
Your job is now to “educate your hands” to manage different degrees of pressure and speed.
You’ll be expert when you’ll be able to produce a low speed swing with a high/heavy thrust.
And you’ll drive miles away when you’ll be able to produce a high speed swing with a heavy thrust – (but don’t try to do it now young Jedi!)
Thanks John! This is what I will practice now, but the thought of even trying to hit driver seems daunting. I wouldn’t have dared to hit a wood or driver today
I play next Tuesday, so I’ve got to be able to LOL!
Thanks again John! Your support and feedback is SO MUCH APPRECIATED!
Mike
I have bee playing for 4 years. Broke 100 once but typically play worse.I have tried the 1 plane swing,2 plane,passive arms ,active arms,pull the club,push the club.twirl the club.slide the hips,turn the hips ect ect…I recently tried your trigger finger pressure point tip. Wow!It is buy far the best tip I have ever recieved. Thank you. George R
Welcome George!
All the things you are referring to are MOTIONS and not DYNAMICS producing FEELS.
Prior to use Lag Pressure as the foundations of my swing, before any round I always needed to check at the range if I was able to repeat the Swing of the past day!
Now, I just look for pressure in my hands. I know that if I look forward to create enough pressure my body will perform the correct motion.
I can now jump off the car and head to the first tee and bomb it in the middle EVERYTIME just by recreating pressure in my hands – this is easy to focus on and easy to repeat because it is a FEEL and not a MOTION.
If you like that pressure point tip, try the Drag the Wet Mop drill, it can also be a very good eye opener: http://www.golflagtips.com/drag-the-wet-mop/
John…Wow!
What a great tip! I’ve been a 6-12 handicap…depending on what kind of swing I brought to the course that day. Always felt like I was more of a ‘feel’ player, but was always looking at ‘motion’ tips to try and improve my swing.
This is by far the best tip I can take to the course I have ever read. The proof is in the pudding right? After a few sessions at the range, I finally really started feeling that heavy pressure on my index finger…as you said, starting with little half 7 irons…and now I can feel it on the course a good amount of the time. Last night, I played 9 after work and holed out from about 125 on the first hole (par 4). Solid, compressed, so different sounding. Love it!
Thanks John!
-Sean
I should follow that up by saying, on the course, I feel it a lot of the time on my irons. Can get it right on occasion with my hybrid. Still have to put some work in to feel it through my entire driver swing. Any tips on getting this right with the big dog?
Great San!
You did a good job working your way up with shorter swings. This is the Basic motion curriculum in the Golfing Machine and it has a purpose: to help identify and recognize that Lag feel.
It is nearly impossible to discover Lag without doing that first.
But once you Feel it, it can be included in longer strokes as you know what kind of Feel to look for.
It is normal at first time to find it more difficult with the longer sticks because the ball gets closer to low point (they overlap with the driver).
When you play with lag at first you easily discover that the ball is no longer the end of the thrust:
You become aware of Low Point because you sense that you must deliver that newly found Lag Pressure in your hands down and out and AT LEAST precisely to low point.
This may sound good but this is not enough: If you stop to feel Lag Pressure when you reach low point you will be fine with shorter irons but won’t be able to have the same contact with the driver as you’ll be decelerating (decrease of pressure = no more acceleration/steady pressure or increase of pressure = acceleration)
The secret is that the end of your journey with Lag Pressure is NOT LOW POINT but the Both Arms Straight position (end of the Followthrough).
Example: For the Hitter it is the point where it is no longer possible to push because the right arm is fully extended = there can be no more pressure.
Learn to maintain that pressure until both arms straight and the longer sticks will behave like the shorter (and yes, because of that you have the FEEL of hitting down & out even with the big dog!!!)
Thanks John,
Yeah, I’m starting to feel the lag pressure up to the point of impact with my longer clubs. However, I definitely need to work on accelerating that pressure to both arms straight. I’ll keep working at it!
Yes Sean,
One more advice to help you getting to both arms straight:
It has already been said numerous times here but “put your mind in your hands, not in the ball”.
=> Stop thinking about the ball; think about the travel of your hands to deliver that pressure intact to both arms straight.
…and smile as you pound that ball miles away!
How do you build more pressure? I mean at impact PP3 is pretty intense but prior its just mild.. Just practice swinging without a ball i try to keep a constant pressure but it’s not the relentless force i think you are trying to describe.
Are your wrists really loose through your backswing and downswing while just focusing more on just straightening the right elbow through impact?
The only way i can see building more pressure in PP3 is just accelerating very hard, am I wrong?
So many questions! sorry
Hi vince
“The only way i can see building more pressure in PP3 is just accelerating very hard, am I wrong?”
Correct BUT it is easy to confuse Acceleration and Speed.
You are looking for a high thrust with a low speed.
Compare that to you seating in a car:
0 to 60 in 1 second = high thrust with low top speed. You are struck to your seat, the pressure in your back is extremely strong.
190 to 200 in 1 second = low thrust with high top speed. You feel a gentle pressure in your back.
Like a car, you have your top speed. If you start your downswing and reach near top speed too quickly, you won’t be able to keep accelerating very strongly.
A good way to build a huge amount of pressure in #3PP is to Load the Lag during the transition from backswing to downswing by throwing the club shaft against your #3PP:
- at address, loosen your wrists and drag the club back (a bit like the Wet Mop drill but done on the backswing!)
- then before reaching the top, interrupt your backswing by going the other way with your hands to the both arms straight position (very important)
- the clubhead, with its initial inertia will want to continue to go back BUT your hands will be on their downswing part
If you do this properly, the pressure in #3PP could be so strong that you may find it physically difficult to drag the club to impact!
If you manage to drag (or drive) it to impact, your clubhead with strike the ball with an incredible amount of mass and the ball will go miles away!
He isn’t joking about the miles away! The other side effect is a massive amount of spin on the wedges. I was never one for spinning the ball a ton, maybe a one hop and stop kind of guy. But, this morning, I hit a 150 yard 9 iron to the back of a soft green, the bloody ball spun all the way back and off the front of the green. Granted the green is sloped slightly back to front, but I have never hit a ball with that much spin.
So, my question is, how do I now reduce that?
On that strike, I had some massive pressure on the index finger, do I go back to trying to ‘ease’ that pressure now when I want to deaden the spin?
Hey Sean
Ah, yes, sorry, with the compression of the Golf ball comes the spin!
There are two ways to reduce that compression:
- place your ball closer to low point. You’ll have less of a descending blow on the ball and pinch it less against the turf.
The drawback is that you’ll produce higher shots and less distance.
- learn to use a lighter Lag Pressure.
This is my preference because, again, it relates to educating your hands to recognize a wide range of Lag Pressure FEEL using your index trigger finger.
Players discovering Lag love it so much that they go greedy and develop maximum Lag at first.
But like the car analogy I used on the previous comment, you’re not struck into always flooring the gas pedal on each shot.
Acceleration/pressure Feel can vary from strong to gentle (but must be always present).
Between Strong and Gentle you’ll discover that there is about 10 yards in distance variation. This could be helpful for precise ball delivery to the flag!
Holy Explatives. I now have backspin all to hell, it’s awesome.
[...] During this process, Mike Pedersen pointed me in the direction of a very interesting article (Focus on Pressure Points to Feel Lag) on generating lag in your golf swing. I had a read through it, and it made a lot of sense. It also [...]
I’m a small guy who hits the ball very far for his size. 5′ 7″, 140 lbs, driver honest 275, 3 wood 250, 2 iron 220. I simply lack control. I’ve been told I have a wristy swing and I’ve worked on a one-piece takeaway which has hurt my timing and ball striking. My tendency is to roll the wrists because otherwise my face doesn’t open. Also, I’m a feel player.
I create lots of lag and I swing hard from the top. Sometimes it causes me to pull/pull hook the ball…badley I hardly ever lose anything to the right. Even when I swing outside in, my face is usually closed and the ball goes left, then further left. I literally have to set the face wide open at address to have a chance of fading.
