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what exactly is lag and how do you get it in your golf swing?

by Zoey Parker Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Basically, lag is the angle between the left forearm (right for right-handers) and the club. In the golf swing, you want to create and maintain this angle for as long as possible before releasing it all at impact. So, when you make your driver backswing, in an ideal world you want to see roughly a 90-degree angle between your forearm and the club.

In a nutshell, lag is the intentional trailing of the golf club as you go through your downswing, and its name comes from the fact that it lags behind or trails the hands, which are leading the club through that downswing.Jan 18, 2021

Full Answer

How to create lag in your golf swing?

Lag is created by the angle between the shaft of the club and the left forearm of right-handed golfers. For you to create lag in your golf swing you should have the correct contact order of your arms, wrists, and the golf clubhead at impact. The order should be the elbow first, then your hands, and lastly the clubhead through to the ball.

How can I create more lag in my golf swing?

How to Build Massive Golf Swing Lag, Step by Step

  • Start Slow & Stack. If we know that having the wrist and forearm really tight can cause you to lose lag, then what we need is a step-by-step process and ...
  • Step 1 - Mini Swings. We're going to start out with some mini swings. If possible, use a swing donut or a weight ring on your club.
  • Step 2 - Weight Transfer. The next step is to start to transfer your weight a bit as you allow the club to swing back and forth.

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Can you have too much lag in your golf swing?

Whenever a golfer has too much “lag” or “handle-drag” into impact, it causes several things to happen: The swing’s low point is moved too far forward. The angle of attack becomes more downward. The club’s dynamic loft is reduced. The subsequent launch angle of the ball tends to be too low.

What is swing lag and why is it so important?

Why is Lag important?

  • First of all, it creates more club head speed, which results in greater distance in your golf shot. It allows a snapping motion through impact, which makes impact more solid.
  • It also helps to create a downward motion toward the ball. ...
  • Finally, it’s important because it’s how every golf club is made. ...

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How do I get lag in my golf swing?

You create lag in your golf swing by maintaining the angle between the lead arm and the club shaft when you start your downswing. As you turn your lower body this will create a “pull” feeling towards the golf ball. The key is to release the club at the correct time.

Is lag good in a golf swing?

By creating lag properly, you should also notice the weight of the clubhead puts some strain on the shaft. Doing this is one of the best ways to increase your swing speed where it matters most - impact. More speed equals more distance, so if this is something you struggle with, here's a handy drill that'll help.

What does golf lag feel like?

1:016:18HOW TO FEEL LAG DRILL AND INCREASE YOUR CLUBHEAD ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou know down around my back leg here and then it releases. So that creates a lot more club headMoreYou know down around my back leg here and then it releases. So that creates a lot more club head speed when i have that lag. So a lot of people work on lag.

How can I get lag?

6:5711:19HOW 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.

How do you give a lag shot?

3:157:42LAG SHOT GOLF: The "Hidden Benefit" Revealed [SOLID ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWell ahead of the clubhead. Coming in you have to be able to tilt that face in towards the ball.MoreWell ahead of the clubhead. Coming in you have to be able to tilt that face in towards the ball.

How do I make my irons lag?

4:547:581 Golf Lag Drill to Crush Your Irons - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThat laser is pointing to that golf ball. But that's gonna allow me to do again is open up my bodyMoreThat laser is pointing to that golf ball. But that's gonna allow me to do again is open up my body first keep that elbow tucked in big angle of lag here. And then release it out in front.

How do you turn your shoulders in the downswing?

0:599:02TRAIL SHOULDER CONTROLLING YOUR DOWNSWING - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo that is down towards the ground there has to be a little bit of a downwards movement that trailMoreSo that is down towards the ground there has to be a little bit of a downwards movement that trail shoulder has to move a little bit out towards the golf ball. And it's got to be rotating.

Why is lag important in golf?

Remember, lag is important because it helps create swing speed, a descending blow to the ball, and crisp contact at impact. If you struggle with any of those things, you may have poor lag. Try to relax, let the club delay a little bit, and hit down and through the golf ball.

Does lag increase distance?

Not necessarily. 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.”

Should you lag your driver?

0:088:02Driver Lag Tip For Max Distance - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe know we want to have some forward shaft lean in contact with these irons. So with a pitchingMoreWe know we want to have some forward shaft lean in contact with these irons. So with a pitching wedge. If it's a normally 45 degrees pitching wedge we're going to deal off that to about 30.

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.

Casting

If you don't think you've got enough lag in your swing, it's likely that you're a caster. That is, the angle set in the backswing is released way too early. This can occur for a couple of reasons.

Proper sequencing

Lag usually comes as the result of good sequencing as you begin your downswing - it is one of the most important factors in how to swing a golf club. You want to practise sequencing correctly. From the top, that means unwinding from the ground up.

Separate the hands

If you’re still having trouble maintaining the angle between your left forearm and the club shaft on the way down, make some split-handed swings.

Why is lag important in golf?

So what is lag and why is it so important? Lag is basically the trailing of the golf club during the downswing. Lag comes from maintaining the angle between the lead arm and the clubshaft while starting the downswing with the movement and turn in your lower body.

How does lag affect golf swing?

Lag creates more swing speed by allowing the clubhead to reach the bottom of the swing arc at the right moment and helps with consistent ball striking, which will result in more distance and consistency. Place your left hand (right-handed golfers) on the grip as you would with a normal iron shot.

