
When you assume your stance and are addressing the ball, your right arm is fully extended along with your left arm to hold the club in place behind the ball. Your right arm should be at a 45-degree angle from the body in a position that makes holding the club feel comfortable. Backswing Your right arm acts as a hinge on the backswing.
Full Answer
Should you hold your hands tight or soft in a golf swing?
He recommends that golfers focus on keeping their hands in front of the club head through and past the impact zone. Many golfers use soft arms to achieve lag, letting the arms drop from the top of the downswing rather than gripping the club tightly and powering the arms through the point of impact.
How can I work more lag into my golf swing?
There’s a simple way to work more lag into your golf swing — and it all comes back to not keeping your arms straight. The structure of your arms at the start of the swing is critical to you creating consistent lag in your swing.
Which arm do you use to swing a golf club?
Your left arm is still guiding the club through contact, and the right arm is pushing the club through the ball. As you bring the club through the ball, the right arm has gone from pulling the club through the swing to pushing the club through impact. The left arm remains straight and is still used as a guide.
Where should your left thumb rest when holding a golf club?
For a proper golf grip, the left thumb needs to rest just to the right of center. This allows the pad of the left hand to apply leverage to the butt of the golf club and more securely hold the club. This is especially important in the downswing where we need this to maintain lag in the swing.

Is lag good in a golf swing?
Because lag also allows a clubhead to reach the bottom of the swing at exactly the right moment, it also results in more consistent ball striking, and the more consistent you are on the golf course the lower your scores will be.
How can I improve my lag in my golf swing?
To create more lag in your golf swing, you must do three key things: remove tension from your arms and wrists; hinge your wrists correctly during your backswing; and reach your maximum hand speed earlier in the downswing. Combining these elements will help generate more lag.
How close should arms be to body in golf swing?
It should stay close to your body and not drift too far away. But once you continue the backswing, this is where the trail arm begins to bend and tuck. It's important to keep it tucked so that you don't create a flared back elbow on the backswing. This leads us to part two of the swing – the downswing.
How far should hands be from body in golf setup?
The hands-to-body distance varies depending on the club you are hitting. A good rule of thumb is to have the hands a palm's width from the body for short and middle irons (4 to 6 inches) and a palm's length—from the bottom of the wrist to the tip of your middle finger—for long irons and woods.
Does lag increase distance?
In fact, lag may be what's keeping you from achieving the distances you're capable of. I'm going to explain why decreasing golf lag can actually be the key to increasing your distance. But first, let's get clear on what we mean when we talk about “lag.”
Why should you shallow the golf swing?
When you begin to shallow out your golf swing, you can generate so much more power and hit the ball much more consistently. Shallowing the club will also help with driving distance and most likely accuracy as well.
How close are your hands in body in golf swing?
Your hands should hang between your feet, about level with your toes, and in front of the zipper on your trousers (which moved towards the target when you shifted your hips to tilt your spine) — see Figures 1 and 4.
How do I sync my arms and body in the golf swing?
7:067:56How to Sync The Body and Arms in Golf Swing | Pro's Vs AmateursYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipGo so that one felt great and the reason. Being is that the body the arms and the club were workingMoreGo so that one felt great and the reason. Being is that the body the arms and the club were working in sync. And a lot of that was just taken care of in that first backswing. Part of the motion.
Should arms be close to body on downswing?
So keeping the right arm connected and close to the body in the downswing is a great source of power and that pumping drill is a great way to check you're doing it correctly.
How far should you hit a 7 iron?
Average 7 Iron Distances are following: Beginning golfers- 100 yards (men) or 60 yards (women) Intermediate golfers- 135 yards (men) and 75 yards (women) Advanced golfers- 165 yards (men) or 140 yards (women) PGA Tour Players- 185 yards (men) or 160 yards (women)
How far should you stand away from the golf ball?
The ideal distance you stand from the ball is best measured by taking your bottom hand off the club at address and seeing if the butt end of the club is a hand span from your front leg. Checking the separation between the end of the club and your leg will help you swing the club on the proper plane.
Is it better to stand closer to golf ball?
