Releasing the body and clubhead

Now that you’ve transitioned smoothly into the downswing and are in a great position to deliver the clubhead into the ball, here are some checkpoints just to browse over.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Sep 2013, 09:52 BST

POINT 1 – DYNAMIC POSTURE (moving posture or more simply, a good spine angle)

To really increase your chances of getting a really accurate centre hit on the clubface, it’s of paramount importance that you’ve maintained the same upper body or spine angle that you’ve made at address.

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Avoid standing taller coming into the ball, as this will cause you to hit many shots off the toe of the club which shoot straight to the right of target, with absolutely no distance.

Focus on trying to keep your head pretty much the same level back and through the ball. This will ultimately help you maintain balance, posture and a quality centre hit.

POINT 2 – ARMS & BODY IN SYNC

Now that you have maintained great dynamic posture into ‘the hitting area’ and at this stage, the right elbow has come in towards the front of the right hip. The hands, right hip and right knee well lined up, appearing to stack one on top of the other, you’re ready for a release of the right arm and body.

You’ll want to feel the right arm and hand fire the clubhead toward the ball. The key here is to make sure the arms still work in unison with the body.

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If the arms come off the body too much, you definitely have more chance of getting a heel hit or worse a socket.

**PRACTICE DRILL – Get a small towel and hold it between the left arm and chest. Practice half swings and really get the feeling that the arms stay on or more close to the body through impact.

POINT 3 – LET THE EYES TRACK THE BALL

At impact you’ll definitely want to feel the majority of your bodyweight on the left side, supported forward by the inner right foot or toes and getting into a really good flat left wristed position on ball contact.

At this stage, forget the old adage of ‘keeping your head down’, as this holds back the power and causes either pull or push shots.

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INSTEAD, LET YOUR EYES ATTEMPT TO TRACK THE BALL IMMEDIATELY WHEN YOU FEEL CONTACT. This will release your full power and will help you achieve greater accuracy.

Michael Langford

Golf Performance Ireland

Roe Park Resort.