How to Create Lag in a Golf Swing – Simple Tips
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.
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.
Hinging Your Wrists in the Backswing
The power in your swing starts from the backswing. It is important to start moving the club in a way to get into the position for maximum lag. A lot of amateur golfers hinge on their wrists too early in the takeaway. That contributes to the club being up too soon and eventually means less lag in the swing.
The hinging part should ideally start after the arms are parallel to the ground. From there the club ends up forming a 90 degrees angle with the arms on top of the backswing. It should not be forced and the club should naturally get into that position. That helps to store power in the swing that is going to be released through the downswing and impact.
The Transition Makes the Difference
Now, this is possibly the trickiest part of the process. The transition between the backswing and the downswing can make or break it. Nothing necessarily wrong happens if you do not transition the way to add more lag, but you can potentially lose some distance. We all know there is no reason for losing distance.
The key here is at the point of transition to add some lag by narrowing the angle between your club and your arms. What can help you to do that is the motion of the club that looks similar to a whipping motion. It almost comes naturally due to the change of direction of the club movement.
That will set up the club for the downswing position which will help to release the stored power on impact. That is why it is important to glue the swing parts together in a way to maximize the outcome. When you do it right it all looks like the seamless motion that a golf swing actually is.
Keep the Lag in the Downswing
This does not mean that you have to keep the extreme lag all the way to impact. It only means that you should keep some lag through the downswing to release more energy when you hit the ball. As you get to the impact the angle between your club and arms will gradually increase, which is natural.
If you do it right you will see the difference immediately. You should be hitting with more power and getting longer distances with your clubs. Nevertheless, there is a good chance it will take some practice to get there. Actually, some practice is most certainly going to be required. It is golf we are talking about after all.
Straight Arms Will Help
When it comes to your arms in your golf swing it is very important that they are as straight as possible. For one it will help you to get some lag. Additionally, it will help you with solid contact and consistency. Bending your arms through the swing is a power and consistency killer. Doing it right will make your swing better than ever.
Recently I’ve learned something regarding the arms in the swing. Some industry experts say your swing should be as long as you can keep your lead arm straight. The moment it starts bending on top of the swing, you’ve gone too far. It makes sense because a straight lead arm helps to add energy to the swing and with that at the same time helps to create lag.
Next time you find yourself on the driving range try to do it and see what happens with your swing. Don’t worry about the outcome, just try to keep your lead arm straight. See what the difference is between bending it and keeping it straight. You will most likely notice some changes in your swing right away.
Whip It and Watch It Go
To summarize, lag in your golf swing adds power and distance to your shots. It is basically a whipping motion that helps you bring more energy into your swing. Adding it to your swing will make you a longer hitter. That is something every single golfer could benefit from. It requires time to perfect, but which part of golfing does not?
Golf is fun to play, but it’s even more fun when you become better. There is no magic wand that can help you to get better, but there are things you can do to get you there. You’ll have to put in some time for practice, but with golf, that is nothing new. Next time you get out there just whip it and watch that ball go.
You may also like:
Leave a Reply