Early Release?

[sandwedge]

I went to Golfsmith today to get a new shaft for my driver and the clubmaker there told me I had an early release. What exactly does this mean? Do you know how I can fix it or any drills I can do for it?

 

[demon]

Early release most likely means you are hooking the ball. This is not for sure but it could also relate to several other issues like loss of yardage, pulls, and a possibly even more problems.

First off how does the clubmaker know you have an early release?

 

[bames]

I believe it refers to when you release your wrist cock. If you watch the famous Tiger swing that Nike has you will see that he maintains a 90* angle between his shaft and right wrist until the very last moment. I had a similar problem and what it boiled down to was that because I released too early I was loosing valuable clubhead speed and more importantly acceleration through the ball. If you release too early it is impossible to accelerate through the ball. To work on it I just took video of myself in the living room and first worked on taking the club back to teh 1/2 way point, looking to ensure the 90* angle was there, and then swinging. I gradually increased the backswing until it felt natural. I'm sure there is a better way but I've been pleased with the results. Although I could still improve on this very thing. Good Luck.

 

[demon]

I believe it refers to when you release your wrist cock. If you watch the famous Tiger swing that Nike has you will see that he maintains a 90* angle between his shaft and right wrist until the very last moment. I had a similar problem and what it boiled down to was that because I released too early I was loosing valuable clubhead speed and more importantly acceleration through the ball. If you release too early it is impossible to accelerate through the ball. To work on it I just took video of myself in the living room and first worked on taking the club back to teh 1/2 way point, looking to ensure the 90* angle was there, and then swinging. I gradually increased the backswing until it felt natural. I'm sure there is a better way but I've been pleased with the results. Although I could still improve on this very thing. Good Luck.

It could also lead to higher ballflights like hitting a flop shot with a lob wedge.

 

[sandwedge]

Early release most likely means you are hooking the ball. This is not for sure but it could also relate to several other issues like loss of yardage, pulls, and a possibly even more problems.

First off how does the clubmaker know you have an early release?

Those are exactly the things I have had trouble with. I tend to hook and pull the ball and I don't think I am getting the swing speed that I should.

He had me hold the club upside down right under the head and swing that way. He said you could here the swoosh at the back of my swing rather than where the ball would be.

 

[demon]

Those are exactly the things I have had trouble with. I tend to hook and pull the ball and I don't think I am getting the swing speed that I should.

He had me hold the club upside down right under the head and swing that way. He said you could here the swoosh at the back of my swing rather than where the ball would be.

I have never had a problem with an early release and since I am a longer hitter I tend to have a late release. I have seen some drills for it but the best solution to the problem is to find out why you are doing it in the first place. I suspect that you are a handsy person? If you are, just try bringing the butt of the club towards the ball on your downswing and hold that position as long as possible.

 

[cypressperch]

When your swing has released at the right time,

your left arm and the shaft of the club will make a straight line when the head of the club is perhaps three feet beyond impact. The right arm is also straight at that point. Too early a release will have the club head ahead of the hands so that there is no straight line after impact.

Beginning the down-swing with the turning of the left hip is key to the proper timing of the release. It is all about sequencing. Hip turn has to be before the arms come down. Also, if you take the club up to the top and stop, you will notice that turning the left hip automatically brings the hands down and the 90* angle is still formed by the left arm and club shaft. The shaft is nearing parallel and when it is parallel to the ground and target line, that is the time to release the clubhead through the ball. Right elbow must not be blocked by your right side!

Sincerely, Cypressperch

 

[sandwedge]

Thanks for the info CP. This definitely sounds like what I am doing. I have been struggling with hooks and pulls lately and am not getting the distance off the tee that I should. I found some info on another website about the early release. It says:

An early release or casting is caused by an improper change of direction at the top of the back swing. This key move is where the upper body, hands and arms are still moving back in the back swing as the lower body starts the down swing transition. This is where the club head starts to lag. As the club head lags down to the release point the forearms rotate and the club head is released into impact. This is where club head speed is generated.


