|
|
The last article
discussed LAG. This month, the lag will be RELEASED.
There are two kinds of golfers, according to Homer Kelly in
the Golfing Machine, hitters and swingers. Both get
the club in a delivery position with the head of the club
lagging behind the hands. Both release that lag in
order to compress the ball. But the manner that they
release it is different.
Swinger Release
The swinger uses gravity to drop the arms into the hitting
position. The transition from the top is gentle,
almost lazy. The arms drop down (key word, as most
golfers go out), and the club falls into the delivery
position. At this point, the hips practically pop, and
that turning, circular motion throws the hands and club out
to the ball. The downswing is down-out-then forward.
The mistake many golfers make at this point is that the body
turns too soon, out of sequence. Remember that the
turning sends the club out, and if out happens early, all
that is left is down. Too much down at impact, and that
steepness results in weak shots, pulled shots, or sliced
shots. (Out-forward- then down. Not a great recipe for good
golf shots)
Norrie talks about the hips instead moving sideways to start
the downswing. That sideways move 'buys your arms time
to drop', in Norrie’s words.
So that in a nutshell is the swinger’s release. Lots
of body motion, needing a lot of timing and patience.
Hitter Release
The hitter on the other hand, is less body dominated, using
the trail arm actively. Think of skipping a rock on a
lake; the back arm bends, and then straightens quickly as
the stone is released. The elbow leads until the last
moment (LAG), at which time the arm straightens powerfully,
also compressing the ball.
A great exercise for hitters is to strike balls with the
right arm only, trying to recreate that throwing feeling.
You could even throw a club, but please make sure you are in
a field with nobody around! That club could go
anywhere.
Next article: a key to hitting the driver better, the Second
Axis Tilt
A few years ago, I was fortunate to take part in capturing
some of Norrie’s teachings for a wider audience. I went to
Jacksonville with documentary filmmaker James Hoagland (The
Lions Roar), and the result is the essence of Norrie Wright,
a DVD entitled The Wright Swing, a video textbook for
students of the game. This is available through my Halifax
Training Center.
More information. |
|
 |
|
|
