"The Release" equals personal best

[cmow]

Brian and MJ,

Just wanted to post a thank you for the info so far on “the release”. I recently recorded my low round ever (68), and “the release” was instrumental in getting me there. How it helped me was that I was 2 under thru 8, and then on holes 9, 10 and 11 I started to have awful low point control. I got lucky and was only 1 over thru that stretch (gotta love it when you hit those really thin shots that go straight like a bullet but somehow go about the same distance as a stock shot ). I then remembered “the release” thread and striped it the rest of the round, and have been flushing it ever since.

I’m an inside-out underplaner who has (had?) low point issues. In the past, when I have worked on getting my hands out in front to get more shaft lean and hit down on the ball, I’ve hit it worse and struggled with hosel rockets. I’ve always been more of a sweep releaser who is really shallow into the ball. I feel like the info so far has freed me to hit it more naturally, instead of trying to be something that I am not.

My observations:
1. This has REALLY helped my low point issues
2. I have gained a minimum of 10 yards on my 8-iron down thru my wedges
3. The ball goes MUCH higher
4. The ball does not curve as much

Funny thing is the next round after the 68, I posted an 81 and I hit the ball way better on the 81 than I did on the 68. My irons are going so far, that I’m having a hard time adjusting to choose the right club. Usually over the green or way beyond the pin are not good places to be, especially when the greens are running 10.5-11 on the stimp.

I’m sure I’m not doing everything perfectly, but so far this has definitely been an upgrade for me. I can’t wait for more info and instruction to come out.

Thanks again Brian and Michael…..

 

[carland]

In Post #759 of the release thread, Brian wrote:

All I do is feel like I get the clubhead and arms started early without tugging, and bend my left wrist through impact as back-on-itself as I can. Definitely a freewheeling thing.

What do you try to do to "release" it?

 

[Keefer]

In Post #759 of the release thread, Brian wrote:

All I do is feel like I get the clubhead and arms started early without tugging, and bend my left wrist through impact as back-on-itself as I can. Definitely a freewheeling thing.

What do you try to do to "release" it?

This release seems to be what many hackers already do. Slower swingers with slower twitch muscles always needed to release early because if they lagged the club and delayed the release too long in the downswing they'd never get the face square at impact.

I could've wrote the book on this early flick release. Many golfers like myself have always done it this way. This release is what I would call a natural release. It's what your hands / wrists would do naturally if you let them.

I'm waiting for them to crack the code on how to hit the little ball before the big ball first everytime.

Afterall this flies in the face of Miller's and Clampett's belief that the lag is the only way to insure ball first contact.

 

[softconsult]

I will sum up from my personal perspective. I have played golf since 1958, but started seriously
frequent playing and practicing in 1978 when I moved to North Carolina sunshine. I had a high
hands free flowing swing. I quit golf around 1995, for lack of free time.

I returned to golf around 2005 and began to try to retrieve my skills. Now there was the internet.
Now we had all the talk about rotational swings, body controlled arms, etc. etc. I have been screwing
around for years now trying to work on pivot, core, rotation, shaft lean, hands forward.

Up pops the latest topic on release. Strikes a chord. I worked on it minimally on the range. In essence, in my
mind, it is like how I used to swing. So yesterday, I play a casual round with some friends. I decide to use
my 1980's swing, I'm still pretty flexible, but 40 pounds heavier. Totally relaxed. High hands. Absolutely
striping it. Particularly with the Driver. We lasered one at 280 after rollout. 2 under after front nine on the
flatter side of the course. 41 in the hills.

Can I keep this relaxed swing in the tournament on Monday. Who knows what guy is going to show up.
I am definitely going to stick with it and see.

 

[JEREMY5577]

This release seems to be what many hackers already do. Slower swingers with slower twitch muscles always needed to release early because if they lagged the club and delayed the release too long in the downswing they'd never get the face square at impact.


Every hacker I've ever met moves their hands toward the target line and in no way performs anything even closely related to what is written in the release thread.

 

[Jared Willerson]

To me, the release information allows a person to play golf....not golf swing. I have made some great swings on the range that look great on video. A lot of lag, accumulators dumping, but in my heart of hearts, I knew there was no way I could take that to the course and play.

I really believe there is a difference between a playing pattern and a sexy looking range pattern.

With the range sexy pattern, I could hit shots that were so pure, sublime, nirvana like, scrumtrulescent....whatever you want to call it. However, it was tougher to go low. While trying to release earlier, and using a CPP type of pattern my scores were lower this summer than they ever have been. I don't have as many sublime feeling shots, but the scorecard looks better. Now that there is a name for this information, I am pretty excited to see where it goes.

 

[Keefer]

This release seems to be what many hackers already do. Slower swingers with slower twitch muscles always needed to release early because if they lagged the club and delayed the release too long in the downswing they'd never get the face square at impact.


Every hacker I've ever met moves their hands toward the target line and in no way performs anything even closely related to what is written in the release thread.

Either you delay and hold on (lag) as you swing down or you start to release with no delay or feeling of lag.

