Advice I Hate: "Release the Club"

[Divot Tool]

I understand what you're saying. But, every move can be conceived as an effect of a move prior. The downswing is the effect of the backswing, the backswing the effect of the take-away and the take-away the effect of proper address. With that logic, you are left with a dude standing over the ball with no idea how to begin.

Ben, while I do think your explanation is logical, I think you overlooked one small but critical piece in this 'cause and effect' relationship. Striking the ball consistently square and solid is the effect of a correct downswing, which is the effect of a correct backswing, with the backswing being the effect of a correct takeaway et ecetera but not limited to those actions. Iacas was merely trying to articulate that the quality of those elements which comprise the swing, directly affects the resultant outcome/shot.

[sonicblue]

I played with a guy once, he hit a sand shot and skulled the junk out of it. He walked out of the bunker saying, "welp......didn't cross my wrists...." My friend and I just looked at each other like......um.........wuutt?? LOL

I agree, in principle, with both sides of this. To some extent, I believe that a player needs to envision a finished product - which is what I believe the concept of 'release' is, it's a snapshot of the end of a relaxed, extended swing - and then rely on our mind's ability to get us from some point during the swing to that finished product.

However, I don't think many of us have the sound principles in place for our brains to do that properly, and we need advice on the actual mechanics, and it is to that end that I think a term like "release" doesn't work. It's actually what I'm working in very hard right now, as I seem to have lost the ability to find that "impact" position with my hands, that I know the term 'release' is referring to, but that I'm not finding on my own. So even though I know I'm not releasing right now, simply saying to me, "release the club" would be absolutely no help.

[Fatphil]

Casting & (lack of) Lag I believe are one in the same. I prefer to concentrate on holding my wrist cock 12" before transition...thru transition and 12" into the downswing. I agree,,thinking about lag or release just screws me up all the time. If I freeze my wrist positions thru the transition I usually get a solid hit w/ and inside out path and decent lag for my age and hdcap. I think a lot of people have trouble with this move because it is physically stressful on the hands, wrists, forearms and leading lat muscles and there's an aversion to pain.

[ddalet]

The advice to release the club is for slower swingers. You think that the pros dont do it... but watch the video you posted of Ben hogan just days ago. Ben's hands definitely turn over... it might happen automatically but it happens nonetheless.

Advice to release the club or turn the screwdriver can help the average golfer how hits a banana ball.

You have to understand that not every golfer is going to have a fundamentally sound golf swing, in fact, it is rare. Most golf swings are arm and hands based... that is why you read advice to 'release'... it is a way to get people to square up without reworking their swing into what has take a pro a lifetime to develop.

[iacas]

The advice to release the club is for slower swingers.

I've never seen it listed in the magazines as advice only for slower swingers. It's advice commonly given to slicers.

You think that the pros dont do it...

I don't think anyone thinks the pros "don't do it."

it is a way to get people to square up without reworking their swing into what has take a pro a lifetime to develop.

Right - which is basically what I said. At best, it's a quick fix.

[Leftygolfer]

Can anyone actually consciously do something through impact. I went through a period when I was trying to "release the club". (Years ago) and all I did was use a flippy wrist action and was a terrible golfer.

Golf is a sport. you can't think your way through a good swing. I believe being good is a reaction of a good set-up, good grip, good attitude. If you are thinking your way through impact then you are going to really suck.

[Lance]

Club face release is not some mystical search for enlightenment, but it
is an essential fundamental that every single golfer must learn to do.
Every single pro's swing is different, yet the one single thing they all do
and can control very well, is the face release.

If you don't release/rotate the club face through impact enough, you'll only hit
a push/fade/slice or flop it altogether.

Obviously now if there is too much release through impact you'll draw/hook.

Knowing how to draw it strong is key when combined with a proper weight
shift toward the front foot on the down swing. The result is the "distance
with no effort shot" that you see on the pro tour.

Without learning to release the club face you'll never learn to draw the ball,
stick the ball on the green, add so much back spin so the ball rolls back to
the pin and lastly, crush it a controlled 280-300yds out of the box.

as my instructor always told me...(being a right handed golfer)

"if you fully release the face it is impossible to hit the ball right"
"if you properly shift your weight forward it is impossible to hit the ball left"
"when you can do both together you can only hit a powerful pure straight"

[M2R]

If I followed this discussion basically the "idea" of releasing the club tends to activate some muscle actions that (even if possible) are not desirable.

And that the club does need to release but it's this "idea" of releasing it that is in question. The theory being that if you swing a club at any appreciable speed it's going to release pretty much unaffected through the hitting area regardless of any manipulations that may be attempted as it's too late then anyway. And the "idea" of releasing the club more often than not results in questionable actions well before or after the actual release/striking action on the ball.

