I need some help

[SnapHook'R]

I'm wondering if there's something I can do to learn how to properly RELEASE the club. I just don't do it. I simply don't turn my hands over at impact.

Honestly, I've ALWAYS had this problems. Its 20 years + now. Never have accomplished a proper release.

Any words of advice, anything you do to specifically teach yourself how to properly realease. Any tricks, etc, etc. Thanks guys.

Chet

BTW, my practice swing looks great. All my golfin' buddies have always told me that I change my swing from practice to when I actually make contact with a ball. The distance between myself and the ball is ultimately effected.

[Pa Jayhawk]

For me, I picked up these in a Golf Magazine years ago and they worked for me. The one I used mainly was simply as you complete your swing finish with your left palm facing the sky as though to "catch raindrops". Simple, but worked for me.

The other was to take your grip with the V formed with your right thumb, put the corner of a credit card in the V. So when you start and in you backswing you will be looking at the face of the card. On the follow through, you need to be viewing the back. Just take slow practice swings to ingrain the feel

[Burg]

I would guess that you are trying to "hit" the ball from your statement that your practice swings are fine but not your normal swing.

Stop trying to "hit" the ball and just let your arms follow your body.

Tension in the hands makes releasing the club much more difficult.

If you turn off your arms and just swing with your shoulders the club has no choice but to release.

[SnapHook'R]

Thanks for the tips guys. Anyone else with any helpful advice?

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Burg

I would guess that you are trying to "hit" the ball from your statement that your practice swings are fine but not your normal swing.

Stop trying to "hit" the ball and just let your arms follow your body.

Tension in the hands makes releasing the club much more difficult.

If you turn off your arms and just swing with your shoulders the club has no choice but to release.

I know that the less I try to "turn my hands over" the better my release is. For me, grip pressure is key: If I hold the club properly and keep tension out of my arms, the release follows naturally (as long as I keep my body turning through the ball.)

[SnapHook'R]

Thanks for all the good words. I'll work on it. I don't think anything but practice will help me. I may take some lessons soon, if I can find a proper teacher.

thanks again

Chet

[jambalaya]

Have you tried a stronger grip? I think some people, me included, have problems with a full realease. It's not the end of the world but if you have a weak grip it can make the problem worse. Are you sure you are gripping the club properly in the fingers? A palm grip makes a release more difficult also. Finally, too much grip pressure can be a factor. Changing one's grip is easy, doing a swing change is hard. I would experiment with a grip change.

[jackerman]

I have found when working on rotation there are two types of rotation that happens (and your hands are not the main ingredient) It’s your forearms that really rotate the club. I see allot of debate on the subject so I have included a video of Jim McLean. I have been teaching this for years and it is one of the most difficult parts of the swing to consistently reproduce. Its a timing issue and takes practice on a regular basis.

JAckerman

[mont86]

Originally Posted by SnapHook'R

BTW, my practice swing looks great. All my golfin' buddies have always told me that I change my swing from practice to when I actually make contact with a ball. The distance between myself and the ball is ultimately effected.

I can relate..tension...the swing killer...I'm working on my focus on the ball, waggle the club and pull the trigger. I caught myself watching the club on the take away....Like using a hammer without looking at the nail you're pounding...Thats way I kept smashing my finger!!!

[SnapHook'R]

Originally Posted by jambalaya

Have you tried a stronger grip? I think some people, me included, have problems with a full realease. It's not the end of the world but if you have a weak grip it can make the problem worse. Are you sure you are gripping the club properly in the fingers? A palm grip makes a release more difficult also. Finally, too much grip pressure can be a factor. Changing one's grip is easy, doing a swing change is hard. I would experiment with a grip change.

I've had a few lessons in the past. The teachers I've had said my grip structure is good. I have change my grip around. Its definitely not too weak. Grip pressure is one my biggest problems. Mentally, I just feel like the club is going to fly out of my hands. I've always struggled with that. I def. need to work on it.

Originally Posted by jackerman

I have found when working on rotation there are two types of rotation that happens (and your hands are not the main ingredient) It’s your forearms that really rotate the club. I see allot of debate on the subject so I have included a video of Jim McLean. I have been teaching this for years and it is one of the most difficult parts of the swing to consistently reproduce. Its a timing issue and takes practice on a regular basis.

JAckerman

Thanks for the link Jackerman. I've known my problem. . .how to cure the ill is my problem. Hopefully with the advice you guys have given, I'll have a chance at getting rid of my problem.

Thanks guys

Chet

[dave.]

Hogan once said the left hand has only one purpose, and that is to NOT collapse. It has not other purpose, seriously, you can mess about with your grip and anything else for that matter, but it needs to be firm at impact.Yours is not doing what its supposed to do, have a stern word with it.

[SilverUberXeno]

I've added 15+ yards to my iron game by incorporating a proper release, which I thought I already had.

I think the term "release" is misleading, because you shouldn't be holding the club in any restrictive way that you would have to make an effort to "release" it.

First of all, make sure you are rotating in your swing. It's entirely possible to hit the ball straight and fairly far with an arm swing, but your hands will NOT turn over naturally if you do this. Make sure you are turning around your spine, and that your left shoulder ends up in front of you, AND that your right shoulder ends up behind you. Rotate!

