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Medicus Top Tips Newsletter Archive |
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THE SECRET OF GOLF (July 2008)
Chuck Evans - Executive Director of Instruction - Medicus Golf Institute |
Yes, there truly is a "secret" of golf. Good players know it, and use it almost subconsciously. The Golfing Machine describes this "secret" as "Lag".
"It is simple, elusive, indispensable, without substitute or compensation and always present".- Homer Kelley
What is lag? We've all heard this term. Lag can be defined as, "trailing" or "following". Golf Instruction tells us we need to have it but why?
In this article we will focus on "clubhead lag". Clubhead lag promotes even and steady acceleration assuring dependable control of distance. An example would be a tour player hitting a shot. As the player starts their pre-shot the announcer tells us that the player has 193 yards to the flag and that they are going to hit a 6 iron. A 6 iron! A lot of players would love to hit their Driver that far!
In every good swing at the moment of Impact the clubshaft is leaning forward (toward the target). The hands are in front of the ball, and clubface, turning the 6 iron into a 5 or 4 iron. The average player arrives at Impact with the hands BEHIND the ball and the clubshaft either vertical or leaning backward. This ADDS loft and turns that 6 iron into a 7 or 8 iron! Do you play golf with someone that is always complaining that all of their irons go the same distance? These players have a backward leaning clubshaft.
The good players use a steady acceleration, the poor players over-accelerate. The hands reach maximum speed before reaching Impact and this one move dissipates all of the "lag".
Here are some drills to feel, establish, and maintain clubhead lag.
What does "lag" feel like? It is exactly like dragging a wet heavy string mop through Impact. In this drill use a towel. Wrap the towel around the hosel of your club and place the clubhead on ground just outside of your trailing foot. Now try to use just your wrists to take the clubface to the ball. This move is difficult at best and the shaft will be leaning backward. Now replace the club but this time rotate your right shoulder downplane to the golf ball and toward "right field". You'll notice a distinct sensation of dragging and a heavy pressure through the ball.
For the next drill you can simply take a piece of rope and hold it like a club. Go the top of the swing and allow the rope to rest on the top of your right shoulder. As you start down "feel" like the rope stays of the shoulder as you take your hands on a direct downward line to the ball, or a spot in front of the ball. This is called a "rope handle technique" in The Golfing Machine. As you can see, the "end" of the rope is "lagging" your hands.
The majority of golfers do just the opposite. They try move the clubhead with the wrists. This produces a "quitting" motion and the club moves upward toward Impact instead of downward.
A properly lagging clubhead produces a strong downward thrust which adds distance, trajectory, and consistency.
For a great drill use a duffel bag, pillow or Impact bag. Take the club back to waist high with the clubshaft parallel to the target line and horizontal to the ground. Now simply rotate the right shoulder downplane to the golf ball and toward "right field". This will bring the hands and body to Impact position and the club will be lagging!
Medicus Top Tips Newsletter Archive:
Top Tip #47: Beat the Golf Ball Position Blues
Top Tip #46: How to Handle Defeat
Top Tip #45: Track Your Golf Game
Top Tip #44: What Starts What?
Top Tip #43: As Players We NEED To Understand That We MUST Control The Three Parts Of The Golf Club In Order To Strike Quality Golf Shots.
Top Tip #42: How to Practice
Top Tip #41: How to Increase Your Swing Speed....
Top Tip #40: The Secret of Golf
Top Tip #39: How to Build Your Golf Swing (Part 9 of 9)
Top Tip #38: How to Build Your Golf Swing (Part 8 of 9)
Top Tip #37: How to Build Your Golf Swing (Part 7 of 9)
Top Tip #36: How to Build Your Golf Swing (Part 6 of 9)
Top Tip #35: How to Build Your Golf Swing (Part 5 of 9)
Top Tip #34: How to Build Your Golf Swing (Part 4 of 9)
Top Tip #33: How to Build Your Golf Swing (Part 3 of 9)
Top Tip #32: How to Build Your Golf Swing (Part 2 of 9)
Top Tip #31: How to Build Your Golf Swing (Part 1 of 9)
Top Tip #30: Hitting Up On the Ball...No, No, No
Top Tip #29: Impact... The Moment of Truth!
Top Tip #28: Over the Top
Top Tip #27: Try to Recreate Pressure Situations When You're Practicing
Top Tip #26: Hitting Down on the Ball...
Top Tip #25: Control Your Nervousness by Controlling Your Movements
Top Tip #24: Do Less and Play Better!
Top Tip #23: Take a deep breath and think of the times that you have successfully completed the action in front of you.
Top Tip #22: The "Magic" of the Right Forearm
Top Tip #21: Control your self-talk to what you want to attain, rather than what you want to avoid.
Top Tip #20: Great Iron Players All Have Similar Characteristics
Top Tip #19: It Happens to Players at Every Level...
Top Tip #18: When Everything Else Fails!
Top Tip #17: Did you know there's a shot that none of us should try on the course?
Top Tip #16: Driving the Ball
Top Tip #15: Did you know that Tour Players never miss golf shots?
Top Tip #14: Is negative thinking really the kiss of death?
Top Tip #13: Clearing The Right Hip
Top Tip #12: Reduce Tension Before a Putt with this Quick Exercise
Top Tip #11: Chip it Close
Top Tip #10: We all know practice is important, but how do you know what to practice?
Top Tip #9: Power and Accuracy
Top Tip #8: Complete your shoulder turn to straighten out your drive!
Top Tip #7: Eliminate Strokes by Putting Better
Top Tip #6: Sooner or later in a golfer's career, it's tournament time!
Top Tip #5: Get comfortable with your pre-shot routine, and use it for both practice and play...
Top Tip #4: Swing Easy When it's Breezy...
Top Tip #3: Keep your head steady to make more short putts
Top Tip #2: Some quick tips on reading the grain...
Top Tip #1: Take More Loft Off The Tee
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