Understanding replaces thinking. Doing relevant drills to experience that understanding builds competence. Competence breeds confidence. Confidence builds the states of mind, body and emotion needed to play golf at your best.” – Peter Croker, PGA-Australia [paraphrased by Ted Williams, mentee]
Ask yourself, your golf buddies and even instructors what is meant by “release” in the golf swing and you will likely get quite diverse and ambiguous replies.
My new video series takes all of the ambiguity out of this most overused and misexplained term by breaking down each release in the golf swing; and drills you can do to experience the feel for each release.
The videos show how one release leads to the next release in a natural way; and drills you can do to experience the feel for the sequential flow of the releases.
“Release” isn’t just related to impact with the ball – we cover the releases that occur in the back swing, transition and into-at-through-past impact.
We start with the left hand releases, and how the forces exerted on the left hand from the free momentum of the club head create those releases.
Then we cover the right hand releases, and how the forces exerted on the right hand from the free momentum of the club head create those releases.
Yes, the club head’s action releases the hands, the hands’ actions don’t release the club head.
Then we cover how the hands work in mirrored opposite ways so they work in unison; make no mistake, golf is a 2-handed game and understanding the interaction between the 2 hands is critical to making a safe [structurally sound] and compressive strike on the ball.
Then we cover the body releases and how they occur as reflexive reactions to the hand action; again, the hands’ actions are reflexive to the club head’s forces which change throughout the golf swing… and, yes, the body doesn’t create hand action, the reflexive hand action creates reflexive body action.
In this way, by design, the hands, body and club head are innately connected and coordinated, with each release leading to the next release in a timing-free and thought-free fashion.
There are no shortcuts for any of us wanting to play our best golf; “she” [as “golf” is referred to in the Foreword to Ben Hogan’s “Five Lessons”] requires one to be a true student of the game; namely, a student that comes to a level of understanding that leads to competence so that we can earn the confidence that is needed to play our best golf.
Your comments, questions and suggestions are welcome; my email address is Twilliams@MyGolfingStore.com.
Signing off for now – Ted Williams.
