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Tips on the Release

-CRW-

-CRW-

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I have been playing for roughly 8 months and have went from hitting slices to fades or pretty straight shots with my irons (still working on intermittent slices with t he driver). I have consistency issues, but started new lessons with a pro with a lengthy resume and really helped with consistency. Mainly by shortening my back swing, changing my grip slightly, and by using high speed video to show me what I'm really doing during a swing.

That being said, the pro decided that now was time to improve my release. For the first time in 8 months I was hooking the ball. The problem now is that I over-do the hand rotation during the release and cause the pull or hook depending on the swing. Even when I slow my swing down and dramatically shorten it I find myself hitting a 10-15 yard pull with little to no draw to it.

I honestly feel like I did when I started. I got to where I was consistently shooting just under 100 at my home course and shot a 115 last Saturday after the release lesson that previous Thursday. It's looking like it will rain on my planned lesson day this week so I wanted to find out if anyone had any tips or webpages/videos that really helped them understand the release or the feeling of the release. I would like to get my swing/shots more under control before the next lesson. I depending on scheduling and weather, I may have 5 or more range trips between today and my next lesson to work on it.

Thanks ahead for any suggestions.
 
Tips on the Release

I'm not a big fan of active hands, and would never join the "flip it" camp as timing will always be a problem. I hit it a long way with a relatively early release and find my miss to the right is caused by turning my hips too quickly and getting ahead of my hands.

You may need to find a different instructor if this one can't fix the problem he just induced.

I am in the middle of a swing change from two planes to one, and find if I don't overswing I can now draw or fade the ball by changing my finish position with increasing frequency.

I don't feel the club release at all.
 
Well I have to make some adjustment. If not I will come from the inside with an open club face. It does not necessary have to be a flip. He had me turning my lead hand knuckles down at the start of my backswing to ensure in inside path to the ball. I'm obviously over doing it with the pulls and hooks I'm having now.
 
I'm no swing instructor, and would never claim to be, but I have fit literally hundreds of golfers over the years, and those who play the most consistently all seem to have a pretty basic setup and simple to repeat swing.

Sure there are exceptions like Furyk and Bubba out there, but most of the successful guys I've seen don't do any real manipulation during the swing.

Setup, stance, grip, posture, position at the top, swing thru to the finish...
 
I will throw in my $.02, but preface it by saying I am no where near any kind of teacher/professional (look at my handicap, and my playing partners this weekend can attest). I realized last night that my release problem is at the top of my swing. When I get to the top I was cupping my wrist which left the club face wide open causing my slice and I would manipulate my hands on the downswing and would get some pulls, hook, fades and slices-too much hand manipulation to achieve consistency. I started last night with my only thought of having a flat wrist at the top of my swing and it squared up during the swing with no effort and felt different but right if that makes sense.

Not sure if that will help, but an idea and thought that seems like it will help me better control my issues. Just another hackers thoughts.
 
the release of the hands should not happen until after you strike the ball, thats what I have been taught. Your pro may have wanted to exagerate this to you in order to see a different shot shape, which you have seen it appears. I believe if hold out for the next lesson he will get you straitend out.
 
The best drill for just about anyone fighting both left and right movement swing is very simple. Put your feel together, touching or REALLY close to it. Now, hit golf balls this way. This does two things, one if you over swing and loose your balance, you'll fall over. Two, you REALLY get a feel for your hands at impact by hitting shots this way. You should be able to hit close to your normal distances with this drill, and it's easier to see/feel your hands at impact this way.
It's really a great drill that I use when I'm warming up on the range, but also when I'm feeling just a little off on my swing.
 
When I fight my hooks, I have to remind myself "swing to right field" (right handed). It helps me to eliminate the OTT move that results in either pull hooks or block rights
 
I had similar issues after taking my first lessons last year. My instructor never mentioned anything about releasing the club though. Just to concentrate on squaring the clubface at impact and finish hands high behind your ear. Path and impact are everything in my opinion. Also it really all came together after reading Ben Hogans 5 lessons which I recommend to anyone starting out or making swing changes. I go back to it for reference if the swing isn't feeling right and it always offers the fix. Good luck
 
-CRW- said:
I have been playing for roughly 8 months and have went from hitting slices to fades or pretty straight shots with my irons (still working on intermittent slices with t he driver). I have consistency issues, but started new lessons with a pro with a lengthy resume and really helped with consistency. Mainly by shortening my back swing, changing my grip slightly, and by using high speed video to show me what I'm really doing during a swing.

That being said, the pro decided that now was time to improve my release. For the first time in 8 months I was hooking the ball. The problem now is that I over-do the hand rotation during the release and cause the pull or hook depending on the swing. Even when I slow my swing down and dramatically shorten it I find myself hitting a 10-15 yard pull with little to no draw to it.

I honestly feel like I did when I started. I got to where I was consistently shooting just under 100 at my home course and shot a 115 last Saturday after the release lesson that previous Thursday. It's looking like it will rain on my planned lesson day this week so I wanted to find out if anyone had any tips or webpages/videos that really helped them understand the release or the feeling of the release. I would like to get my swing/shots more under control before the next lesson. I depending on scheduling and weather, I may have 5 or more range trips between today and my next lesson to work on it.

Thanks ahead for any suggestions.
Click to expand...

I commend you on getting lesson so early in your golfing career, it will save you some heartache throughout your playing time. I highlighted the main issue you are having. There is a misconception in the golf world that on emits release the hands through the shot. This is not true and I'll tell you why.

It it promotes and ally release of the club and the club face is closed by the time you reach impact. A proper release is done with the forearms. The right turns over the left or rotates through the zone. The hands themselves hold the angle created at address and the large forearms direct the release. I would mention this to your pro and see what he says. I wouldn't get ride of him.
 
I wanted to thank everyone for their responses and give you a follow-up. I had a lesson this past Saturday and the instructor said I was over doing it. He said I was actually overdoing it at the previous weeks session, but that he was aware of it and allowing it. He basically said if I understood what too much was I could dial it down a notch and be more wear he wanted me to be. He also said it helps you body to do it on its own without really thinking about it. He was right, he told me to just hit some naturally without thinking about turning my hands down or forearms over during the swing and I did with good results, close to straight or slight draws. He even got me hitting the driver well for the first time in months.

Unfortunately, he also found that I was doing a few things incorrect since out last session. I shallowed out my swing too much in an attempt to ensure an inside swing approach, and I was positioning myself too close to the ball to compensate for turning my hands/forarms too much and too soon during my swing which was resulting in topped shots if I wasn't closer to the ball. They were worked out during the practice session, but I didn't carry them over to the course that day.

I'll have to work on them at the range this week. The good thing though, is I'm aware of the improper adjustments I tried to make and am better prepared to self diagnose poor shots this week on the range.
 
Good thread. This weekend I was chipping in my backyard and I kept skulling the ball. I was trying to let the clubhead move my arms & hands, not the other way around. When I did that properly, suddenly I was hitting these nice soft chips, and my forearms were rotating over. I think that I may have been consciously holding off on the release, too busy thinking about lag, flat left wrist, etc. Today is my first range session of 2014 (FINALLY!) so I'm curious to see how things go. I did some research online and did the "split hands" drill to really feel the forearms going over each other with a club, going to do some of those again before hitting to see how things go.
 
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