One of my problems with my driver is casting. I really want to fix it.
In your drill, you say that I have to hold the angle until my hands come down to my right leg. However, when I do it, my arms get tight because of holding. You always emphasize powerless arms and not thinking about shoulder or arms at all in the downswing.
Now, I have to think about holding the club by getting tight to keep the lag. I find the drill to keep the lag makes me think about my wrist and arms in the downswing…when I am not supposed to do that.
Can you verify what you mean by “hold” the lag? How do I do it? Not thinking about it at all (with powerless arms) ? or I have to literally keep it consciously with my wrist?
When you are working on lag you will be feeling arms. Once you train them to hold the angle you then keep them powerless. This is a long process that takes thousands of repetitions. Watch the tips below and work on the drills regularly and you will get it.
Holding this angle is allowing your wrists to hinge. Then you keep this angle as you start down. In other words you are not allowing this angle to release. You set the angle and it is the same angle as you come down. A good way to see this would be in a mirror. Watch yourself take it to the top and hold the angle as the arms come down. Then keep doing it until you are good at it. Consciously think about it then forget it once you are doing it.
Hi Paul,
I find it hard to feel powerless arms and a wrists in the downswing in order to hold the lag. I am thinking of holding the right arm bowed as long as possible and then suddenly loose it up. Then everything tighten up. And it seems that I have one more problem. At impact my left wrists are bowing to right as I try to help the ball up. Do you have any drills or tip in order to solve this ?
If you are working on holding the lag angle you will feel the hands and wrists. Once you master it you will then be able to do it keeping the arms powerless. This is way in the future.
There are 7 cure your chicken wing tips that you may want to watch. Just search in the red nav bar Swing Tips > Cures. Scroll down a little and the tips are right there.
There are no tricks. Understand Iron Byron. Once you do you will understand how to get more power. Your legs represent the motor. Your upper body represents the driveshaft and the wrists are the hinge at the end of the arm. That is all there is too it.
Every machine has a motor which turns a driveshaft. The accessory (your arms, wrists and club) is attached to the machine. This accessory has not power in it.
This is a fantastic tip that I missed. Recently I found that the lack of lag and casting is causing a lot of troubles to my game. I started doing these drills and I’m noticing the difference. On last Sunday I hit the longest drive ever, effortless and 30m more with the same driver. Still I have a lot of work to do but I feel I’m in the right direction. Thanks so much.
Hi Paul- In doing this drill I am inclined to lose the tension between shoulders and hips . Do I need to deliberately hold the separation until release .
A related question – if the tension is fully built up on the backswing it would seem that no further separation can occur by starting with the legs but that it preserves the separation .
Great tip -thanks
Finally….Im getting it, heaps of cuffed shots but its now working, like flicking the club at the ball. My longest drives ever. From a lefty that hasn’t played for 38 years. Keep it coming Paul.
There’s no trick with the lag : those who have a mathematical background understand there is a two lever system ,with three axises:the left shoulder(For righties ),the left elbow ,and the wrists .The more or less powerful angular momentum created by the turn of the lower body is transmitted to the system and the theorem of conservation of the angular momentum explains what happens to the two levers.(The equations of the movement are easy to fwrite down ).
For the theorem to apply the axises or “hinges ” have to have no friction,be “LOOSE ” .This is why PAUL WILSON tells us to keep the wrists utterly loose.This is also why you cannot manage the angle between the left arm and the club (The “LAG ),it just takes care of itself,whatever you may try to influence it .
To summarize ,just swing relaxed and let it go !
Right, the the urge to hit is so great. I can tell someone a million times to be loose and they proceed to whack at it as hard as the can. People need to understand it, tell themselves not to hit, to stay loose and get used the new feelings associated with staying loose. Until then they will continue to hit … unfortunately.
If you understand and have ingrained the fact that the power comes from the core and not from the arms and trained extensively your core (Plus your legs ) ,you are not tempted to use your arms to develop power .The mental image of the club being a whip also helps .
Looking too much at the Pro’s on the Tour doesn’t help the average golfer ,because he does not see what the Pro’s use as engine to their swing .
When you have followed the Golf curriculum you teach ,all these “subtilities ” appear in full view.
I hope this question makes sense, but what are we actually doing when releasing the club? To hold the angle implies we are using our hands/wrists to maintain it, does that mean when we release the club we are just relaxing the grip or the wrists? I realize gravity/force has something to do with it but as you have shown in your videos it is possible to hold the angle too long. Maybe another way to ask this is if I am working on this drill, what should I feel or what should I work on to get the correct feeling when releasing the club?
