Lag = Distance?

[kleraudio]

Just wondering if more lag equals more distance??

How in the world do these guys hit 320+ drives and it doesnt even look like they are swinging that hard??

Is it lag? Is that what separates 250 yard hitters from the really big hitters?

Thanks!

Jim

[Dub]

Been trying to solve that riddle for years. I go to the Master's practice rounds every couple of years and am amazed at how smooth these guys swing.....balanced....graceful..........yet the ball rockets out there.

It must be some type of Harry Potter styled magic.


Looking at the fold-out swing sequences in the golf mags and the slo-mo swing analysis during televised tourney coverage....I suspect that lag has a lot to do with it.

[maraca2020]

I believe it is having large amounts of lag, and then releasing it with your foreamrs to generate clubhead speed, which makes it go further.

[ddalet]

distance is a factor of clubhead speed, attack angle and clubhead position. Everything else is meaningless.

that said, half the game is putting... so a consistent but shorter ballstriker who has a solid short game will crush the big hitter with a mediocre short game.

[grantc79]

distance is a factor of clubhead speed, attack angle and clubhead position. Everything else is meaningless.

Club head speed at the proper point in your swing directed to the proper point with the proper amount of control actually.

[kfowler]

Tour Pros also have much better flexibility than the average joe. This allows a greater shoulder turn and therefor more club head speed. Lag is certainly a major factor.

[grantc79]

Tour Pros also have much better flexibility than the average joe. This allows a greater shoulder turn and therefor more club head speed. Lag is certainly a major factor.

Explain JB Holmes and his 2/3rds swing then.....

You don't need those things to create a ton of lag and hit the ball a long ways. What you need is very good technique.

[Razz11]

JB does actually make a full swing. It appears to be short because he doesn't break his wrists at the top, but his shoulder and hip turn is a full swing.

[kfowler]

An Villegas has a very short back swing but still a full shoulder turn. For any of the pros, watch how far their driver club head passes past their body on the follow through.

[iacas]

JB does actually make a full swing. It appears to be short because he doesn't break his wrists at the top, but his shoulder and hip turn is a full swing.

Agreed with this. It's a full swing, he just doesn't cock his wrists until the downswing begins.

[deronsizemore]

You have to remember that 320 is not the norm. There are some guys that can put it out there that far, but only a few. You also have to remember that those driving distances that you see on TV include the 30-50 yards of roll that they get on the perfect fairways they play.

There's a large number of guys on tour that carry the ball somewhere between 260-280. Keep in mind that 260 yards of carry is a pretty big tee shot.

[jamo]

Agreed with this. It's a full swing, he just doesn't cock his wrists until the downswing begins.

Ya, Golf Digest did his swing sequence the past month.

[grantc79]

Agreed with this. It's a full swing, he just doesn't cock his wrists until the downswing begins.

I agree as well its referred to in TGM as "float loading" or "lag loading" but the point still remains that it isn't a big, long swing that creates tons of power its good technique.

You can make your body as limp as a noodle and swing til you see the club head on your left ear but if you can't maintain good technique while doing it then that is a waste of time. You are also better off with a 2/3rds swing that is efficient, maintainable, with plenty of lag than a full swing that is inefficient, unmaintainable, with club head throw away.

[Phil McGleno]

I agree as well its referred to in TGM as "float loading" or "lag loading" but the point still remains that it isn't a big, long swing that creates tons of power its good technique.

Who freakin' cares? You called it 2/3 of a swing, people disagreed with you based on how far his shoulders still turn, and now you're changing the subject. You're a middle-aged 9 handicapper who may know TGM forwards and backwards but you still can't break 80.

Yippee. JB Holmes still takes a full backswing. It's not 2/3 as you said, and nobody was arguing or discussing the stupid TGM terms for what JB Holmes does.

[iacas]

Calm down Butch.

Though I agree with the sentiment. You said "Explain JB Holmes and his 2/3rds swing then.....". Others disagreed and said he took a full swing. But let's stick to the original topic. Here it is again:

Just wondering if more lag equals more distance??

[kleraudio]

Thanks iacas!

I'd really like to know more about producing lag and if indeed it is the cause of longer distances and increased club head speed... (one and the same i guess)

Jim

[kfowler]

Thanks iacas!

Watch lots of Sergio Garcia. Tremendous lag. Ernie Els is another for a technical stand point.

As far as drills, there's tons around the net. Things to look for are grip pressure, coming from the inside, and starting with your hips on the downswing. There's lots of factors. One thing I've noticed is I have much lag when I'm not trying to hit a ball. The difference on video is comical. Shows the psychology the mind has when trying to hit a ball. Referring back to my flexibility comment, lag is a piece of being able to hit it far. There are other factors that play into it as well.

[grantc79]

As long as your left wrist is flat and the shaft of the club is leaning forward in the downswing it should generally be accelerating.

The more narrow the angle between your left forearm and club shaft the faster it will be accelerating generally and the less narrow the less it will be accelerating.

This is how Sergio develops so much power in a small frame, the angle between his forearm and shaft narrows drastically during his down swing. For the average amateur this angle increases dramatically.

Hip action, leg action, and all of these wonderful things matter but at the end of the day every single professional has a flat left wrist with a forward leaning shaft at impact. Basically they have lag.

Their left wrist doesn't bend until the ball is gone and the shaft doesn't actually catch the hands until even later.