Stand closer to the ball and allow the hands and butt end of the club to be no further than three inches from the body. The closer the better. Standing too far away from the ball and reaching out will cause a low trajectory, cause a golfer to cast the club, come over the top and hit the ball on the toe of the club.
How do you stop lag completely?
How to Reduce Lag and Increase Internet Speed for GamingCheck Your Internet Speed and Bandwidth. ... Aim for Low Latency. ... Move Closer to Your Router. ... Close Any Background Websites and Programs. ... Connect Your Device to Your Router via an Ethernet Cable. ... Play on a Local Server. ... Restart Your Router. ... Replace Your Router.More items...
How do I get more lag?
7:1811:19HOW TO GET LAG IN 2 MINUTES (Simple Lag Drill with Driver or Irons)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRight here you take that arm strength out of your arms. So if you turn your arms. Off you can getMoreRight here you take that arm strength out of your arms. So if you turn your arms. Off you can get your body moving first in the downswing.
What is the lag lock technique?
0:019:49The Secret Lag Technique No One is Talking About - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLag it's one of the absolute. Best things you can have in your golf swing. And what i've foundMoreLag it's one of the absolute. Best things you can have in your golf swing. And what i've found through practicing this myself over the years is that i can make an almost effortless golf swing.
How can I make my driver lag?
4:328:02Driver Lag Tip For Max Distance - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWedge. We're going to be tilted forward at impact about 15 degrees with a driver. We're going to beMoreWedge. We're going to be tilted forward at impact about 15 degrees with a driver. We're going to be pretty much straight up and down.
Is Your Golf Grip Costing You Distance?
As you've no doubt seen, my golf students have been picking up some serious distance through my unique driver fittings that combine a golf lesson and fitting through technology to help golfers gain 30+ yards in one session.
Notice the Massive Change in the Lag Angle
Notice in the next photo that when a proper grip is taken, the angle between the shaft and left forearm increases dramatically, increasing lag and the potential for more clubhead speed.
How the Arms Work in the Golf Swing
One of the things that hasn’t been discussed a lot on the RotarySwing golf instruction website is the use of the arms and hands. We have focused more on the use of the big muscles in the golf swing up until this point.
Preview the Lag Viedo
With the Bomb Your Driver golf lesson series, we are trying to learn how to hit the ball as far as humanly possible with as little effort through the use of proper golf swing mechanics.
Losing Lag? Check Your Grip
So if you complain that you are losing lag in the downswing, first, check your grip! If your grip is as I demonstrate in this “How to grip the club” video lesson, you should be able to get to the point in your downswing where the club is parallel to the ground and you can hold it easily with your left hand only and maintain the lag angle. With the weaker grip, not only will you have a hard time doing this because of the lack of leverage, but you will need to begin releasing the lag earlier in an effort to square the club face.
Checkpoints for Practice
In a weak grip, the V of left thumb & forefinger points off to the left
Video Transcription: Golf Grip and Lag
One of the things that we don't talk a lot about in the Rotary Swing is the use of the arms and hands. Obviously we're teaching you to use the bigger muscles in the golf swing and let the arms and hands follow, but that doesn't mean the arms and hands do nothing.
How to swing a golf club?
On your back swing your left arm acts as a pushing arm and your right arm acts as the hinge that keeps the swing straight. You keep your left arm straight to get the maximum arc out of your swing. The more arc you get from your swing, the more power you will have. Allow the left arm to push the club into the back swing and keep your right arm tight to your body to keep the swing straight.
What is the difference between your right and left arm on a golf club?
On address, both arms are extended straight. Your right hand is at the bottom part of your grip on the club, and your left hand is at the top part of the grip. If the ball is too close you will be forced to bend your arms.
What arm is the power in a down swing?
On your down swing the right arm becomes the power and the left arm becomes the guide. Continue to keep your left arm straight to maintain the maximum arc, and continue to keep the radius of your right arm as close to your body as possible. Your right arm will actually be pulling your club through the swing and your left arm will be guiding the club to the ball.
Which arm is used to guide a golf club through impact?
As you bring the club through the ball, the right arm has gone from pulling the club through the swing to pushing the club through impact. The left arm remains straight and is still used as a guide.
What happens if you bend your left arm?