When I start pulling bad (I get about 3-5 penalty stroke a round due to this), I try to really keep my right elbow tucked or fire my hips hard at the top of the backswing. This keeps me coming from the inside out most of the times.
Anyway, now that you have some background let me get to my question. I think get the lag thing. I generate lots of pressure on my index finger. I feel like it’s strong and constant. I feel like I over accelerate it, but I don’t think I release the club early. In fact I feel like I need to slow down with the body at impact sometimes. My problem is releasing the swing. I’ve never understood the concept. I have trust issues and real fast hands and I often think I mess up a good swing with my fast hands. Plus I have a real strong right side that likes to take over at the moment of truth. It seems like I either never release the club or ruin my release with hand action. Sometimes I can feel the ball stay on the clubface forever and I’ll get a shot that goes out real hard and straight for quite some distance before taking a deadly turn to the left because I flipped my writs while the ball was stuck on the clubface.
I’ve been trying to develop a swing where I can be aggressive from the top. I have such a hard time waiting for the club to drop. I know I’m all over the place but does any of this make sense?
Also for the hitters. Make sure your right hand grip is slighlty more under the club, so more of a weak then strong right hand grip. I find for myself atleast I can feel #3 a bunch more when doing this. And my grip and swing just feel way more fluid here vs a strong right. When its strong it tends to sometimes break of the grip and I dont feel as smooth. Just a thought… John what does your right hand grip look like? Strong or weaker (more under)?
To KC
In “Golf Digest’s terms”, the release is somewhat the rotation of the left hand through the impact area.
This is common knowledge and very wrong: if your timing is not perfect you’ll lose countless shots to the left.
You have to execute the correct “hinge action” through impact and perform the Swivel of the left forearm only when you reach the Both Arms Straight position.
I repeat, Swivel must not be executed at impact:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/golflagtips/2231145322/
Look frames 10 & 11 regarding this.
For you the sensation will be to strongly “hammer the ground” (that will help to fully uncock your left wrist) sideways.
You don’t have to wait for the club to drop if you hammer it as strong as you can on the ball and not towards the target.
Dump all you energy DOWN on the ball, keep your roll quiet and you’ll release naturally after impact.
Hey Jake
The proper grip for any given person is the one that ideally allows you to place your pressure point “behind” the shaft in a supporting way to resist clubhead inertia.
A good and simple drill to find the proper grip is to do the “drag the wet mop drill” http://www.golflagtips.com/drag-the-wet-mop/ or drag/push (swing/hit!) a tire.
If your grip is wrong, you’ll find it very uncomfortable to drag the mop because your pressure points will be “out of line”.
As for me, my left hand is slightly strong with a right hand dead behind the shaft – neutral.
This is a great grip for hitting (my current pattern!).
John,
Thanks for the reply. I think I’m really starting to get this lag stuff, but I feel like I’ve had to flatten my swing plane to feel the sensation on the right index finger you describe. It’s real easy to feel with a rotary swing where the club stays in the slot, but with the two plane swing, I don’t feel the pressure until the club drops on the second plane. Maybe the tip you provided above will address this since I can drop the hammer from the top without waiting.
I’ve been playing with one and two plane swings. The one plane swing has been very good on my irons but not too good with my woods.
Hi John, first post for me.
I have decided to post in the Pressure Points section, as it is the one most relevant to my interests.
I have read everything on this site and tried to apply your concepts during a practice session and a few 18-holers since. You are discussing ideas that have been nagging me for many years. I just know there is a trick to golf. Those who have that trick have the potential to play well, while those who don’t have it are condemned to scoring in the 90′s…which is the level I’m at. Fifteen years ago, I was a 11 to 13 handicapper, but I “lost it” and now my index is hovering around 20. I feel in my swing that I am often decelerating before impact (because I am afraid of a bad shot). I end up spraying the course with all kind of mishits.
Being of slender build, I am and want to be a swinger. For years, I have been nibbling around unsuccessfully around the ideas of “Swinging the Clubhead” and “Feeling the Clubhead”
Here are a few things for your consideration:
– In the “Focus on pressure points to feel Lag” thread, you say: “Without a ball, everybody’s swing is perfect”. I agree completely. What would you say is the best way to put our “no-ball practice swing” on a ball?
– In the Amazing Improvements section, it can be clearly seen in that Karine’s new swing that she has a distinct lag at the beginning of the takeaway: the hands start back, the clubhead is being pulled, and is visibly lagging behind. Is this something that she is now doing unconsciously because of her new concept of the swing? In my own swing, I tend to start back with a lag takeaway when I am thinking about “throwing the clubhead”
– In the Part 2: Swinging section, you write about the throwing motion and throwing the club (not the clubhead). For me, these ideas denote conscious/active intervention and are hard to reconcile with the idea of a passive swinging motion where the clubface is not interfered with. I feel like throwing is closer to hitting than to swinging.
– I have practiced and played while focusing on the pressure on the trigger finger during the downswing. I have no problem during a no-ball practice swing, but on the course, my backswing shortens and I am losing distance.
– My main question is: What exactly is the one thing I should thinking about while playing a game of golf: Feeling the Lag Pressure? Trying to create Lag Pressure? Throwing the club/clubhead? Other suggestion? Having experimented for a long time with a multitude of swing thoughts, I can say that I am unable to play with mechanical thoughts relating to body movements and positions (hands, shoulders, arm, legs hips…).
I would like to find one bedrock idea to keep in my mind on all swings.
In other words, I am looking for the Grand Unified Concept/Thought that I will be able to use on all swings, from putting to chipping, pitching, iron play, woods and driving. I know this is not an easy question.
It’s a lot for a single post, but I have tried to put all my questions together.
Et moi aussi je parle français (Québec). Je comprends votre intérêt à offrir un site web en anglais afin de rejoindre une plus vaste audience. De toute façon, tous les termes de golf sont anglais
Merci pour cet intéressant site web.
Bernard- One swing thought for everything— “straighten the right arm while directing the #3 pressure point to low point”.
John, you said: “You have to execute the correct “hinge action” through impact and perform the Swivel of the left forearm only when you reach the Both Arms Straight position.
I repeat, Swivel must not be executed at impact:”
Is this what some people call the hinge/slap release vs a rolling release?
I have been nailing my irons/wedges/hybrids, great pressure on #3 all the way through impact, solid contact, all over the flag. Loving it, my GIR stats are way up. However, still have been struggling with ‘getting it’ on the driver. So, I went to my local pro, and he got my swing on video, had a look, everything looked pretty good during the back swing, very on plane. I was a little laid off at the top, so he had me get the shaft pointed more at the target. Back down to the ball, I was very on plane again, but I was coming into the ball with the face open and pretty square to the target line, so, decent slice on the ball. The video revealed that left arm above or level the right arm at impact, so pretty much what you are showing in the shots with Trevino’s swing Frame 10/11. He asked me to try a rolling release, rip my right arm over my left at the ball, as hard as I could, which, resulted in a few powerful hits. But, seems very inconsistent for me.
Any thoughts here? Is being laid off at the top a problem? Should I continue to work on getting the shaft pointed at the target? (my thought here is to feel the pressure of the shaft on top of my left hand thumb at the top of my back swing). Am I just not ‘hammering’ or ‘punching’ at the ground hard enough with this hinge/slap release?
Thanks again!
-Sean
@KC:
One or Two plane swings have very little to do with Clubhead Lag Pressure.
You can feel pressure in your hands with almost any kind of swing.
However, your problem in locating the pressure before the club drops is certainly related to what you can read here:
http://www.golflagtips.com/pure-ball-striker-review/#comment-462
and here:
http://www.golflagtips.com/what-is-clubhead-lag-and-how-can-it-improve-your-golf/#comment-480
@BernardP:
Welcome BernardP, this is quite of a post for a first one!
Let’s put some answer to your questions!
