19-point advice for releasing the club properly (1)

By Kim Jeong-kyoo

Korea Times

Golf Columnist

To square your clubface to the ball, you need to release your club properly. With a faulty release, your shot will go astray. More importantly, failing to release fully, you will have trouble hitting your ball as far as you want.

The simple thoughts chosen here will help you release your club properly and hit your ball further and straighter.

1. Set up in a half-sitting posture, finishing low and around

To release your club properly, you need to set up correctly and finish properly. Stand over your ball in a half-sitting posture to ensure good balance and an on-plane swing. Swing your club back with your mind’s eye fixed on the target. Make sure your club is toe-up when your club shaft is parallel to the target line. Toward this end, you need to rotate your left forearm subtly as you swing your club back.

Complete your backswing so your right-hand palm faces the sky. That way you will naturally create a good top-of-the-backswing position, swing your club down from inside, and release properly.

However, to ensure solid, powerful strikes further, squat a little to start your downswing. Sitting down helps you create your leverage, release your club fully and hit your ball longer. Whisper “one” as you complete your backswing, murmuring “two” as you squat to set up your downswing. Whack your ball with your left hand as you count “three.”

You will better feel your clubface turning “from open to shut.” That helps you release your club properly, hitting your ball far and straight.

Critically, finish your swing low and around your body, with your club shaft up around your neck. Your club shaft tapping the back of your neck shows you have swung your club with enough speed.

Equally important is creating a slight backward curve in your body at the finish. Make sure your hips rest closer to the target than your feet or your chest. That shows you have kept your upper body behind your ball and swung your club down on the correct path. Also, you need to finish your swing with your right heel off the ground. That tells you have kept your balance and released your club fully.

2. Bend your left arm simultaneously as you hit your ball

To hit your ball longer and straighter, do not keep your left arm ramrod straight throughout your swing. Leaving your left arm too rigid, you will have difficulty hitting your ball where you have aimed. Typically, your shot will deviate from your target, your ball often going astray.

It is better to leave your left arm relaxed during your takeaway and at impact. More importantly, you need to bend your left arm almost simultaneously as you whack your ball. You need to let your left arm bend immediately after hitting your ball.

That ensures you square your clubface through your shot and speed up your club to the maximum. You will fully release your club, eventually enjoying longer, straighter shots.

To bend your left arm properly, you need to fold your left elbow “upward” at a timely moment. Start folding your left elbow when it points toward your ball coming down. That way you will swing your club from slightly inside to outside the target line, hitting straight shots or soft draws.

Namely, swing your arms back as you turn your chest, with your mind’s eye fixed on your target. You need to swing your arms upward at the end of the takeaway. Set your hands behind your right ear as you complete your backswing.

Once you have started your downswing, fold your left elbow when your left elbow points toward your ball. That helps you release your club fully. Full release ensures you create a fast swing and deliver your club squarely.

3. Swivel your left elbow outward away from your body

As you start your downswing, focus on rotating your left elbow when it points toward your ball. Start your downswing as you swivel your left elbow so it points toward your left hip. Equally important is picturing you are hitting a draw. That way you will release your club successfully, turning your left elbow properly. You will feel your left elbow move outward away from your body through your shot and during the follow-through.

You need to move your left knee in tandem with your left elbow. Start your downswing with your left knee and left elbow moving together. That allows your upper body and lower body to work in sync, ensuring good rhythm and tempo, plus perfect balance.

Typically, you will finish your swing with your right shoulder closer to the target than other parts of your body.

4. Keep your left wrist bowed

You can change the loft of your 7-iron into your 6-iron if you create a powerful impact position. To this end, you need to keep the angle of your left wrist intact through your shot. You cannot produce a penetrating flight if you allow your left wrist to break or cup.

Take your address posture without a club. Swing your arms back, pretending you are holding a club. Then, just practice bowing your left wrist so your knuckles point down through your shot. That way you will stop cupping your left wrist only to add loft through impact. You will start whacking your ball with a downward blow, with a decreased loft.

Avoid letting your left wrist cup or turning your left-hand knuckles toward the sky to lift your ball. That forces you to suffer weak slices.

Make sure you keep your left wrist bowed, with the knuckles facing the ground when you hit your ball. To do this effortlessly, you need to leave your left wrist slightly bowed at the top of your backswing.

Incidentally, if you are hitting your driver low on the face or topping your ball, you are probably unhinging your wrists prematurely. Do not try to help your ball get airborne by flipping your hands. Trying to make your ball get airborne, you cannot speed up your club to the maximum through your shot. Also, that plays havoc with your ability to hit your ball solidly on the sweet spot of your clubface.

You will create maximum clubhead speed when your hands give in to the force of your downswing and turn over. You will reach the threshold of your power when your left-hand knuckles and left elbow point down through impact.

5. Picture you are rotating a doorknob

To release your club fully, you need to cross your right forearm over your left, keeping your left wrist stable. To this end, you should use your right hand the way you do when you rotate a doorknob. That way you will get your left-hand knuckles facing down toward the ground at impact. You will eventually compress your ball firmly, hitting it solidly. You will also take a shallow divot in front of your ball, whacking your ball far and straight.

6. Let your right forearm drop to start your downswing

At a good top-of-the-backswing position, you will feel your left-hand knuckles almost facing the ground. Start your downswing by letting your right arm drop straight down and your left forearm rotate toward the ground. That will keep your club on-plane through impact, allowing you to release your club properly.

Or, just let your right forearm drop to start your downswing, keeping your right elbow staying “up” quietly. That way you can keep your arms tight to your chest and fire your right hand vigorously at your ball.