You are doing nothing. The wrists are a hinge. You are holding the angle not by holding the angle (unless you are working on lag). You are holding it due to physics compressing the angle. Don’t see you hitting the ball. The left arm is a 2×4 with a hinge and a golf club attached to a pole. If you turn the pole why would the club unhinge? It wouldn’t. It would hold the lag angle until the last milliscond where it would then release because mass (the club) will always want to swing to its widest point (release point after impact).
You do this constantly until your wrists loosen and you get the angle. Yes, you can hold the angle too long that is why I don’t teach people to just pull the club down holding the angle. I want people doing the above drill.
Thanks Paul. This whole lag series has been really helpful. Hitting wedges today and my 3/4 wedge is going what my full wedge used to. Plus getting more spin than before. This series has also helped me get the feeling of swinging with the body more as well. Good stuff!
Glad you are trying it. Yes, this will definitely give you more spin as the angle of attack changes. Exciting times. Do the lag drills every day over and over. If you do you will have it.
Paul ,When you look at DJ’s swing in slow motion ,you notice his left wrist is completely bowed at the top of his backswing .My left wist is slightly cupped .
Is there a lead to take from DJ?
No. NEVER EVER EVER do this. This is a flaw. This is seen junior players and weaker players. It is their strong hand pulling the club way collapsing the weaker wrist. No one ever fixed this in his swing. This is why his hip have to be 60 degrees open at impact just to square the face. This is going to mess up a lot of golfers out there.
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21 Responses to “How I Got Lag”
December 13, 2012
WooseokChungPaul,
One of my problems with my driver is casting. I really want to fix it.
In your drill, you say that I have to hold the angle until my hands come down to my right leg. However, when I do it, my arms get tight because of holding. You always emphasize powerless arms and not thinking about shoulder or arms at all in the downswing.
Now, I have to think about holding the club by getting tight to keep the lag. I find the drill to keep the lag makes me think about my wrist and arms in the downswing…when I am not supposed to do that.
Can you verify what you mean by “hold” the lag? How do I do it? Not thinking about it at all (with powerless arms) ? or I have to literally keep it consciously with my wrist?
December 13, 2012
Paul WilsonWooseok,
When you are working on lag you will be feeling arms. Once you train them to hold the angle you then keep them powerless. This is a long process that takes thousands of repetitions. Watch the tips below and work on the drills regularly and you will get it.
Holding this angle is allowing your wrists to hinge. Then you keep this angle as you start down. In other words you are not allowing this angle to release. You set the angle and it is the same angle as you come down. A good way to see this would be in a mirror. Watch yourself take it to the top and hold the angle as the arms come down. Then keep doing it until you are good at it. Consciously think about it then forget it once you are doing it.
Lag
How to Feel Lag: https://ignitiongolf.com/downswing-lag-1
How To Feel Lag 2: https://ignitiongolf.com/lag-follow-up
Lag Drill: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-lag
Lag Drill 2: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-move-hips-hold-lag
Lag And Release Drill: https://ignitiongolf.com/lag-release-drill
How Lag Affects Power: https://ignitiongolf.com/power-lag/
Drill
Drill: My Favorite Drill
January 9, 2013
JohnSteenHi Paul,
I find it hard to feel powerless arms and a wrists in the downswing in order to hold the lag. I am thinking of holding the right arm bowed as long as possible and then suddenly loose it up. Then everything tighten up. And it seems that I have one more problem. At impact my left wrists are bowing to right as I try to help the ball up. Do you have any drills or tip in order to solve this ?
January 9, 2013
Paul WilsonJohn,
If you are working on holding the lag angle you will feel the hands and wrists. Once you master it you will then be able to do it keeping the arms powerless. This is way in the future.
There are 7 cure your chicken wing tips that you may want to watch. Just search in the red nav bar Swing Tips > Cures. Scroll down a little and the tips are right there.
You can also do this drill:
DRILL: Arm Extension: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-stretch-out-arms
March 23, 2014
RaymondCHASTELPaul,BEN HOGAN managed to keep his lag angle very closed even when his left arm came parall
March 23, 2014
Paul WilsonRaymond,
There are no tricks. Understand Iron Byron. Once you do you will understand how to get more power. Your legs represent the motor. Your upper body represents the driveshaft and the wrists are the hinge at the end of the arm. That is all there is too it.
Every machine has a motor which turns a driveshaft. The accessory (your arms, wrists and club) is attached to the machine. This accessory has not power in it.
July 7, 2014
JoséThis is a fantastic tip that I missed. Recently I found that the lack of lag and casting is causing a lot of troubles to my game. I started doing these drills and I’m noticing the difference. On last Sunday I hit the longest drive ever, effortless and 30m more with the same driver. Still I have a lot of work to do but I feel I’m in the right direction. Thanks so much.