In the “Focus on pressure points to feel Lag” thread, you say: “Without a ball, everybody’s swing is perfect”. I agree completely. What would you say is the best way to put our “no-ball practice swing” on a ball?
You’ve probably already heard this: “The key here is to change the classical mindset that consists on focusing on the ball.”
This is great but then what? Well the missing part is: “Almost everybody is trying to hit the ball with the clubhead… Instead, hit the ball with the pressure points felt in the hands!!!”.
Therefore, it is: “put your mind in the pressure in your hands, not on the clubhead or the ball”!
In the Amazing Improvements section, it can be clearly seen in that Karine’s new swing that she has a distinct lag at the beginning of the takeaway: the hands start back, the clubhead is being pulled, and is visibly lagging behind. Is this something that she is now doing unconsciously because of her new concept of the swing? In my own swing, I tend to start back with a lag takeaway when I am thinking about “throwing the clubhead”
Good observation. This is called a lagging takeaway.
She naturally turned up doing it because I asked her to drag the clubhead during the whole swing, not just on the downswing.
This puts your hands in a condition to ALWAYS drag the clubhead which is good to feel clubhead inertia (aka Lag!).
(I also told her that she needed to keep her left wrist flat from downswing to finish and to feel that steady pressure in her index finger all the way down and past impact…)
In the Part 2: Swinging section, you write about the throwing motion and throwing the club (not the clubhead). For me, these ideas denote conscious/active intervention and are hard to reconcile with the idea of a passive swinging motion where the clubface is not interfered with. I feel like throwing is closer to hitting than to swinging.
To understand this lets roughly break the swing sequence like that:
1) Backstroke
2) Lag loading: As you transition from backswing to downswing, the clubhead wants to stay behind and you can feel that the club “loads – feels heavy” against your pressure points.
At this stage you are STORING POWER.
3) Release: Coming to the ball, you need to RELEASE that stored power to the ball. To do that, that release must be TRIGGERED some way.
So the correct sequence now looks like that: 1) Backstroke, 2) Lag Loading, 3) Release Trigger, 4) Release.
Now, depending on what you are doing (hitting/swinging/loading types), you have a few Release Triggers at your disposal (Right Arm Throw, Shoulder turn throw, Wrist Throw…).
Depending on your preference, some feel more automatic while other require a deliberate action from the player.
“My main question is: What exactly is the one thing I should thinking about while playing a game of golf: Feeling the Lag Pressure? Trying to create Lag Pressure? Throwing the club/clubhead? Other suggestion? Having experimented for a long time with a multitude of swing thoughts, I can say that I am unable to play with mechanical thoughts relating to body movements and positions (hands, shoulders, arm, legs hips…).”
Yes, I do not see how someone can consistently play with more than one swing thought.
The key is to make a real concentration effort on the pressure in the index trigger finger (aka Pressure Point #3) from ADDRESS to FINISH!!!
In TGM it is called “Mind in the hands”.
TGM also talk about a “Pivot (body) controlled hands”: Trace (“point at”) the base of the plane lane – back and forth – with that pressure in your index and your body will move everything else automatically!
Those two simple things will unify in your mind as ONE very recognizable and reliable FEEL.
Now, if you just reproduce that FEEL of tracing the base of the plane line with the pressures in your hands you’ll end up with a very reliable swing and be able to play by FEEL.
Trust me! Even if you think that many parts of your swing need improvement (swing path, body motion…), forget about them and replace everything with that Lag Pressure/Tracing FEEL and you’ll be amazed to see that a lot of things correct by themselves!
Have fun et bon golf!
@Sean:
Is this what some people call the hinge/slap release vs a rolling release?
It is a release called “The Hand Throw”, see 10-20-A if you have the book. It is very dependent on timing and I do not recommend using it until if you do not have extraordinary hand/eye coordination.
Improperly done, it can easily ruin the swing and lead to clubhead throwaway.
Now, with your driver problem: being laid off is not really a problem. Tons of PGA pros prove it every week, so forget about that!
The problem you are describing is a natural phenomenon and can be solved with the Aiming Point Technique:
Here is what’s happening:
- Short clubs release pretty quickly due to their shorter length. As a result, you have to fire your hands in front of the ball (could be pretty far away!) at a point on the delivery line.
- On the contrary, the long clubs take longer to release with the danger to slice the ball as you reach impact without letting them proper time to release. So, with the driver you have to aim the hands somewhere behind the ball to give more time to your clubface to release and square up.
Where to aim is different for everybody and must be found through a little practice.
Thanks again for the tips. So, think of hammering my hands somewhere behind the ball. Keep trying various distances behind the ball until I get the desired ball flight?
Absolutely: With the driver, direct that Lag Pressure at a point on the target line behind the ball.
Could be for example as far as 2 feet back!
Thanks John for the long and complete answer. From all the things you explained, the idea that you asked Karine “to drag the clubhead during the whole swing, not just on the downswing” feels exactly like the kind of concept I am looking for.
Drag back/up —-> Mysterious Transition —-> Drag down/out/forward
Am I right to think that if I am able to feel that I am dragging the clubhead during the whole swing, clubhead lag will be produced and lag pressure will be felt in the pressure points?
This way, I would not be searching from some unfathomable way to generate a feeling of pressure, but instead, I would be using feel in the pressure points to check that I am correctly dragging the clubhead.
I have practiced a lot by swinging a heavy rope with a weight at the end. The only way to swing such a rope is to drag it back, wait for it to reach the end of its backward travel (it wraps around me), and then pull it in the downswing. You can’t push on a rope
Problem is, it doesn’t work this way while swinging a golf club, as the rope’s hinge point is in the rope itself, while it is in the wrists when swinging a club, hence, the reflex to manipulate the clubhead.
Sorry to ask such a basic question, but are you referring to the index finger of your right hand or left hand?
Also, regarding optimizing the effect of lag-I find that it is critical to get over to the left side completely and as early on as possible. If i succeed in doing this, then i really feel the lag effect accumulating dramatically.
Would like your thoughts on that.
Thank you…
@Jeff, yes, but the key is if you can keep the pressure through the ball you will have to get to your left side properly. If you dont keep it held, you will stop and flip. Keep the pressure there through the shot and believe me you will get left, you have to to maintain it.
Thanks Jake. It seems like its harder to get to my left side with my 3 wood than other clubs. Any thoughts on this?
Also, is it the index finger of the right hand that we are focusing one?
Thanks…
@Jeff, I will let John answer as I’m learning this as well. Like you
I was just giving my two cents on what I feel when working on pressure points.
With the woods and longer irons I try and go slower because what people like to do is hit them hard and fast for distance and their hands outrace their bodies in doing so.
Yes the index finger, I can feel the pressure lock when I go back, then I push forward as I’m going back down to lock it in on the down swing and I try and keep it their through the ball.
I hope that helps.
Note: This is what I’m doing, everyone is different and I’m not a teacher, just my two cents on what I’m working on.
Jake,
I think I was doing exactly that yesterday on the course. Swinging too quick from the top, and the hands were way too far ahead of the body causing both blocks and hooks
I think we all need to not be so quick with our woods, and let the body and hands be more in sync.
Good advice! I think I’ll use it:}
Cheers,
Mike
Hi John-
Looking for your thoughts on 2 items:
-Seems like it is really critical to start the takeaway dragging the club along the ground. Otherwise i will snatch and create tension.
-Having trouble applying the grip pressure technique to my fairway woods. I end up pushing them and not getting a good release with the hands. Dont have the same trouble with my driver, surprisingly.
Thoughts?
To BernardP
Am I right to think that if I am able to feel that I am dragging the clubhead during the whole swing, clubhead lag will be produced and lag pressure will be felt in the pressure points?
Yes, I recommend that you do that. This is a very effective way to establish that dragging and lagging FEEL in the whole swing, from startup to finish: Your hands are always leading the way.
The second step is to check that you can keep a steady pressure in your pressure points all the way down (the one to put your focus on is of course the PP#3) to the both arms straight position.
