Many players that I encounter get the club too inside on the takeaway. They feel like if they can get the club inside quickly it will be coming from the inside as they approach the ball on the down swing. This is far from the truth. If the club gets inside quickly on the back swing it gets behind the foot line and hands by the time the hands are waist high. I ask many of my student why they do this move when they first come to me. ” I want to come back from the inside.” is the answer I hear most. When the hands work inside too quickly, the club can get stuck on the down swing. This can cause a flipping action and early release of the lag on the down swing. Also if the hands work behind the center of the torso going back they have to race to get back in front on the way down. This makes it very difficult when it comes to keeping the workhorse and arms in sync. They begin to work independently and this can cause timing issues. The best way to max out lag is to first create it correctly on the way back. This is Dynamic#3 loading the club on the back swing. This proper loading of the club helps maintain more lag in delivering the lag to impact. So how can we do this loading action correctly? The lead hand wants to hinge up as the shoulders turn back. Below are three photos. The first is the hands at address. The second is the correct way that the lead or left wrist will hinge on the back swing to load the club. The third is incorrect. The right wrist is breaking down to soon and taking the club too far inside.

This constant loading of the club will help maintain lag on the down swing. Keep the hands and club in front of the body and allow the workhorse to deliver the club into impact. This helps produce dynamic #1 & #2 on the down swing. It also helps the workhorse do it’s job easily.

By Guest Contributor Bernard Sheridan