ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS to work
on in the golf swing is what is called clubhead
lag. I enjoy working on this component of the swing
because when players feel clubhead lag for the first
time, the results are unlike anything they have
ever felt before.
Achieving clubhead lag in your swing will enable
the ball to come off the clubface with more power
and accuracy. It will also facilitate a steady rate
of acceleration, assuring a reliable control of
distance. It is absolutely imperative that clubhead
lag is present in your swing for you to be a good
ball striker.
Clubhead lag defines the condition of the clubhead
trailing the hands in the swing. This condition
allows for the clubhead to move on a downward angle
into impact and beyond to the low point with maximum
amount of clubhead speed. The low point is defined
as the outside of the lead shoulder. For a right-handed
golfer, this would be your left shoulder.
It is critical that the clubhead continues to lag
and move down to impact and beyond all the way down
to the low point.
If you watch the pros, you'll see how their
divots occur in front of the ball, which means the
clubhead is continuing to move down well past the
ball. In order to take a divot past the ball, you
must have clubhead lag all the way to the low point.
There is absolutely no substitute for this in the
swing.
To establish some lag in your swing, place your
right arm in a waiter's position, away from
your side with the right elbow down and right wrist
bent. Notice that the palm of your right hand is
facing the sky and could support most anything.
This is where your right arm should be at the top
of the swing to support the club.
Now, grip your club and swing to the top of the
swing, achieving this same right-arm position. The
clubhead at this point should be positioned behind
you with the shaft pointing toward the target line.
You will feel the clubhead lag in the index finger
of your right hand. The weight of the clubhead will
be felt in this finger, as well as the bend of the
right wrist at the top of the swing.
If you brought the club's shaft to a vertical
position, then the weight of the clubhead would
no longer be felt in the index finger. If you continued
on where the clubhead is now in front of you with
the butt of the club pointing behind you, then you
will feel the clubhead get extremely top heavy to
the point where you can't control the clubhead
or shaft. This is referred to as "casting"
or "clubhead throwaway."
From the top of the swing, the idea is to maintain
this clubhead lag all the way down to the low point.
As you start down, you will still feel the weight
of the clubhead trailing behind you with the pressure
still present on the index finger.
Again, make sure you don't lose this clubhead
lag, which will result in clubhead throwaway. Continue
this procedure and feel the clubhead lag all the
way down to the low point.
This feeling of clubhead lag should be carried
all the way past the ball. This will allow you to
not hit at the ball but rather drive the clubhead
down through the ball en route to the bottom of
the arc.
As the clubhead continues down to the low point,
you will now begin to feel the support of the body.
Your weight will shift into the lead foot with the
lower body beginning to rotate, creating air under
your right heel.
When you are working on clubhead lag, I would encourage
you to start with slower and shorter swings. Be
able to control the clubhead and shaft with small
swings first, then add some speed to those smaller
swings. Climb the ladder with the length of swing
as well as speed and remember to replace those divots
now that the clubhead is moving down and accelerating.
