Shaking Hands with the Flag

[DVS]

I have heard the phrase "I feel like I am shaking Hands with the flag" from several places. What exactly does that mean?

Sorry for the noobish question...but i just want to confirm what it means.

-DVS

[Sandpiper3]

Man, ive honestly never heard that in my 7 years of playing???

[DVS]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

Man, ive honestly never heard that in my 7 years of playing???

"Every time I hit a shot, I feel like I am shaking hands with the flag stick." – Moe Norman

A variation of the phrase is also: "shaking hands with the ball". I have heard that one not only in a golf context, but also in football and basketball.

I really don't get it.

[Johnny Par]

Did a google search and this is what I came up with.

Q: Once you told me you feel like you have a claw in your hand? What’s that?

Moe: Left hand is a rod. Right hand is a claw. At impact.
Moe: Every time I hit the shot, I feel like I’m shaking hands with the flag stick. Whether it’s 500 yards away or 5 feet, I feel like I’m going to grab it and the ball goes there every time.

Some people say when you complete the golf swing, you should feel like you are posing for a picture. I think Moe's analogy refers to the same thing in a sense.

[chemboy2]

I like the analogy! To shake hands with someone, you would extend your hand directly in front of your body with squared shoulders and the palm facing to the left (for a right hander). All of these things would be the result of fully releasing the clubhead through impact.

[DVS]

Originally Posted by chemboy2

I like the analogy! To shake hands with someone, you would extend your hand directly in front of your body with squared shoulders and the palm facing to the left (for a right hander). All of these things would be the result of fully releasing the clubhead through impact.

I think I am starting to get the picture now.

[Sandpiper3]

That is yea, getting the proper idea of having that mental image of releasing the club, and i almost always play better when i hold my finish because it means im in balance, whenever im feelin bad about the shot, i just leave everything out of my mind, think "lets see what we can do" (ie no expectations) and "hold the finish". Usually works pretty well.

Moe Norman was an amazingly smart man, and goddamn he knew how to play golf.

[Sandy]

You often see it mentioned when talking about the need for a proper follow through when making pitches and shorter shots using less than a full swing.

The way I've always understood it, it means that your follow through should leave you with your upper body facing the flag and your right hand (for righties) extended out and about the right height and orientation to 'shake hands' with someone stood right in front of you, between you and the hole. The idea is that swinging to that finish forces you to make a proper follow-through and weight transfer.

[$2 Nassau]

I envision it as being the follow through, just after impact, with the right hand really extending out and through the ball towards the target.

Kind of like what Ernie Els is doing in this photo:
http://www.oneplanegolfswing.com/asp...2302_ernie.jpg

[Bravo]

DVS:

This sometimes associated with a knockdown shot or partial shot where you do not want to finish high with the club behind your back. Basically means finishing with your hands in front of your body rather than behind....holding on.

Described in this post from yesterday....

rookie question...

[DVS]

cool...thanks guys. I think I understand it now.