I'm not taking about hitting from the top or casting either. You have two feels. Either you feel the sensation of delaying the release by leading with your hands down to impact or you start to release earlier in the swing with no lag sensation and letting the club head fly toward the ball.

One way is tugging / dragging and the other is not. Most hackers could never lag and square the face and they let go early in the swing anyway. And most could never hold a flat left wrist thru impact also. The natural way thru impact is to flick the wrists. It happens naturally if you don't try to hold on thru impact.

What path they bring the hands down on is another story. I'm talking about when the golfer feels he starts to release the club. Most hackers could never get the aiming point / lag thing to work for them anyway.

And again, most average slow swingers need to release the club earlier in order to square the face. Ever heard the saying that "there is really nothing new, only history that is not known?"

The only new thing IMO is to chuck or spear the handle out and away at the start of the swing to start the release to get more width. That feel could lead to casting. That sensation may be harder to do than it sounds without casting IMO. And I believe that part needs to be expained in much more detail in whatever instructional video they come out with.

The chuck the spear feel may feel like a cast with lag feel to some. May not be easy to do correctly IMO.

But as far as the coupling / flick release, it's what I've been doing all along. If you gave someone a club for the first time, that way is much closer to how they would release the club, rather than dragging the grip end down and holding on thru impact with a flat left wrist.

The former gets the ball high in the air and the latter may get you some shanks, slices and low bullets.

This new no lag release may be a revelation to many, but to some of us the flick release is already incorporated in our swings, simply because the lag / drag thing never worked.

 

[Shot Limit]

This release seems to be what many hackers already do. Slower swingers with slower twitch muscles always needed to release early because if they lagged the club and delayed the release too long in the downswing they'd never get the face square at impact.

I could've wrote the book on this early flick release. Many golfers like myself have always done it this way. This release is what I would call a natural release. It's what your hands / wrists would do naturally if you let them.

I'm waiting for them to crack the code on how to hit the little ball before the big ball first everytime.

Afterall this flies in the face of Miller's and Clampett's belief that the lag is the only way to insure ball first contact.

It's different than a hacker's release. Hackers ususlly add some loft to the club when they flick, hit the big ball first, have horrible backswing pivots and matching horrible transitions.

My dad told me, in his younger days, he was actually taught to allow the left to bend through impact. He may have even been told to force this to happen, I'm not really sure how he interpreted the information. Definitly have to have some other things going right for this to work properly.

 

[Keefer]

It's different than a hacker's release. Hackers ususlly add some loft to the club when they flick, hit the big ball first, have horrible backswing pivots and matching horrible transitions.

My dad told me, in his younger days, he was actually taught to allow the left to bend through impact. He may have even been told to force this to happen, I'm not really sure how he interpreted the information. Definitly have to have some other things going right for this to work properly.

I agree with adding loft with an early release. But that alone probably isn't a problem as many slower swings could use some more height on their shots anyway. The fat shot is where there could be a problem if they continue to think they have to hit down on the ball. Early flick release and hitting down could result in having you hit the big ball first. Many golfers would do better picking the ball cleanly.

Even Harvey Penick said in his Little Red Book (paraphrasing), to learn to pick the ball clean and there's no need to hoe it out of the ground.

 

[Jwat]

It's different than a hacker's release. Hackers ususlly add some loft to the club when they flick, hit the big ball first, have horrible backswing pivots and matching horrible transitions.

My dad told me, in his younger days, he was actually taught to allow the left to bend through impact. He may have even been told to force this to happen, I'm not really sure how he interpreted the information. Definitly have to have some other things going right for this to work properly.

I think the pivots are the key for the hackers. Moving your body all over the place doesn't work for anyswing, especially this release. I am definitley no hacker, but still having a hard time leaving the body quiet on the DS and allowing the CP and release to take over.

 

[BertramSterling]

This new no lag release may be a revelation to many, but to some of us the flick release is already incorporated in our swings, simply because the lag / drag thing never worked.

While I agree with this, the caveat is in the original post. Yes, you may have always done it, but now and again you might hit a few bad shots and feel the fix was more lag, forward lean, etc. The OP stated that he started well, lost it for a few holes, but then got it back using the new information. Thats huge. I've been there and you try to get it back doing all the wrong things if you subscribe to the Clampett method.

 

[Keefer]

While I agree with this, the caveat is in the original post. Yes, you may have always done it, but now and again you might hit a few bad shots and feel the fix was more lag, forward lean, etc. The OP stated that he started well, lost it for a few holes, but then got it back using the new information. Thats huge. I've been there and you try to get it back doing all the wrong things if you subscribe to the Clampett method.

I think better players will find this type release new to them more than someone who never got the lag thing down. The latter were already doing something similar.

I have Clampetts book and found it never clicked with me. Holding on and delaying the release never worked for me. I could never aim the butt of the club several inches ahead of the ball and produce any kind of decent shot.

Inconsistency is part of golf's DNA. When you find an epiphany that works you know that in many cases it's elusive and the search will be on again. That's just golf even at the highest levels.

One thing pickers and flippers of the ball will tell you is that you can hit the ball a long way by breaking the wrists thru the ball. Tiger was a former flipper and said he hit the ball a long way by flipping.

