The simple definition of lag as a verb is to “fall behind in movement”. In the case of your golf swing, it translates to your club lagging behind your body and arms in the downswing. You can hear a lot of coaches out there talking about creating it in your swing. I will give you some simple tips on how to create lag in a golf swing.
When you are swinging, you want to create more lag which can give you more power and eventually distance. There are a few key parts of the swing where lag is created. It starts from the backswing, then the transition, and ends with the downswing.
More lag means that your club is closer to your arm during the downswing before impact. Usually, at the top of your swing, your club and arm form a 90 degrees angle. Once you start the downswing that angle narrows.
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The narrower the angle gets, the more lag you create. Sounds easy, right? Like everything in golf, there is more to it than meets the eye. Doing this can make a significant difference in the total distance for your shots. There are certain things you can work on that can help you with that. You can check what those things are below.
We are getting close to the winter holiday season. In case you have a golfer among your family members or friends, they will always appreciate a nice golf-related present. It can be overwhelming and time-consuming to find the right gifts. For that reason have a look at the shopping guide to find the best 2022 golf Christmas presents.
Golf is very unique when it comes to equipment and accessories. A lot of it is customized for the individual. However, there are still items that can be purchased without fear of buying the wrong thing.
Golfers love their accessories, that is a fact. Luckily for you, there are plenty to choose from. Not only accessories but also essentials like golf balls with many options on the market. This guide will narrow your options and make the buying process a bit easier.
Mastering the golf swing takes time, a lot of time. The truth is, you may never really master it to perfection. Just ask the professional golfers on the PGA or LPGA tours about it. Nonetheless, you can get it to a decent and enjoyable level. Hand action in the golf swing is more important than you think in that process.
It affects every single part of the swing, you name it. Swing speed, yep. Flight trajectory, affirmative. Distance, for sure. Contact, absolutely. Amount of spin, you guessed. I am trying to say that hand action controls many elements in your swing. Therefore, it has enormous importance. The better your understanding of your hands in the golf swing the better your swing can get.
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Now, I am not saying that each and every golfer out there must do identical things. Everyone will have a certain style and do things in a way that works for them. However, there are certain things that can help you get a bit more consistency. How you use your hands during your swing is definitely one of those things.
After reading mostly positive things about this golf ball, I finally decided to try it out. In the 2022 TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball review, I will let you know how it did on the course. It is the brand’s affordable version of a three-piece urethane cover golf ball. That means you can have a similar experience to a top premium ball for less money.
With a compression rating of around 70, this ball is built for a soft feel. Besides the cast urethane cover, what adds more to the soft feel is the low compression core. The new things compared to the previous model are the upgraded firmer second layer and the new tour flight dimple pattern. Along with a soft feel, TaylorMade promises fast ball speed, high launch, and high wedge spin.
Reading all the innovations and specifications, this ball does sound very promising. Golf balls do and don’t live up to expectations. At the end of the day, it really depends on what your expectations are, and more importantly if you are playing the right ball. Without further introduction, here is what I found.
You are going to find yourself trying to get up and down a fair amount of times while golfing. As you have already experienced, it is not an easy task. Besides the pressure of saving par, the chip has to be executed close to perfection to work. The good news is there are golf chipping practice drills that can help you get better at it.
There is no easy shot in golf, period. Most of us have learned that the hard way. Even the most manageable chips are not really easy. It all requires skill and hours of practice to work. You may have both the talent and the time to practice. Therefore, you are a fortunate person.
The rest of us need time to reach a decent level of chipping. In case you do not have all the time in the world to practice, you can still benefit from quality drills. They will help you get all the confidence you need for good chips.
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Chipping is difficult enough because of all the different lies your ball can end up in. To increase your odds of success, you can do the following drills.
This is one of the most important things when it comes to chipping. The less your wrists move through your swing, the more your chance for a good outcome. It is especially important for chipping around the green. Here is where mistakes can cost you the most with minimum room for mis-hits.
Now, you can do this drill at home as well which makes it easier to do. The goal of the drill is to get you comfortable with hitting the ball without moving your wrists to get more consistency and accuracy. It also helps to gain more distance control while chipping. There are a few steps to follow:
Take a stance like you usually do for chipping
Position your club with a slight forward shaft lean
Start making short swings without hinging the wrists
When swinging try to make contact with the ground at the same spot each time
Once you are comfortable with the drill, start doing longer swings
Try to do it all over again this time with a golf ball (if circumstances allow)
Body Rotation Drill
Another key thing you should be doing while chipping. It helps with all the elements, starting from consistency, contact, accuracy, and distance control. Turning your hips and upper body through the swing is crucial for a good outcome. This is where solid short-game golfers get separated from the rest.
Here are the steps to do the drill:
Setup as usual for a chip
Tuck a piece of your shirt under your lead arm armpit
That will help your arms to stay tight to your body through the swing
It is important that you keep your arms as straight as possible
You can open up your lead foot a bit toward the target to help you with the turn
Start with shorter swings the way your piece of shirt stays tucked under your armpit
It is important that you rotate your upper body and hips in harmony with your arms
Work your way from shorter to longer swings
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Different Lies Drill
While golfing it is impossible for you to hit your ball from the same type of lies each and every time. This goes especially for chipping due to different hazards around the green. The best way for you to prepare for a round is to practice chips from different lies. Not everyone will have access to all the different lies to practice, but if you do it can be beneficial to your game.
For this drill simply try different chip shots from a certain type of lie at a time. Chip from the green fringe, from shorter grass, from long grass, and from bunkers. Hit multiple times different shots to see what the ball does in each situation. Even with all that the course might still surprise you, but you will at least have more shots in your bag.
Close to the Flag Drill
This drill is self-explanatory. In a few words, you pick a target, a flag if you are at a driving range, and try to land the ball as close to it as possible. As simple as it sounds if you never did it before it can be challenging. Once you nail this down your short game is going to go to the next level.
I would recommend hitting 10 to 20 balls at one target and then switching to a new one. The major reason is you are unlikely to hit two shots at the same distance on the course one after the other. This not only helps you with accuracy but also helps you build your stock chip shots.
Your stock shots are basically chips you have for every single distance. It does not have to be for each yard, but it should be within 5 to 10 yards apart. So when your distance to the pin is 20 yards, you know exactly how to hit the ball. The same goes for 15 or 30 yards and so on. This can lower your score quite a bit.
A lot of golfers automatically pull a wedge out of their bag when chipping comes into play. Guess what? You do not have to chip every single time with your wedge. What ultimately determines which club to use is the distance to the pin and the ball’s lie. Not every chip has to go up in the air and land close to the hole.
For example, sometimes it is a better option to go for a bump and run chip shot with a 7 iron. In fact, you can use almost any club in your bag to chip. If there are obstacles in front of your ball you can definitely go with a more lofted club. But if the ball is close to the green or it is a clear path to the hole, you can bump and run it with a less lofted club.
The objective of this drill is for you to try to chip with different clubs and see how the ball reacts in those situations. See how much your ball rolls and what the total distance is for each one. Do it from closer to the green and from further from the green. Add some creativity to your short game to improve your score.
Always Be Prepared for a Difficult Chip
The bottom line is if you practice for all sorts of scenarios, there are not many situations that will surprise you on the course. There is a good chance your practice time is limited, which is fine. Try to make the most of it by doing various drills. More importantly, do the drills correctly so it is all purposeful.
Chipping does not have to be something you are scared of. On the contrary, it can be fun once you get better at it. There are enough potentially frustrating situations while you are golfing. Do not make chipping one of them. Stay positive, visualize a good outcome, and execute that chip with confidence.