How to get a 90 degree angle on a golf club?

Place your left hand (right-handed golfers) on the grip as you would with a normal iron shot. Then place your right hand just below the grip on the shaft. Take your posture and bring the club to the top of your backswing. What you want to see at this stage is roughly a 90-degree angle between your leading arm and the shaft.

How far should the shaft be from the leading arm?

Once your left hand has reached your back leg, the shaft should still be fixed at a 90-degree angle away from your leading arm. The more explosive the turn in your lower body is, the easier the lag will happen.

How to keep a golf club shaft pointing skywards?

Use your right hand as a mechanism to keep the shaft pointing skywards for as long as possible. You’ll feel a lot of resistance in the leading side of your body, which is great because that means your lower body is now doing most of the work and allowing the club to lag.

What is Lag Anyways?

To put it simply, lag is the angle between your arm and club shaft during your downswing. The smaller the angle between those two things, the more lag you have created.

The Key Move to Copy if You Want to Create Perfect Lag

One of the best examples of lag, is looking at the swing of Sergio Garcia.

The Secret to Lag is In the Wrists!

During your golf swing, you can do everything right. Start with your hips, drop the arms, and release at the bottom.

What is Golf Swing Lag?

Before anything else, what is even a golf swing lag? Does it mean you lagging behind the swing? Or, does it mean that you should stop your swing somewhere in the middle?

The Role of Wrists

If you ask any PGA instructor about how to create lag in your swing, they’ll tell you to work on your wrist angle. For the majority of amateur players, the loosening of their wrist too early is the cause that they come down too steep on the ball.

The Role of the Forearms

You’ve successfully dialed in the wrist angle you need for proper golf swing lag. Now, it’s time to focus on the forearm rotation. If you don’t rotate it, the club head is come down from over the top.

The Proper Form for Downswing

This is the hard part. You can focus on your backswing all you want. But when you actually commission the downswing with all the force you have, it becomes exponentially harder to maintain the lag.

Helpful Drills to Practice Lag

By now, you should have a pretty decent idea about what golf swing lag is what you need to do to achieve it. Now, we are going to share two of the best drills you can practice either at the course or at the driving range to maximize your ball speed and distance.

Final Words

Golf swing lag is one of those skills that can get you amazing distances. But most players learn about lag the wrong way. Use our guide to understand exactly what your body needs to do to get the perfect lag.

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Don’t miss out on these amazing training programs. They’ll help lower your golf scores.

What causes golfers to go wrong?

A lot of golfers go wrong by bending their left arm early in the backswing and not turning their shoulders enough. This limits your ability to make a wide swing arc, generate more lag in the golf swing, and hit longer golf shots. 4. Incorrect weight shift.

How to get more lag in golf swing?

Start by grabbing a club with a very light grip around a 2 or 3 (10 being a tight grip) on a gripping scale.

Why is lag important in golf?

Creating lag is essential for not only creating more clubhead speed and distance but accuracy and consistency as well. The lag shot golf training aid is the #1 training aid for creating lag in your golf swing. Most golfers I see struggle for distance unnecessarily, and as a result, find golf a lot more difficult than it needs to be.

How to make a full shoulder turn back?

Grab a golf club with your left hand and practice making slow golf swings getting a full shoulder turn back and move through to impact and follow through. This drill makes it easy to create more lag in the golf swing, a full shoulder turn, and leverage every bit of power you have possible.

What happens when you cast a golf club in the downswing?

When you cast the golf club in the downswing you rob yourself of power and the ability to hit consistent on-plane golf shots. Casting is when your right-hand pushes excessively against the shaft in the downswing which reduces the lag angle created between your right arm and the golf club.

What arm do you use to swing golf?

Being a right-hander it’s very easy to let the right arm and right shoulder take over in the golf swing in an effort to generate more power. Unfortunately, this only leads to you coming over the top, steep, and too much secondary axis tilt in the downswing.

Why do you need to make a 90 degree shoulder turn?

Getting a full 90-degree shoulder turn in golf is vital if you want to produce longer, more distance with your golf shots. Contrary to most beliefs, all golfers can make a full shoulder turn with the right knowledge of how the body works.

What is lag in the golf swing?

Lag, in golfing terms, is the angle that is generated between your lead arm and your club shaft as you begin your downswing. The longer you can maintain this angle before releasing your clubhead through the ball, the more power, speed and distance you will generate.

How does lag generate speed in the golf swing?

Lag creates speed in the golf swing due to centrifugal and centripetal forces being imparted on the club. By keeping the handle of the golf club moving inwards and close to your body (in a centripetal action), centrifugal forces are subsequently placed onto the clubhead to generate energy and speed.

How do I create more 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.

Is lag good in the golf swing?

Lag is more than good in the golf swing – it is essential. This is especially true if you wish to generate high clubhead speed; improve the quality of your ball-striking; and maximise your distance off the tee. Every great golfer creates lag in their swing.

Can I have too much lag in my golf swing?

Yes, holding lag for too long can have a negative effect on your golf swing. If you don’t release your lag angles at the low point of your swing, you will sacrifice power, speed and accuracy – and will likely block or slice the ball.

Final message

If you want to swing the club faster, hit the ball farther and straighter more consistently – yet use less energy while doing so – then you need to focus on improving your lag.

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