Regarding the rope drill, I agree that this is not the best possible training aid; something like a “nunchaku” is more likely to mimic the behavior of the left wrist hinge pin imo.
Thanks John. I have played the last few times trying to focus on the PP#3 feel or the drag-from-takeaway action, and frankly, I can’t get the lag feeling in the downswing. It’s all a senseless blur.
In addition, I made videos of my swing, first without a ball, and then while hitting a ball. The pratice swing is fluid, but has lots of sway and up and down movement. I can also see that the clubhead is wide open in the inpact area… If I was to hit the ball with that swing, I would slice the ball off the planet. Disappointing.
As for my real swing while hitting a ball, it’s nothing short of a disaster: visible tension, crouching in the backswing, shortened backswing, club bouncing at the top, raising on my toes on the downswing, visible holding/braking of the club at impact and in the followthrough.
I view myself as a swinger, but I look like a hitter, and a very bad one at that. I seem unable to put in practice the concept I have of the golf swing. My body refuses to trust and let go.
Discouraging…
Meanwhile, my wife is shooting in the low 80′s with her naturally lagging swing. Her videos are beautiful. She has hardly ever taken lessons, and can’t explain to me what she is doing. She just has it…
To Jeff & Jake
Sorry to ask such a basic question, but are you referring to the index finger of your right hand or left hand?
Sorry for the delayed answer it’s summer time here!
No problem Jeff, don’t be afraid to ask we are all here to help and all willing to improve our games!
Yes, this is of course the index trigger finger of the right hand (for righties!).
Getting to the left side is a natural reaction of your body to dragging the wet mop:
Picture yourself dragging a heavy cart sideways: you’ll naturally put your weight to your left side.
So, drag your wet heavy mop and you’ll naturally put your weight on the left side.
Jake’s description of how he creates and sustains the Lag is very good.
He is aware of the pressures in his hands, this is the first step.
Second step is to sense that this pressure can fluctuate during the downswing (it commonly decreases
) and to find a rhythm to keep it steady (or even better, increasing!).
This will translate into a very personal feel, only describable to you.
At the end of your curriculum, this will be reversed: your will to reproduce that feel, will produce the correct mechanics… you end up playing with a feel in your hands and that’s cool!
To Jeff
-Seems like it is really critical to start the takeaway dragging the club along the ground. Otherwise i will snatch and create tension.
Yes, this is a way to correctly “trace the base of the plane line”. You must trace (point your shaft at BUT DO NOT cover it with your clubhead which must move in an arc) that imaginary line back and forth for the whole thing to work.
Just focus on lag & tracing that line with your lag and everything should automagically move to comply!
-Having trouble applying the grip pressure technique to my fairway woods. I end up pushing them and not getting a good release with the hands. Dont have the same trouble with my driver, surprisingly.
Here again, the tracing the base of the plane line drill will help (remember: do not attempt to cover it with your clubHEAD, just point it at this line back and forth).
In doing so, forget about the orientation of your clubFACE. Let it do freely whatever it wants: if you have true pressure in your index trigger finger, the clubface will behave as it should and will close and release automatically through the shot.
Check also ball position with your woods: As you make progress applying lag pressure, you’ll discover that your hands are now going more towards the target than before at impact.
Under those conditions, your usual ball location will let your clubface still open at the very same moment.
Do not be afraid to locate your ball almost opposite your left shoulder (almost the same as your driver) with your woods (ie. Low Point) AND to direct your lag pressure aggressively down and out on it.
possible to do a you tube video on your explanation below?
Replace any quickness you may FEEL in your motion with “heaviness” – a good tip to feel that heaviness is to perform your normal backswing and suddenly, before completing the backstroke send your hands the other way this is a way to LOAD THE LAG – from there, your next task is to manage this heaviness through impact – this is SUSTAINING THE LAG.
John, I’m also looking forward to your upcoming post about “how” to load and sustain lag pressure. This is the root of the problem. Knowing what I want to do is one thing, trying to feel it is another, but knowing “how” to do it is the key.
There has to be a way to load the lag other than starting the downswing before the backswing is completed.
John,
You told Mike (May 4th)that pulling the butt of the club is not the correct way. I’m a swinger,so how can I pull the club down? On the downswing my hands go away from my body, they’re not in the same position as in address.If my right elbow is close to my right hip it seems it will get stucked.
John, great site! You’ve made me a believer in dynamics. Having some confusion as a swinger w/ TGM concept of PP3 rotation – recently learned from the “LBG” video “PP3 Where Are You?”
As I understand it, PP3 rotates at the top of the swing (from behind the shaft to on top, as the club settles vertically into the base of the right index finger.)
Since the wet mop and drag loading drills taught me to focus on the side of the shaft – I am looking for that feel to rotate back correct?
How do I know if I am lagging the clubhead or the hosel?
I am a TGM swinger and if I come into the downswing hip high the clubface is facing the target line open it feels like the hosel or heel is leading into the shot. Every swing sequence I see looks the same, but how do I finish the last half of my downswing?
John, (? for a right handed hitter)
Should all three PP’s, #1, 2 & 3 be in-line with the aft of the shaft, either 2:30 or 3:00? I can hit the ball solid at either 2:30 or 3:00, but PP #1, 2 & 3 are not aligned with my left thumb (right handed hitter). Should I move my left thumb in-line also? I bring this up because when I unhinge my left wrist, it feels more of a 2:30 left thumb move down and out, instead of 3:00.
Hi Bartly,
Your Pressure Points 1 2 and 3 should be placed aft of the shaft for maximum efficiency.
It is easy to spot with PP#2 and PP#3 because they are in direct contact with the shaft.
However, PP#1 is where you right hand touches the thumb of your left hand.
This is generally not the shaft because you grip it in the fingers of your right hand.
Whit a grip like this the cup of your right hand is now “above” the shaft.
If you place your left thumb in the 2:30 position (or even the top), the cup of your right hand will be in contact with the AFT part of your thumb – in perfect position to apply pressure where it needs to be!
Funnily enough, notice that if you choose to grip the right hand more toward the palm or in the palm as an extreme, you should place your left thumb in the 3:00 position to put it in the cup of your right hand!
Hello,
I have had some success with PP3# and would like to understand it better. The lag bit I get but it appears to me that there is more to it. I am thinking that PP#3 plays a role in squaring the clubface as the club releases because it is applying pressure at a point “above” the shaft centre.
I am interested in if the club actually resists squaring up due to the hosel offset. If it does then this could be another reason why it is important to maintain pressure at PP#3 thoughout the downswing to finish.
Any comments on this ?
Loui
Hi Loui
The clubhead Center Of Gravity is something that you feel through PP#3.
This COG (located somewhere in the middle of the clubface) naturally rotates around the hosel when placed in an “out of line condition” .
So, in the beginning of the downswing, the shaft and the COG are on plane:The clubface is trailing the hosel as your drag the whole thing down – at this point you mainly feel PP#2 (pressure in the last 3 fingers of the left hand) .
As you approach impact, the COG and the shaft are thrown out and are now in an “out of line condition” and everything rotates around your left forearm.
To get a feel for what I’m saying: If for example, you apply too much pressure in PP#2 and forget to apply it in PP#3, you are likely to arrive at impact with a COG that is not thrown in an “out of line condition” and risk a shank crisis!
So, PP#3 plays a very important role in sensing and creating the rotation the COG of your primary lever assembly (not only the clubface around the hosel but the left arm + shaft).
