Every shot taken is meant to achieve more power and drive the ball further into the golf course. However, good things never come easy, do they? In order to execute powerful and long-distance shots, you need to master the exceptional skill of lag.
And when you are in golf courses that are getting bigger each year, shooting long balls can be the key to success. Of course, there is no mystery, but you do need to follow a few steps to understand how it works. Your first step is an understanding what lag is.
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What is a lag?
Veteran golfers are well aware of this trick that can turn out to be a game changer once you have mastered it. Creating a lag simply means hinging your wrists at the top of your backswing and delaying unhinging or uncocking the wrists before impact.
Sure, your wrists have to un-cock before impact, but the more you can delay it, the stronger will be the shot. The moment you unhinge the wrists, the club head that was lagging behind will speed up for a moment (or two).
So, if you unhinge you wrist way before the impact, your swing will not add speed to your shot. If your shots lack distance or strength, then looking into your lag creating capacity could present a turning point in your golfing career.
Here is how you can create a lag successfully:
Get a grip on your long shots
The first thing you need to analyse is your grip on the golf club. Experts suggest that there are few grip types, like the ten finger grip, that can help in creating a lag. However, it doesn't mean that you cannot use your favourite baseball grip, interlinking, or overlapping grip to get it done.
You just might have to go through a bit of practice to make these grips work up an efficient lag. Also, do not forget to keep your wrists relaxed throughout the whole swinging motion. Relaxed wrists can easily keep a hinged angle with the golf club and help you complete the swing without any jerked motion.
Keep your forearm firm yet relaxed
Keep your forearm flexible with your wrists because it is your forearm that handles the weight of the club and maintains the balance of the motion. Keeping it relaxed will allow you to create a lag easily by dragging the clubface behind during an 'out to in' swing.
Experts recommend stretching exercises for golfers as the swing will demand proper movements for long and powerful shots. However, do not select exhausting exercises for your forearm. Simple stretching and folding movements involving your forearm and wrists can make your arm muscles strong enough to maintain balance during the swing and execute a lag easily.
Practice two-plane swing
Many golfers rely on the two-plane technique to create a lag. As the name suggests, it involves the use of two distinct planes: The golfer swings his golf club back in one plane and then changes the 'out to in' swing plane on the top of the backswing.
In the two-plane technique, generally, the downswing is executed on a much lower plane than the back swing. Therefore, the hands move sideways, resulting in a lag. This technique is normally paired with flexible shafts.
Apart from following these techniques, make sure that your body movement to complete the swing is initiated by the lower part and not by the wrist or arms. Bring your lower body into the motion to complete the swing on green patches.
When you have to conquer one of the expansive golf courses, the right lag can take you a long way, quite literally. Keep lagging, keep advancing!