I know this release isn't considered flipping. It's flicking. Flip, or flick many golfers will hit the ball a ton not trying to hold on with a flat left wirst thru impact. Just let it go and don't try to hold on.

 

[Keefer]

I think the pivots are the key for the hackers. Moving your body all over the place doesn't work for anyswing, especially this release. I am definitley no hacker, but still having a hard time leaving the body quiet on the DS and allowing the CP and release to take over.

Hit a driver while on your knees. This will show you how you don't need the body except for balance. On your knees you can't pivot, shift your weight or even turn that well. What it will show you is how the arms, wrists and hands are the important parts supported by the body. The body plays a support role only.

 

[Jwat]

Sounds right. I have been hitting balls with my feet together and almost an all arm swing on the BS and just the release on the DS. Hit almost as far as the full swing.

 

[cmow]

What do you try to do to "release" it?

This is hard to put in words, but my "feel" is like I am putting my hands down by my right thigh and stopping their forward (towards the target) movement and then letting them go (or "flick"). I'm sure on video that everything releases sooner, but that is just what I feel. The key difference to me is kind of like the old kinetic chain topic that used to float around here. I feel like my hands have to slow down and then the club can accelerate off of the slowed down hands.

I should also add that I'm not trying to hold onto the release until my hands slow down. It is really just my normal/natural swing with the thought of where to slow down my hands and the flick/rotation around the coupling point just kind of happens.

 

[Shot Limit]

I think better players will find this type release new to them more than someone who never got the lag thing down. The latter were already doing something similar.

I have Clampetts book and found it never clicked with me. Holding on and delaying the release never worked for me. I could never aim the butt of the club several inches ahead of the ball and produce any kind of decent shot.

Inconsistency is part of golf's DNA. When you find an epiphany that works you know that in many cases it's elusive and the search will be on again. That's just golf even at the highest levels.

One thing pickers and flippers of the ball will tell you is that you can hit the ball a long way by breaking the wrists thru the ball. Tiger was a former flipper and said he hit the ball a long way by flipping.

I know this release isn't considered flipping. It's flicking. Flip, or flick many golfers will hit the ball a ton not trying to hold on with a flat left wirst thru impact. Just let it go and don't try to hold on.

I'm still trying to figure out how a hacker probably already performs this type of release.

I think if anything, the better player has experienced this release but was alway taught otherwise. The hacker has absolutly no clue what the club is supposed to do and even though they may flip or flick, they're doing it wrong and not in any way shape or form similar to what is being discussed here.

 

[johnnymarlboro]

I'm still trying to figure out how a hacker probably already performs this type of release.

I think if anything, the better player has experienced this release but was alway taught otherwise. The hacker has absolutly no clue what the club is supposed to do and even though they may flip or flick, they're doing it wrong and not in any way shape or form similar to what is being discussed here.

I'm guessing that the typical flipper is probably more so doing it in the wrong place at the wrong time. They've got no idea of the what, when, or why. Letting the left wrist bend is ok, but it doesn't make any difference if you're poorly timed and/or poorly coordinated, and laying sod over it.

 

[Shot Limit]

I'm guessing that the typical flipper is probably more so doing it in the wrong place at the wrong time. They've got no idea of the what, when, or why. Letting the left wrist bend is ok, but it doesn't make any difference if you're poorly timed and/or poorly coordinated, and laying sod over it.

That's what I'm getting at. Top tier golfers that are doing this don't have the club head passing the hands before impact like a hacker would. They're doing it right. I didn't see the clubhead passing BManz hands before impact like a hacker would do. I would imagine he would have to try to with "the flattest left wrist in golf".

I just don't get the comparison that's all.

 

[Keefer]

I'm still trying to figure out how a hacker probably already performs this type of release.

I think if anything, the better player has experienced this release but was alway taught otherwise. The hacker has absolutly no clue what the club is supposed to do and even though they may flip or flick, they're doing it wrong and not in any way shape or form similar to what is being discussed here.

I consider myself a high functioning hacker (8 capper). The comparison is not holding off the release. No delay, no lag or trying to get the left wrist flat thru impact. Doing what Nicklaus said, releasing it (not casting) right from the top. Most hackers flip thru impact which is a lot closer than trying to lag the club till the very last moment and holding off the release post impact.

Bascially the early release flip is a lot closer to the "flick" than trying to create as much lag as possible and flat left wrist thru impact. You can play some good golf flipping your way around the course. A "flip" (left wrist bent back) is a "flick" only applied a little too early. Therefore, many hackers are doing something that is similar. Not exact, but the flip is a close cousin of the flick, where-as the lag isn't even related.

 

[Shot Limit]

If you only look at the club and it's angle in relation to the left arm, I think the early release hacker with no pivot and better pivoting golfer that tries to get the hands in front of the ball will be very similar. They will both have a shaft that lines up with the left arm too soon.

The flipper will flip the club head past the hands in a effort to square the club and the hands ahead of the ball pivoter type will drag the handle across the ball trying to maintain a FLW and shaft lean.

I think the release Bmanz and MJ are refering to is the opposite of both, lag wise.