Secondly, stop trying to use your hands. When you first adopt a true rotational swing, you will probably hit make hooks. This is because your hands are still too active. When you rotate, AND you're handsy, you will turn the club over twice, technically.

When you are at address, the club should be square to your target line without any effort in manipulating the club. So if you swing around yourself and don't overuse your hands, you will return you this position; that is, the position if your left hand facing the target, and the clubface being square.

LOOSEN YOUR GRIP. When you turn back, have the toe of the club facing the sky at hip height (did PaJayhawk post this recently? Someone did.). After that, just let things happen. Your wrists will hinge naturally at the top of the downswing. Start your swing with your hips as you should, letting your shoulders and arms follow, NATURALLY. Your hands and clubhead should be the last thing through, and if you keep your rotation going, the clubface will be close to, if not square, at impact.

Problems you may find when you start ingraining this feel are:

a) The hook. Take some slow practice swings and get a feel for how softly to hold the club. All you want to do is hold it, not manipulate it. You will turn the club over with your body rotation.

b) The push. This occurs when your hands are appropriately quiet, but you do not rotate fully. Ideally, you will come from the inside, to square, then back to the inside. If you fail to rotate through impact, you will go inside, almost square, outside. This pushes the ball out to the right.

If these are your only two real mistakes, you're on the right track. Just use 3-4 continuous rotations in the form of practice swings to get the groove in before a swing. Think "Gentle grip, no hands, full rotation." You'll find that your finishing position becomes picturesque by accident- as it should be.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by SilverUberXeno

I've added 15+ yards to my iron game by incorporating a proper release, which I thought I already had.

I think the term "release" is misleading, because you shouldn't be holding the club in any restrictive way that you would have to make an effort to "release" it.

First of all, make sure you are rotating in your swing. It's entirely possible to hit the ball straight and fairly far with an arm swing, but your hands will NOT turn over naturally if you do this. Make sure you are turning around your spine, and that your left shoulder ends up in front of you, AND that your right shoulder ends up behind you. Rotate!

Secondly, stop trying to use your hands. When you first adopt a true rotational swing, you will probably hit make hooks. This is because your hands are still too active. When you rotate, AND you're handsy, you will turn the club over twice, technically.

When you are at address, the club should be square to your target line without any effort in manipulating the club. So if you swing around yourself and don't overuse your hands, you will return you this position; that is, the position if your left hand facing the target, and the clubface being square.

LOOSEN YOUR GRIP. When you turn back, have the toe of the club facing the sky at hip height (did PaJayhawk post this recently? Someone did.). After that, just let things happen. Your wrists will hinge naturally at the top of the downswing. Start your swing with your hips as you should, letting your shoulders and arms follow, NATURALLY. Your hands and clubhead should be the last thing through, and if you keep your rotation going, the clubface will be close to, if not square, at impact.

Problems you may find when you start ingraining this feel are:

a) The hook. Take some slow practice swings and get a feel for how softly to hold the club. All you want to do is hold it, not manipulate it. You will turn the club over with your body rotation.

b) The push. This occurs when your hands are appropriately quiet, but you do not rotate fully. Ideally, you will come from the inside, to square, then back to the inside. If you fail to rotate through impact, you will go inside, almost square, outside. This pushes the ball out to the right.

If these are your only two real mistakes, you're on the right track. Just use 3-4 continuous rotations in the form of practice swings to get the groove in before a swing. Think "Gentle grip, no hands, full rotation." You'll find that your finishing position becomes picturesque by accident- as it should be.

This is an excellent analysis - really nails it. It's what I'm just now starting to understand and incorporate into my swing. It has helped a lot that I've been working on shortening my backswing by 1/2, while increasing my shoulder rotation by the same amount. Hard to explain, but once you feel it, and see the ball rocketing downrange with what feels like no effort at all, it's the next level. Release almost becomes a non-issue.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by SilverUberXeno

LOOSEN YOUR GRIP. When you turn back, have the toe of the club facing the sky at hip height (did PaJayhawk post this recently? Someone did.).

I have actually always heard from most instruction that the clubface should be slightly closed when parallel to the hips, from most instruction that I have seen. It was brought up in this thread which is similar to this one.

Do you intentionally roll your hands?

I believe the other example given there that would be effective to envision this was equal to that of your spine, which is what I usually see. Nicklaus mentioned 1 to 2 o'clock in relation to noon being at setup.

Originally Posted by Jack Nicklaus - Golf My Way

Page 109
"By the time my hands have reached Hip Height....."
Next paragraph
"I have not consciously manipulated the club in any way, but the turning of my hips and shoulders will have caused a slight clockwise rotation of my left wrist and forearm, so that the back of my left hand now faces outward, paralleling the target line. Thus the clubface also "Looks" outward-is between a one- and two-o'clock position as one looks down at it."

[Res Ipsa]

Switch to a Jim Hardy one plane swing and never worry about "releasing" your hands again. You merely turn around your spine while more bent over and RELEASE your arms ( hands merely hold the club). Boom, straight high shots all day long. Easy as can be.


I think I forgot to mention making the change from my old swing to this new swing took about a year. But still happy with it because I know tempo and timing problems will never be an issue for my long game ever again.