In this regard, notice that the more you grip the clubshaft in the cup of your left hand, the less the angle between the left forearm and the shaft, the more you reduce the lever that can be thrown out of line, the less the power…
With a clubshaft perfectly in line with the left arm, there is only the COG of the clubface that can be thrown “out of line” – it works but it is not powerful. Use this for short chip shots around the greens for example.
hi John,
I recently read a lot about lag. I bought the Tour striker,and will get the Pure Ball Striker soon. I think they both will help me to create lag. I have a very important question here about the index finger pressure in downswing. Because in my swing, I don’t really use my right hand in downswing. I followed Nick Faldo on use everything in the left side in downswing, none right side. and whenever I use my right hand, I tend to use my right hand in takeaway, which blocks the club go smoothly in backswing. so my question here is: the pressure in the index finger, what I understand this is, the pressure is a steady force to the grip in downswing, It’s just like I hold my club, I shouldn’t really think to PRESS with the right index finger in downswing, right? If I really press with the right index finger, that actually will be accleration force, not a steady force, right? with that accleration, I will more flip my hands in downswing, right? This is very important factor before I start to work on lag. Another question, if everything I said is right, then keeping the pressure while not pressing on, this is hard part.. How can I do it? are there any drills?
a little about me, I’m slow tempo swinger with 90km/h clubhead driver speed. I hit ball 200 in carry, and fairly consistant with my irons. What I need is to increase my distance by not destroy my tempo.
thank you,
James
Hi James
You do not want to actively use your right hand in the downswing. Instead, focus on your index finger to MONITOR, SENSE and SEEK a steady pressure from start-down to the end of the followthrough (the both arms straight position).
Steady is an very important word. As you start your quest for Lag, you’ll most likely feel a strong pressure at startdown and almost nothing around impact and after.
In that case, SEEK for a lighter pressure at startdown so that it will be easier to keep until the both arms straight position.
The feel is SLOW and HEAVY instead of QUICK and JERKY.
Go to the chipping/pitching area on your course and teach yourself with chip and pitches. The physics work the same but it is far easier to monitor things and do things right on shorter shots: get that SLOW and HEAVY feel in your PP#3.
so again about the STEADY PRESSURE in my right index finger, it’s same as the pressure when I push the cart. I just push the cart go with me, I don’t want it go faster than me by pushing it with more force, right?
What I have in my swing now is that, in the slot position, my right hand is on the top of the grip, then I feel my right hand “help” me to hit down from slot position, I don’t really ask my right hand to do anything. is this the right feel I should have? What I meant is I shouldn’t ask my right hand to do anything, the pressure is come from the swing naturally. If I swing right, the PBS will stick with my right index finger, that means I’m keeping my lag ok, right?
another question about releasing. I think 9 to 3 drill is good drill to work on the swing feel. If I keep my right index finger tight with grip, I felt I released clubhead by turning my right shoulder? I didn’t do anything with my hands.
This is the best explanation of the “lag” concept that I have ever heard. I’ve messed around with wiffle balls in the back yard today. I’m able to chip and pitch and catch the ball pure. When I take a fuller swing I’m hitting some hosel rockets. That scares me. Some of the full swings I am hitting pure, others are dead right.
Any trouble shooting tips ?
your website has helped me understand concept of “lag” and has made me be more confident as a “hitter”. I was for the most part mixing aspects of hitting and swinging. No more, i know i was meant to be a hitter. thank you.
Wow. I just figured this out all by my self a week ago and had to look it up to see if i was correct. I’ve been tweeking my swings for years to feel this pressure and now that i can i can’t believe i was so stupid. It is so obvious now and this article just confirmed what i discovered Thank you
Another thing i figured out and correct me if I’m wrong. This would be the exact reason the say to start the downswing with the hips because the hips moving first starts that chain reaction affect by transferring the energy from the backswing to that pressure point. If you don’t start with the hips first you can’t maintain that constent pressure. From there the more Constent pressure you can creat will equal more distance and better distance control
OH MY GOD ITS SO ENGENIUS!!!! WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG TO FIGURE THIS OUT LOL
Thanks Saidric:
)
100% right: The hips move the pivot (body motion) whose role is then to blast of the arms away from the chest. This can initiate pressure in the 4 pressure points (search the site if you need to locate them
Bonjour John! I have studied the forums of Lynn Blake golf since last March of “09. My hcp. has gone from 21 to 11.5! I have reached a new point though where LAG is becoming very significant. Sometimes I can feel it clearly, esp. with my irons and hybrids. I am having trouble getting off the tee, though with my driver. I can only hit so many great 200 yard hybrids! My left leg is 1.75 inches shorter than back right foot. With lag though, it does not seem to matter except with my driver.
Ideas or suggestions?
Pasquale
Hi Pasquale
While it may be hard give a proper to answer without seeing the swing, there are generally two problems with Lag and the driver.
The first one is that Low Point of the swing arc matches ball position and impact.
In some player’s mind, the action – that is the need to feel Lag Pressure – ends at Low Point instead of at the Both Arms Straight position.
Releasing Lag Pressure at Low Pressure point means one thing: A decelerating clubhead at this point.
This can still provide acceptable results with irons because the ball is generally contacted prior to Low Point and the club head has enough inertia to ensure solid contact.
So, you must ensure to keep that Lag Pressure steady until the Both Arms Straight position to guarantee an accelerating clubhead at impact with the Driver.
Another potential issue with the driver is that the ball doesn’t lie on the ground. This can lead to forget the imperative to hit down on the ball and perform a sweeping motion instead.
I sometimes use the analogy of "taking an Air Divot": It is not because the clubhead of your driver should hit the ball at low point or even on its ascending path that you must lose the intent to drive your clubhead down as with an iron!
Congratulations again on your improvements; keep us informed on your progress and if these directions were helpful to your Drives.
Best regards,
John.
John, you have teaching skills. Do you have a handle at LynnBlakeGolf.com? May we know it?
I have followed several of your tips:
1) Straightening my right arm outside my right leg after (right after) starting my return Pivot.
2) Trusting the open club face to square up!
I had no idea about doing this while swinging! I had done that for short irons last June and it gave me killer shots within 150 but I was afraid of “club head throwaway” on longer clubs. Today, I just tilted my shoulder up slightly which is my version of a little hip bump and fired! WOW! I was 20 yards over several greens for an 11 over on a nearby course. Great problem to have! I’m going to beast on my home course tomorrow which is our last day to post for our hcp index.
3) I’ve ordered a PBS to reinforce the Lag Pressure feel for winter practice. Your tips on changing direction with my hands have really helped me stay aware of # 3 PP for all my sticks including my putter.
My hitting is better but still not dependable. I was swinging today, with a very smooth pace and clobbered the ball.
Thanks.
ICT
Thanks again Innercityteacher!
I started at LBG under the Yodeli username!
If you search well, you’ll find back in 2006 an old swing of mine very different of nowadays.
I laugh while I look back to my old swing but it only shows the huge progress made since I started my quest for Lag! … and it is the main reason of this site: I was shocked to see how good a remedy Lag can be for anyone’s swing.
Hell, the first golfer I’ve applied this onto was my own wife and she improved even faster in only one lesson!!!
Now, to comment back on what you wrote: “I had no idea about doing this while swinging! I had done that for short irons last June and it gave me killer shots within 150 but I was afraid of “club head throwaway” on longer clubs“
By initiating the “throw” of the clubhead by straightening the right arm (reminder: in a karate chop motion, not in a punch motion which would be hitting) you ensure that you engage centrifugal force in your swing.
The throw of the clubhead early is not clubhead throwaway!!! In fact the more you throw it, the more physically impossible is clubhead throwaway because centrifugal force won’t allow to go anywhere else.
So, throw it as hard as you can, engage a ton of centrifugal force and hold on to the club without trying to align the clubFACE – HAVE FAITH – centrifugal force will align everything!!!
Best regards,
John.
it’s just amazing how different your info is compared to the standard drivel found in magazines like golf digest. i swear i will never watch another episode on golf channel.
your reply to innercityteacher made me think about club throwaway. could you please explain further your remark, “initiating the throw of clubhead by straightening your right arm you ensure engagement of centrifugal force”. would this apply to a hitter?
Thanks Dre and welcome aboard!
Read this (again!) regarding the clubhead throw: http://www.golflagtips.com/hitting-vs-swinging-part-2-the-swing/
Clubhead throwAWAY is the bad move. It is done by flipping the left wrist at impact, shortening the radius of the stroke at the wrists instead of the left shoulder. Leverage and compression are lost – train wreck!