If you allow your left arm to bend, you will wind up pulling the club closer to your body and reducing the speed you can generate. If you allow the right arm to drift too far from the body, the club will get away from a straight swing path and this could lead to a slice or a hook.
What is the right arm for golf?
As Tattersall says, your trail arm — which is your right arm for right-handed golfers, or left arm for left-handers — can and does a variety of different things on the backswing. “The right arm can fan a little bit, it can rotate, and it can lift. All those things happen in most people’s backswing,” Tattersall says.
Why is the trail arm important?
Your trail arm has an incredibly important role in the golf swing, one with the ability to both help — and hurt — the outcome of the shot you’re about to hit. When something goes wrong in a golfer’s downswing, it generally does so in one of two ways: Either the arms both work too far behind you at the start of the downswing ...
How to get fewer hands in golf?
Need a simple drill? Take a yardstick or an alignment stick, place it on the ground, and take your address position. Take a club and place the sole on the stick, and work on keeping the hands quiet for those all-important first 18 inches of the takeaway. Practice the takeaway 10 times, then hit 5 practice shots, focusing exclusively on your takeaway. Repeat the process three times.
What is the role of hands in golf?
The role of the hands in the golf swing is important, yet often misunderstood concept. Most of what you’ll find in golf instruction literature will focus on the configuration of your hands on the club, and how certain types of grips affect the ball flight, etc. However, the hands do so much more than just grip the club.
Why do pros swing golf clubs so smoothly?
One of the reasons pros swing the golf club so smoothly is because the club swings with no correction or compensation with the hands.
What is the next step in golf?
Once you’ve established a grip style that is comfortable to you and suits your game , the next step is to understand your hand’s role in the golf takeaway. With the exception of a few specialty shots (i.e. buried lies, divots), the hands will passively follow the shoulders and arms as you initiate the backswing.
What is the commonality between bad players and good players?
Aside from years of practice, one commonality between all of them is their use of the big muscles, rotating back and through, and their hands do nothing more than holding the club during the swing. It’s not an easy skill to develop, and it very well could be the one thing that separates bad players from good players.
Where should the next checkpoint be on a wrist?
Once the wrists have hinged comfortably, the next checkpoint will be at the top of the backswing.
Do golfers have one in a million reflexes?
But unless you have one-in-a-million reflexes, the results of hand manipulation are usually sub-par at best. Professional golfers know you have to limit the role of the hands in the golf swing and let the big muscles do the work.
What does it mean when your clubhead is moving away from the target?
You are STILL making a backswing while you start "transition" the weight toward the target. So, as said above in bold, the clubhead is moving away from the target as you start to move your body back towards the target. This creates hinge/lag and loads of power. Your not lunging your body towards the target.....
What is a lag takeaway?
Lagging clubhead takeaway is possibly one of the simplest ways to move low point forward. It's very hard to 'throwaway' a clubhead that is still moving away from the ball as the pivot starts down.
How to achieve lag in golf?
He recommends that golfers focus on keeping their hands in front of the club head through and past the impact zone. Many golfers use soft arms to achieve lag, letting the arms drop from the top of the downswing rather than gripping the club tightly and powering the arms through the point of impact.
What position should the arms drop in a downswing?
Teaching professional Shawn Clement agrees that the player’s arms should drop to begin the downswing, but he says they must drop into the right position . Clement advises players to focus on dropping their arms in front of the body, while keeping their hands on the proper swing plane. This motion forces the player’s hips to clear naturally.
Why does Tiger Woods' club head lag behind his hands?
Tiger Woods' club head lags well behind his hands during the 2008 Arnold Palmer Invitational. It’s important that the club head lags behind your hands on the downswing. This hand position allows the clubhead to compress the ball , according to golf instructor Rob Akins. He recommends that golfers focus on keeping their hands in front ...
How did Ben Hogan produce lag?
Legendary golfer Ben Hogan produced lag by letting his arms drop passively, according to golf swing analyst Jeff Mann. Hogan simply maintained his arms as a unified structure, with the left arm remaining straight and the right arm bent sharply at the elbow. As Hogan’s hips rotated during the downswing, he did “nothing actively with his ...