I guess I should start by working on slowing things down at the top then getting things going back down in the proper sequence.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

Those are exactly the things I have had trouble with. I tend to hook and pull the ball and I don't think I am getting the swing speed that I should.

He had me hold the club upside down right under the head and swing that way. He said you could here the swoosh at the back of my swing rather than where the ball would be.

This is a good drill that Jim Mclean has used for years.

Just curious did he view this with his eye, or simply take the angle of the face at impact off of a Launch Monitor?

Could make for two separate issues to correct for, the later possibly being that you are also not transferring your weight correctly back to the front at impact. This is a big part of my problem when a hook rears its ugly head.

If you feel it is the later, I could likely give you a few drills, although not sure you want to concentrate on this if it is the other. Kinda of like there being multiple reasons one will slice the ball and it only becomes more frustrating concentrating on the wrong issue and may never fix the real problem.

On your irons to you tend to hit the ball off the toe? Another good sign that you may have a weight transfer issue.

 

[sandwedge]

Pa Jayhawk, He had the monitor going but he was watching my swing and I believe that is where he determined that I had an early release. He also had me swing while he took another club and held it a few inches from my back hip. One my backswing I bumped up against the club. He said that I was sliding back so I think it may also be a weight transfer thing also.

 

[Eracer]

You might try hitting some easy 7-irons with your left hand only (assuming you golf from a right-handed stance). It's quite difficult to cast the club (one of the components of an early release) when hitting solid shots one-handed. Try to hit the 7-irons about 30-40 yards at first, striving for solid contact. Gradually increase distance up to about 70 yards.

Focus on keeping the left arm straight and swinging with your body, particular your hips.

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

Well, for weight transfer, two of the best tips I heard was too put a towel under both armpits and imagine swing the club as though it were attached to your belly button. The other is to concentrate on weight transfer with the turn of your body and not a front~back~front motion. You will transfer your weight as a result of proper turning as opposed to trying to shift your weight. Not sure if the last makes sense, I will try and find a video to help.

 

[cypressperch]

Just the other day, I saw Butch Harmon

and Adam Scott on the tube. Harmon had Scott establish the "L shape" very early in the back swing, perhaps right after the clubhead started turning inside the target line when the shoulders start coiling. I have coupled that back-swing move with the move of the left hip turning to initiate the down-swing. With this latter move, DO NOT RELEASE the "L shape" (made with left arm and club shaft). The turning of the left hip will automatically bring the hands down, and the hands will be almost at waist high with the "L shape" still intact!!! You have all the lag you need, and you can release that clubhead into the ball with everything you got.

Well after impact, both arms will be straight as will the club. At this point, release has occurred properly timed. Now you just let momentum bring you up to a complete finish.

Sincerely, Cypressperch

 

[TVT]

technique is eveything

 

[chemboy2]

Holy smokes, the early release was a KILLER in my swing that I didn't even know about until I started taking lessons at the end of last year. I used to just think that I wasn't meant to hit the ball bar but I finally got tired of hitting 150yd 6 irons, makes the course a lot longer. Also, although I was releasing my wrist cock, I wasn't releasing the club and so high and right was my nemisis.

Here's what worked for me:

1) The left hip bump to get the club in the "slot". I have to be real careful with this because I have really really fast hips and they can get through long before my hands and club get near the ball.
2) Hinge and hold drill. This one came from lessons. Take your backswing all the way back and bump the hip to bring your hands all the down in the swing until they're about even with the ball, whilst maintaining the the "L" in your wrists.
3) I picked up a weighted club to do the above drills in order to really build that muscle memory.

After a few months working on these has done wonders for my game. At my first lesson my hands were actually on my back hip at impact and now they're up even with the inside of my left thigh. Much better contact, more boring flight, and, even better, a two club increase in distance!