The throw I describe is a different one: It’s motion happens by throwing the clubhead on plane. This will produce an on plane uncocking of the left wrist (as opposed to bending the left wrist) .
If you throw it as hard as you can while keeping steady pressure in your hands (an anti over acceleration insurance!) centrifugal force will kick in and you’ll discover that it is almost impossible to bend the left wrist and do a throwAWAY motion AT THE SAME TIME.
Sweet!
I see there hasn’t been a post on this thread for about 6 months. I REALLY hope that it is still monitored.
I’ve been taking lessons for the last couple of months and we have reached a point where we are stuck on trying to create lag. No matter what my pro says, I just don’t seem to get how to do it. Given this difficulty I searched out another way of describing this and stumbled across the site.
I went to the practice simulator today and hit about 100 balls just working on this idea. I feel like I’m making a bit of progress but it seems really slow. I probably hit 90 of the 100 shots as half swings (shaft to vertical) and I can see that I’m in good positions (the simulator has cameras). However if I try and crank it up even to a slow light full swing back comes the hand stop and flip to square the club face. I know that I can’t expect it to happen instantly, but it seems insanely difficult to carry that hands forward motion into a full swing. Any tips on how to expand from the half swing to the full swing yet still keep this good position?
Erik,
I want to echo your hopes for an active site here. This site connected a lot of dots for me. The geometry stuff just makes sense. I began a very productive journey of learning the alignments – on a table top with two straight sticks or broken shafts, I could see the simplicity of turning my left palm to the plane. I was so right-side dominant in 20 years of golf I never was tuned in to the role of both hands. It was eye-opening to try different “intentions” at the range, focusing on say; throwing, with light extensor action, the left arm,palm down to plane & expecting to hit the ball with the back of the hosel. It is fun just swinging = down = and letting the pivot take care of the out/forward.
So I like to read or watch clips that express TGM concepts in varied ways (search Ben Doyle, Tom Tomasello, and then dig into Lynn Blake – his website is both a treasure and fun to read!
A lot of good comments above your post – jot down a few & take them to the range with you. This is the real stuff! – hope you stick with it to find your own magic.
PS Also google ‘EdZ Drills’ I had a breakthrough using a couple of ideas he posted on LynnBlakeGolf.
Hi Eric,
Still there
, still active and in fact polishing a 130+ pages eBook entitled “Learn the Secret of Golf, Feel, Create and Sustain the Lag” that should come out in a week from now!
Inside is a detailed walkthrough on how to make your way up from small strokes (Basic Motion) to full strokes (Total Motion) that should interest you
What you are currently experiencing is normal as it is not that easy to sustain the Lag as swing speed increases. In fact, the faster the swing speed, the more your hands tend to go towards their speed limit.
The hint for that is in your PP#3 – focus on pressure in your index finger and keep it CONSTANT until your reach the end of the followthrough.
If you flip hands then for sure you lose pressure in PP#3 before you reach the ball. Focus, focus, and focus on that pressure until you feel it’s there PAST impact.
It seems that you may already know the Lag feel. The problem seems to be with the “sustain” part: On full swings, you manage to create Lag at the beginning of the downswing but fail to sustain it through impact.
The second key is to think heavy instead of speedy: On full strokes, once your hands have reached their top speed you cannot go any faster without flipping – this is your personal limit.
So what can you do to send the ball the expected yardage?
The key is to increase “mass” instead of speed.
Think about this analogy: for the same speed do you prefer to get struck by a fly or a car?
Pretty rough but I’m sure you’ll get the idea.
Heaviness feel is directly related to the pressure felt in PP#3. So again, focus on that spot, create pressure at the start of the downswing and keep it there (even better if you can increase it!) until the end of the followthrough.
Feel slow and heavy.
And come back anytime, we are always open
any update on ebook have paypal ready thanks
It’s almost there!
Currently in re-reading and polishing.
It is entitled “Learn the Secret of Golf, Feel, Create and sustain the Lag”, 115+ pages of Lag goodness!
Thank you for your patience and your support!
This is the best thing I have ever heard and practiced. I’m amazed at the compression I am consistently getting by doing this. It has helped my long irons tremendously just by feeling that #3 pressure point. I feel as confident with my 2 iron now as I do with my 5 or 7 iron. Thanks alot for explaining this concept
Music to my ears!
Thanks Spencer.
John, this all makes perfect sense to me. I have the most success with my short irons when I place the ball back in my stance. I hit down on the ball and get a divot in front of the ball. But I get a great shot to the green because of the accuracy and flight through the air.
My question is I have more trouble with my long irons, I cannot move the ball back in my stance it does not work for me.
Also when is your ebook coming out. Thanks
Andy
Andy, you need to work on getting your weight on the left (lead) side early in the downswing.
With short irons, this isn’t such an issue, we don’t need so much of a weight shift, so ball further back works fine.
With mid to long irons/woods/hybrids, the ball is in it’s “normal” position (below left ear), and you need to get stacked over the left hip, feel like you’re “covering” the ball, the botton of the swing arc will move in front of the ball despite the more forward ball position, and you will strike the ball perfectly and with a lot more clubhead speed than you would moving the ball back instead.
Ian
Thanks Ian, a couple of questions. I understand what you are saying about getting over on my left hip. But what do you mean stacking over the left hip and covering the ball. Especially covering the ball. How does that work?
Andy
Great question… many amateurs struggle with this one, but it’s not that difficult if you know what to do. I’m in tghe process of writing a detailed paper about it and will let you know when I’m done.
Essentially, it’s about impact positions – left hip joint (first loop of your belt left of the buckle) over left heel, weight on left foot, left shoulder over left heel, left arm straight down – “stacked” joints (heel, knee, hip, shoulder) on the left side.
The club is releasing down through the ball, bottoming out under the left armpit, ahead of the ball.
An important point most amateurs miss is not to spin the left shoulder up and out – it should be pretty much level with the right at impact – the head is behind the ball but you’re not leaning too far back, the sternum (buttons on your shirt) is angled towards the left knee.
This will probably “feel” like your left shoulder is below the right, like you’re “covering” the ball with your chest – nearly all amateurs overdo the “staying behind the ball” bit, so you will feel a lot further left until you master it.
The best thing to do is video your swing and look at impact carefully – you should look “stacked” over the left heel. Another good tool is the impact bag, stop at impact and look at your alignments in the mirror.
Ian
thank you. I will love to read your paper. Thank you for the analysis.
I should have added…
Your weight should never, ever, ever move outside the left heel!
A great way of achieving all this is to engage your glutes, especially the left, from the top of the swing – feel like you’re trying to crack a nut between your butt cheeks and pull with the left glute – you’ll feel stacked and stable as the hands release through the ball.
Remember to stay patient with the arms and hands from the top – focus on activating the glutes, the arms will drop into “the slot” naturally.
Ian
…pull with the left glute, don’t push with the right foot, and you’ll be perfectly stacked and start compressing the ball like you never believed possible!
Ian
Very interesting discussion here, Ian and Andy.
I’m tempted to give ANDY the same pill I’ve given to Jason in reply to his comment!
I’m sure that ANDY can now start to feel some Lag in his motion but that geometry needs some more care.
In this regard I recommend again to focus on your hands to make sure that 1) you keep your left wrist flat at all times 2) and even easier to do: keep your right wrist bent as long as you can and well past impact.
Again, low point (equals to impact with the driver by the way) is not the end of your action. The both arms straight position (end of the followthrough) is! .
One simple thing to think of is to bend (bend backward and not cock upward) your right wrist to the max and keep it that way until the both arms straight position. It may feel extreme to you but do yourself a favor and practice a full driving session focusing on that and I guarantee that you will feel and discover a lot of interesting things.
If you manage to bend your right wrist to the max along with keeping your left flat, you ensure maintaining your straight line arc radius coming from your left shoulder to low point. And as low point is located in front of your left shoulder, you will necessarily get a solid ball/turf contact even with a 3 iron or wood.
