Adding lag- good or bad for s beginner?

if you do the research, youll find that "lag" is a result of a good sequence, not necessarily something you can "create" to cover over other issues.  the main thing you want is to form a straight line from the left shoulder down the left arm and wrist and all the way down the shaft of the club to the ball.

yes, the ball position would be different for every club, but you still want to have that straight line from the left shoulder to the ball on virtually all shots.  some people are able to get their hands ahead of the ball at impact and therefore have a forward leaning shaft which is ok, but under no circumstance would having a backwards leaning shaft and flipping be considered an efficient way of hitting the ball.  guess which way i play?  lol...i suck...

no prob!

generally, ball position for the driver is off the left heel, and the irons would be between the middle of your stance and off your left shoulder, depending on the iron.

Weight forward, steady head, flat left wrist will produce a good amount of lag for you. Most loss of lag occurs because players loose there foundation in there swing and have to help the swing with there hands.

Not really weight transfer, though you could say it is. Its better to think of it as pressure. You want to add pressure under your left heal through out the downswing. To me i like to almost get the sense i am pushing my foot into the ground in the downswing.

As for spine angle. I don't worry about it. If i keep my head still, spine angle takes care of it self. I always think of the swing in terms of body movements. The core follows the hips, shoulders follow the core, the arms follow the shoulders. So if you spin out, straighten your front leg fast, your shoulders will turn to fast, and now your hands have to come across the body. If you keep the flexion in your front leg longer, get your weight forward, you give time for the hands to work outward.

Adding lag or holding lag can lead to shanks, steepness, early extension and a myriad of other issues. As others have said it's a byproduct of good swing sequence and a backswing that doesn't get too long.

I have found the first this most people need to do to create more lag is in the transition and the beginning of the downswing.  If you rip at it from the top you give away your lag right away.

You have heard people say I feel like the start of my downswing I just drop the club correct.  They are dropping their arms into a position (in front of their right pocket and the lag is maintained because they are not ripping from the start of the swing.  Effortless power.

Also guilty of that! :) That is one of the things I have been working on-letting the first move out of the top of my swing be a gravity move and pulling through with my left hand rather than push with the right. This seems to be helping more than anything else.