July 8, 2014
Paul WilsonJosé,
Very good. This is more advanced stuff so take your time. The results (as you are finding out) are seen in the future.
June 2, 2016
IanCarolineHi Paul- In doing this drill I am inclined to lose the tension between shoulders and hips . Do I need to deliberately hold the separation until release .
A related question – if the tension is fully built up on the backswing it would seem that no further separation can occur by starting with the legs but that it preserves the separation .
Great tip -thanks
August 17, 2018
PaulBatesFinally….Im getting it, heaps of cuffed shots but its now working, like flicking the club at the ball. My longest drives ever. From a lefty that hasn’t played for 38 years. Keep it coming Paul.
August 19, 2018
Paul WilsonPaul,
Very good. It will be well worth the effort.
August 18, 2018
RaymondCHASTELThere’s no trick with the lag : those who have a mathematical background understand there is a two lever system ,with three axises:the left shoulder(For righties ),the left elbow ,and the wrists .The more or less powerful angular momentum created by the turn of the lower body is transmitted to the system and the theorem of conservation of the angular momentum explains what happens to the two levers.(The equations of the movement are easy to fwrite down ).
For the theorem to apply the axises or “hinges ” have to have no friction,be “LOOSE ” .This is why PAUL WILSON tells us to keep the wrists utterly loose.This is also why you cannot manage the angle between the left arm and the club (The “LAG ),it just takes care of itself,whatever you may try to influence it .
To summarize ,just swing relaxed and let it go !
August 19, 2018
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Right, the the urge to hit is so great. I can tell someone a million times to be loose and they proceed to whack at it as hard as the can. People need to understand it, tell themselves not to hit, to stay loose and get used the new feelings associated with staying loose. Until then they will continue to hit … unfortunately.
August 19, 2018
RaymondCHASTELIf you understand and have ingrained the fact that the power comes from the core and not from the arms and trained extensively your core (Plus your legs ) ,you are not tempted to use your arms to develop power .The mental image of the club being a whip also helps .
Looking too much at the Pro’s on the Tour doesn’t help the average golfer ,because he does not see what the Pro’s use as engine to their swing .
When you have followed the Golf curriculum you teach ,all these “subtilities ” appear in full view.
August 20, 2018
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Exactly. Turn on the body to turn off the arms.
August 20, 2018
Steve WeberPaul,
I hope this question makes sense, but what are we actually doing when releasing the club? To hold the angle implies we are using our hands/wrists to maintain it, does that mean when we release the club we are just relaxing the grip or the wrists? I realize gravity/force has something to do with it but as you have shown in your videos it is possible to hold the angle too long. Maybe another way to ask this is if I am working on this drill, what should I feel or what should I work on to get the correct feeling when releasing the club?
Thanks
August 20, 2018
Paul WilsonSteve,
You are doing nothing. The wrists are a hinge. You are holding the angle not by holding the angle (unless you are working on lag). You are holding it due to physics compressing the angle. Don’t see you hitting the ball. The left arm is a 2×4 with a hinge and a golf club attached to a pole. If you turn the pole why would the club unhinge? It wouldn’t. It would hold the lag angle until the last milliscond where it would then release because mass (the club) will always want to swing to its widest point (release point after impact).
So you work on lag and release with this drill:
Lag And Release Drill: https://ignitiongolf.com/lag-release-drill/
You do this constantly until your wrists loosen and you get the angle. Yes, you can hold the angle too long that is why I don’t teach people to just pull the club down holding the angle. I want people doing the above drill.
Good Habits Series – Lag: https://ignitiongolf.com/good-habits-lag/
August 21, 2018
Steve WeberThanks Paul. This whole lag series has been really helpful. Hitting wedges today and my 3/4 wedge is going what my full wedge used to. Plus getting more spin than before. This series has also helped me get the feeling of swinging with the body more as well. Good stuff!
August 21, 2018
Paul WilsonSteve,
Glad you are trying it. Yes, this will definitely give you more spin as the angle of attack changes. Exciting times. Do the lag drills every day over and over. If you do you will have it.
August 25, 2018
RaymondCHASTELPaul ,When you look at DJ’s swing in slow motion ,you notice his left wrist is completely bowed at the top of his backswing .My left wist is slightly cupped .
Is there a lead to take from DJ?
August 26, 2018
Paul WilsonRaymond,
No. NEVER EVER EVER do this. This is a flaw. This is seen junior players and weaker players. It is their strong hand pulling the club way collapsing the weaker wrist. No one ever fixed this in his swing. This is why his hip have to be 60 degrees open at impact just to square the face. This is going to mess up a lot of golfers out there.