Keep doing the good work ANDY, you are almost there!
I plan on going to the range tonight or tomorrow to practice this method. I will keep my right wrist bent and a flat left wrist flat. thanks. I will keep you updated.
I’d be fascinated to know how you think you can improve my geometry?!
I didn’t stress the right wrist, clearly your current focus, but I didn’t dismiss it either.
I’m more of a “swinger” than a “hitter”, but actually, I generate plenty of lag, efforlessly, and more importantly reliable, repeatable club head speed.
I’m playing off +4 and can carry my 5 iron 240… any tips?
Lol! Sorry, sorry Ian, take no offence, I used your name in my reply when of course I wanted to target ANDY!!!
I edited my previous post in this regard!
It seems indeed, that you do not need much of advice regarding Lag as proven by your handicap and your ability to carry your 5i a nice distance!
Moreover, I wouldn’t engage into giving any advice without at least a small hint on one’s problem.
Now, regarding your interesting explanations about performing your “stacked” golf swing it makes me think of the “Stack and Tilt” method of Plummer and Bennet. Is it related or nothing to do with?
Sorry if I was quick to take offence. I’m an avid student of the game and I really appreciate your good work here, lag is indeed the key to great golf.
No, I’m not a great believer in stack and tilt, though it has some merit, I think it has some fundamental flaws – I’m a great believer in weight shift and a lot of the “poster boys” of S&T aren’t really S&Ting at all – I’ve seen still frames of Hogan and Woods used by these guts saying “look – stack and tilt!”. Nothing could be further from the truth – watch them on video and there’s a definite shift!
I must emphasis that it’s a weight shift, not a sway! Feel it in the hips and the glutes, not in the upper body.
The “stacked” position I refer to is to create a powerful (using the big muscles in the legs and trunk), solid and stable, safe (no more back ache or hip pain!), repeatable and predictable base, enabling you to pivot around the left hip and fully release the club through impact. After all, what’s the point in all that wonderful lag if we can’t release it in the right place every time?
I agree with all of what you say here, perhaps with slight differences on emphasis in places, but I think that the stacked left joints add to your ability to execute the release predictably – combine all of this and the result is a compressed ball with a penetrating flight that will go for miles – for me it’s the best feeling in golf!
For those of you who have never experienced a compressed ball fizzing off the face of the club, work on the advice given here by John and wait for the “what the @%&$ was that?!” look on your buddies’ faces as the ball launches towards the green, and you will go home after your round with such a huge grin that your wife won’t believe you’ve been playing golf!
I certainly wish I had been taught all this a lot earlier, I’m now 45 and I languished with a high handicap for years. Once I discovered lag (and worked very hard at my short game!) my handicap dropped rapidly to single figures – perhaps I’ll never be a pro, but I’m now an accomplished amateur and playing the best golf of my life!
I grin a lot more, too!
Ian
Shot two of the best rounds Ive ever shot using the hitting method.
Just when I thought my swing was starting to click…. I developed an awful pull hook in my swing. It seems that no matter what I try I draw
the ball on every shot. I feel like I’m making really good contact…. in fact Ive gained close to 20 yards on every club from making better contact however I cannot seem to get the hook out of my swing. What am I doing wrong? Ive tried everything I can think of to straighten out my shots but the hook is still there.
Hi Jason, to give you the correct answer, can you tell me more about your kind of draw: in the first yards, is the ball going straight along the target line or right relative to the target line before curving left?
High or low trajectory?
Hitting tends to produce a slight fade because the club face is not closing as much as the swinging motion in the impact zone.
Can you check that you don’t overdo the rolling of the hands or the right forearm swivel in the impact zone?
JOHN,Thanks for a great website and answering so quickly. Almost all shots are low draws that start left and curve even further left. I dont understand what exactly I am doing wrong. I know Ive gained a ton of distance with all my clubs and up until recently I was playing the best golf Ive ever played. Im starting to understand my swing more but this has totaly baffled me. The harder I try to keep the ball from drawing or hooking the worse it gets.
To cure you draw, you must first understand what is the cause of a low draw starting left.
Ball trajectory is a factor of 3 elements: target line, club path and club head.
However, there is a very common and shocking misconception out there regarding ball trajectory. Open any Golf instruction book or magazine and you’ll read that the ball starts in the direction of the swing path and then curves and lands where you club head is facing at address.
With this kind of information, to play a draw, you close your clubface and swing in to out across the target line. The ball should start right and then curve left.
The problem is that it is very wrong: in fact, the club face is responsible for where the ball will start its flight. The club path RELATIVE to the target line AND the club face is responsible for the effect imparted to the ball.
I’ll write an article on that very important subject but as an appetizer, you can check that video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEHiY5iv5u4.
So, for you, if your ball starts left then curves more from the target line, it means that your face is facing left (ball starts left of the target line) and your club path is crossing out the target line to the right (draw effect).
The low ball flight is another indication that your clubface may be too much closed at impact.
So check your clubface to see if you are not setting up with too strong a grip or a closed club face at address. Simulate the impact position (“impact fix”) to check your alignments at impact as they may be different from address.
Then, look at your stance, it may be closed relative to the target line, thus increasing the out to in club path relative to the target line.
But again, start first by sending your ball right on the first meters by tweaking your clubface orientation (and not the stance!) and see what happens.
Keep us informed of your findings.
John.
John, am I correct in assuming that my clubface is most likely hooded at impact causing the lower trajectory.. Like u would hit in a knockdown shot. I tried changing my impact fix and it did raise my trajectory but the draw is still there. The ball starts down the target line and then turns left now. Am I coming too far from the inside imparting a draw spin on the ball? Just came from the range and it seems that I can hit the ball the way I want for 4 or 5 shots but then I go right back to hitting a draw/hook again without being able to discern a difference in either swing. Sorry for all the questions but I feel that I am making way better contact with the hitting method if I could only figure out how to rid myself of thks draw/hook.
Hi Jason,
You are very likely coming too much from the inside with a face square at impact. As a result, the ball starts straight then curves to the left.
However, the natural trajectory for the hitting stroke is a slight fade. This is due to the layback tendency of the clubface – a half roll – instead of the full roll closing motion of the clubface for the swinger.
If you hit, make sure that you get that layback/half roll of the clubface. The feel is a NO ROLL of the club face. It feels very neutral and “frozen”.
You may get your hook because you still aggressively roll the clubface plus you come very much from the inside.
John,
Thanks for all or your hard work here, I’ve been lurking around for a couple of years and have truly enjoyed your posts and feedback that you’ve received. It’s helped my play more than I can say.
I was delighted to see your ebook available now and finally have a chance help support your efforts. This simple lesson is some of the best instruction I’ve ever read and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone.
Thanks again for everything,
Kurt
Thank you Kurt, your encouragements are much appreciated. I hope you are enjoying the reading!
So far, the feedbacks for the eBook have been tremendous and I plan to open a dedicated forum one the site to discuss in deep about the questions from the readers.
Stay tuned and thank you for spreading the word!
I have tried to order the ebook several times, but keep getting the pay page in French. I would assume that using it would result in getting the ebook in French, which would not work for me.
Hi Bert,
John is right, Paypal should adapt to your language. I’ll check in the settings why you get the payment page in French.
However this has no consequence on your payment or the products you receive.
You will receive an email with links to English AND French versions.
I’m also receiving automated status messages and monitoring the whole process. So don’t worry, if something went wrong I will manually ensure that you receive your goods!
Thank you again for your support and I’m sure you’ll enjoy your reading.
i got the same page but you will get an email with the links
to download in english or french once you pay
John, I bought your ebook and read it and went to the range two day ago and played yesterday. I could not believe the shots I was hitting. My irons were so straight and long. I hit a 7 iron 165 yards. It was amazing. So, I hit my driver after doing this. I hit the driver for 310 yards. By far the longest I have ever hit a driver. If anything I had a slight wind in my face. Amazing. But my next drive I sliced and did not produce the same results. My question is how do you produce lag in driver and woods in general.