But if the "idea" of releasing the club is "bad" then logically it would seem that the "idea" of releasing the putter should also be "bad" following from the same basic arguments? The release of the putter should happen naturally as a result of the actions that preceded the stroke not as a function of any additional inputs or manipulations.

[shaun]

I agree that it's terrible advice.

A swing thought like "release the club" will inevitably lead to casting. When people say "release the club", they never mean release the club only post-impact; no, they think -- as do many amateur golfers -- that the club must be consciously released before you hit the ball. You can do this and it might work for you for a while -- but your swing will be hopelessly critical on fine timing, and will therefore be inconsistent on a day-to-day basis, because you'll be casting the clubhead at some point in the backswing. Your contact will also be lousy, even on your better days. Almost by definition, no one that casts the clubhead will have his or her divots located in front of the ball.

[Lance]

you never release the club.......you swing it. you release the club face.
i think this is why people find it confusing.

casting is caused by a lack of lag in your swing. nobody releases a putter
because the face is held square in relationship to the ball.

and it's not undesireable muscles that come into play.for a right handed
golfer you pronate the left wrist about 10 degrees through the impact zone.
it's such a tiny movement

an easier example to understand is if you swing with a cupped wrist.
you uncup it through the impact zone.

[Fatphil]

I'm new to the site but this thread is one of the most interesting I've read in 40 years of playing. I can see what that pro from Cali is saying about release as a teaching aid however I fully agree with the iacas poster that any player hoping to break 80 should "get" the no release concept.

An overlooked point in this discussion is the leading edge of the club coming into the ball. What led me years ago to pay attention to the "no release" idea was noticing my iron divots as toe first. A toe first impact to me was a sign of casting as the wrists over released by waist high in the downswing. Unfortunatly too many of us are forced to practice off mats and never get to see our divots. It has been helpful to me to picture impact as the heal and the toe of the iron impacting the ground at the same time and letting my body work out the details.

Has anyone else used this swing thought?

[iacas]

But if the "idea" of releasing the club is "bad" then logically it would seem that the "idea" of releasing the putter should also be "bad" following from the same basic arguments?

No, not really. Your wrists are at an entirely different angle, the grip isn't in the fingers so much as along the lifeline, and the speed of the swing is entirely different.

That said, I've also never focused on releasing the putter. It too tends to happen naturally if you do everything else properly. That's why belly putters work for some guys - it forces them to do some other things properly that result in a good release.

you never release the club.......you swing it. you release the club face.

All due respect, I don't think that's why people find it confusing. I think we know what's meant by "release the club(face)."

casting is caused by a lack of lag in your swing. nobody releases a putter because the face is held square in relationship to the ball.

Everyone with an arc stroke releases the putter.

You seem to disagree, Lance, with the thought being a bad one. That's fine, but let's stick to that topic, please.

[jamo]

I think people say you should release the club head as a way of saying that you shouldn't cast your hands, which would send the right hand under the left hand, open the clubhead, and produce a high slice. Even though you don't really rotate your wrists before impact when you release the club, you need to make sure you don't do the opposite and cast it open.

BTW, putting is completely different, so I don't why anyone would even bring up?

[golfdad]

now, looking backwards on the original issue,,,to release the club...i wonder what the pro was seeing for him to suggest that...

if you so called do not release the club, how does it look like? did the student push the ball to the right???

[jamo]

now, looking backwards on the original issue,,,to release the club...i wonder what the pro was seeing for him to suggest that...

If you don't release the club, you would likely hit a high slice.

[VanillaEps]

If you don’t release the club, you end up with what I was battling with last week, a straight push to the right. From your wedges to about the 9 or 8 iron, you can get away with not releasing the club, but from the 7 iron and longer, you clubface won’t close in time.

The issue with me was how I go about consciously closing the club face or releasing the club. So, a great drill I was told was to try and touch your forearms once the club gets passed your waist on the downswing. This causes your left wrist to supinate and your right wrist to pronate. It also promotes the “back handing” of the left hand to the target at impact. This roll continues past impact.

Another drill is to keep your feet close together and swing from 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock. Without thinking about it, you are actually releasing the club! You can actually see your right wrist starting to come over the left wrist before impact, square the club face at impact and continue to roll over your left wrist past impact.

I’m no expert, but these drills help me understand the concept of releasing the club.

[iacas]

now, looking backwards on the original issue,,,to release the club...i wonder what the pro was seeing for him to suggest that...

You don't seem to have read the first post. The pro didn't want him to think about the release at all. That was a tip he'd read in a golf magazine.

[golfdad]

thanks for the clarification, my bad.