Also my next question is my son has played baseball for 8 years and holds the golf club like a bat. His right hand on the grip is much lower and has what they call a strong grip. Can he still get the lag and consistency with this grip?
Andy
Nice story here Andy.
Lag is really the key to playing great golf. I’ve been studying it for more than 6 years now and the more I have of that good thing, the higher my level of play. And as you’ve discovered, it is also the real deal to drive balls real far!
Now, with the driver, as the ball is placed really forward in the stance, it is easier to stop applying Lag pressure at impact or just after. The result is the same for a 100m sprinter that would want to come to a halt ON the finishing line: he will inevitably slow down before the line and will lose the print!
Remember the “Lag-o-metter”: pressure starts to decrease at the end of the followthrough. Before that, it must stay to the max!!!
In this regard, look closely the sequence in page 79 of the book: At impact, the shaft is still stressed. And in the next three frames, the stress is still pretty much the same. This is what you are looking for with the driver.
To get another feel for it, check the third picture in page 94: at this point my Lag pressure is still maximal and pretty much the same than it was at impact. This is real forward but this is really what you must try to do with the driver.
Now, you can also try this drill:
Do the “Drag the wet mop drill” with you driver and make sure that you drag with your hands forward enough (do not let them trail behind). Press hard in PP#3.
Then, with the feel still in your hands, immediately hit a ball. The difference should speak by itself and you will get a good clue of the pressure feel to look for in your hands. Then just reproduce that feel in your hands again and again.
Oh, I love Lag!
@Andy regarding your son:
No problem with the Lag. Just be aware that his pressure points locations will be slightly different from their traditional locations described in chapter 5.2 in the book. For example, he should feel pressure more toward the base of his index finger than in the joint.
But pressure is pressure and this is what we want. As long as he can sustain a pressure somewhere in his index he his good to go (at least regarding Lag and decent ball contact).
But ideally, he would get more power if he could set his right hand like in page 35 figure 10 – right behind the shaft in a position to support impact and the Lag. Make him try the “Drag the wet mop” drill to see if he can do it comfortably with his usual grip or if he doesn’t feel stronger with his right hand behind the shaft instead of under…
John, thanks for the e-book! Very good e-book with very well explained stories about lag. The lag-o-meter is a nice ‘invention’ and very useful.
I still have a question about this lag-o-meter. I think it explains the lag for hitters and not for swingers. For swingers I think it is a straight line and not increasing, because #3 is only supporting the swing. What are your thoughts, John?
Hi Vince,
Thank you for your support.
I think that you can have many different curves on the Lag-o-Metter. The important thing is that the curve must not decrease in the impact zone.
The straight line not increasing would be the ideal because it would mean that pressure is constant from startdown to the both arms straight position.
It is also very consistent with the “instant hips acceleration” of the swinging pattern that would easily load the lag to its maximum during the transition.
The hitter on the other hand will benefit from a slow startdown, meaning the pressure at startdown is gentle and then maximum when the right arm gets fully straight.
So, the shape of the curve at the beginning is very much related to the way you load the Lag at startdown.
However, some swingers who have a smooth startdown could get an increasing Lag-o-Metter curve: think of Luke Donald’s smooth swing rhythm.
On the contrary, when I think of Rickie Fowler’ swing, I’m sure the Lag-o-Metter gives a straight line at 100% all the way to the end of the followthrough!
John,
Thanks for the clear answer. The fog is gone…..
Regards Vince
Hey John,
I have been golfing for 12 years and am playing college golf. I just recently read your article about the third pressure point. The last couple days i have been focusing on maintaining the third pressure point and i have been hitting the ball great! i just had two questions. first, should i have more of “the meaty part” of the trigger finger being the pressure point or should it be any part of the finger which allows me to put pressure behind the shaft. The only problem i have with resting the meaty part of the finger is that it seems like the top part of my finger isnt touching the grip. My second question is whether i should keep that pressure from the top of the backswing until my arms are straight in the follow through or whether i should just try to keep the pressure all the way through the follow through.
Thank you so much!
@Dylan
The exact location of the pressure point #3 (PP#3) in your index finger has not to be exactly in the meaty part. This is however its common location for golfers having normal hands and a neutral grip.
Even if the neutral grip is the norm, they are very good players out there (and even on the tour) that place their right hands on the grip either in a strong or weak position… Guess what is happening to the location of their pressure in their right hand? It relocates accordingly along the index finger – more towards its base for a stronger grip and more towards the first joint for a weaker grip.
Only one rule prevails here and you’ve already figured it right: The key is to put pressure behind (aft) the shaft to support the load of the Lag as efficiently and comfortably possible for any given person. No matter the exact location in your index finger, provided that you can sense and monitor it and place it right behind the shaft to support the Lag.
Now, for your second question: You create that pressure during the transition between backswing and downswing. This is called the “Load” because the change in direction (or inertia) creates that pressure in PP#3.
Once you feel that pressure, your goal is to carry it INTACT until the both arms straight positions – then you can let it go.
The INTACT part is the key. You must not feel it decrease until you reach the end of the followthrough. Try with lighter pressure first if you are having a hard time sustaining it!
A bit of self promo now!: If you need more in depth info on that topic, I recommend you to grab my eBook, because there is a big part about how to create and manage that pressure thought the swing!
Good golf,
John.
Thanks a lot John!
I think I have finally moved on from swing thought land into a place where I can focus more on feel
Quick question on lag, index finger pressure, and grips …
Have you found that it helps to have a grip with less taper in the right hand?
Thanks.
Hi RJ,
It is really a matter of personal preference. A thin tapper could allow you to easily “rotate” the location of the pressure point during the swing. You may want to do that for special and manipulated shots where you need extra rotation of the clubface at impact (for extreme cases like turning around a tree).
For a swinger, that rotation of the location of the PP#3 can be felt at the top of the backswing. At that point (if your “lag skill” is advanced enough to feel it), due to gravity, you may feel that the location of your PP#3 feels more on top of the grip instead of aft (it will then naturally relocate to aft on the downswing).
So, I think a thinner taper could help feeling/provoking those thing. But on the other hand, you may want to avoid any unwanted manipulation by choosing a stronger taper!
One more question -
do you get more compression by using a stiffer shaft? Right now I’m using a regular flex (DG R300)
Thanks.
I’ve found it easier to compress the ball with a less stiff shaft because the “laziest” kickback of the shaft gives you more room to sustain the Lag.
The big downsize is that to a certain point, if I put too much stress on the shaft it bends so much that it loose its dynamic properties. Impact feels far from sharp and precise and there is so much kickback of the shaft that the ball could end up anywhere.
So, for me, if I play with a regular R300 shaft I know that I must stay around 70% lag pressure if I don’t want to start trading distance/compression with accuracy/sharpness of feel.
Switching to a stiffer S300 allow me to apply almost 90% lag pressure all the time. The margin for throwing away the Lag is smaller because of the more “responsive” and rigid shaft but it feels a lot more sharp and precise.
John -
Went to the range today with just the 7-iron, focused on pressure point #3 and hitting down … I finally got that ‘blade on ball’ feedback, so many thanks to you and the website. I mean it when I say that this was the best bucket of balls I’ve hit in 4 months. I haven’t been able to get my swing path to create a divot yet (I’ve always scooped – which is why I quit playing the game ~10 years ago), but the angle of the club head is so much better at impact that I’m re-energized again. Now I just need that divot.
THANKS.
Hi RJ,
Nice story here, I’m always delighted to hear from fellow players getting their “aha moment” with the Lag. The first time you feel it (even faintly) you know that this is the real deal. It just feels right!
Keep looking for that slow and heavy feel in PP#3.
Regarding your divot, make sure that you keep your left wrist flat past impact.
Keeping the right wrist bent after impact is its counterpart and works fine also.
If not done yet, read that article on the geometry of the stroke.
Keep going, golf heaven is close!