I can’t seem to release the golf club

[Hunter17]

I started golf about two months ago and started videoing my swing and it looks like I don’t really release the golf club and bow my arms out. I carry the ball about 250 but I feel like I’ll be hitting it much further if I release the club head and got full extension. Most peoples problems are having an early release, but I simply cannot find a single video on how to fix a very late release.

[phizzy30]

Can't comment on how to fix your late release, but it looks like your left leg collapses too much on your back swing.  You should either lift your left heel off the ground or not bend/collapse your left knee/leg as much. 

[RoyalTroon]

Outstanding for 2 months.  What's the flight, what other sport skills are you bringing to the table, working with anyone?  Need both views at better angle.

Edited August 13, 2023 by RoyalTroon

[Zitlow]

You've come a long way in two months. The clubface is shut, looking at the sky like DJ and Victor Hovland. 

 

 

The club head has good separation from the ball to build acceleration.  Most people have already shot their wad by the time they get here.

 

 

You start breaking down at impact by trying to hold off the release too much robbing power. 

 

 

You're losing power because you aren't fully releasing the club. Both arms and wrists should be extended here as the energy in the club head pulls them into extension. 

 

 

The club is releasing .

 

 

The club is fully released here, both arms and wrists are extended. 

 

 

Hopefully @MPStrat and @glk will comment, they have some good insights.

[MPStrat]

Wow, you sure know a lot about golf swing mechanics after only 2 months of playing the game 😂 

 

When you can, post a video from down the line or behind you pointed at the target. What kind of ball flight are you getting on the golf course?

 

What you have going on is both a misconception on how to swing the club properly (drag and hold, lead side strike), and probably some things mechanically that encourage you to carry out this misconception. 

 

Below is a video that talks about this misconception. To have a more detailed picture on how to actually fix this problem in your swing, we would need to see the down the line camera angle. 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2023 by MPStrat

[Hunter17]

3 hours ago, RoyalTroon said:

Outstanding for 2 months.  What's the flight, what other sport skills are you bringing to the table, working with anyone?  Need both views at better angle.

I played baseball for about 10 years and I just now started playing golf. I will occasionally overdraw the ball or hit a snap hook because I will bow my arms out and spin closing the club.

[glk]

On video - camera needs to be centered on hands at hands height  - both face on and down the line - to avoid distortions.

 

 

Appears to be a path issue and some issues from baseball.   Better camera angle and dtl video would help a lot.     Your hips are rotating way ahead of your upper body with your arms trailing - pushes the path out to the right so in order to hit the ball you have to make adjustments to redirect clubhead at the ball.    Looks like you are also dropping the trail shoulder a lot in the downswing which adds to lack of release of the wrists.     Again dtl video would help.

 

 

[MonteScheinblum]

Your hip movement and path are off and are forced to pull with the left elbow, ala spieth.

 

Post a down the line with a better camera angle 

[fjk]

Seems like you have the same underlying issue most educated ams have. 
 

you’re trying to use your body and opening earlier than your hands and arms are keeping up with. 
 

it’s not about when you’re releasing it’s about how you are trying to power your swing that is causing your release sequence issues. 
 

Sequence and focus is your main issue. 

Edited August 13, 2023 by fjk

[MPStrat]

Ya man, background in baseball says it all. This is a home run swing. There is no clubface that needs lined up in baseball. I don’t think any of your movements are that horrible for a beginner, you just don’t know how to line up the clubface in a way that’s suitable for golf.
 

For someone who says they’re 2 months into golf with a baseball background, I think you have to educate your levers in both the backswing and downswing and then see how that changes things.

 

dtl would tell a lot more 

 

One of the many huge differences between what you do and what Jordan Spieth does is that he does the things necessary to line up the golf club for impact much earlier and therefore he’s able to have a full release where you just open your shoulders from the top and drag the club though without any release as you noted. This makes sense with your baseball background. 

Edited August 13, 2023 by MPStrat

[Fuscinator]

I think your right hand grip probably comes from baseball (see pics below), but I don't think it's holding you back distance wise. It's a fairly strong right hand grip, but not outrageously so. If you want to see a super strong right hand grip hitting the crap out of the ball, check out Tommy Hug (five years ago, he went up against Joe Miller in some Long Drive thing).

https://www.instagram.com/p/CE5PE9xpEHaAA0jkadIhAlZ_uJlNjc7ndQECTM0/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

 

I think what's giving you your worries is your fear of hooking the ball. A slice is embarrassing, but a hook is terrifying. I had one show up out of nowhere and it had me so spooked I took some lessons for the first time. If you're worried about it, you won't be able to swing out of your shoes with any kind of zeal. 

[MK7Golf21]

7 hours ago, MonteScheinblum said:

Your hip movement and path are off and are forced to pull with the left elbow, ala spieth.

 

Post a down the line with a better camera angle 

I agree, probably pulling arms across body for a better path into the ball. 

[Hunter17]

On 8/13/2023 at 10:23 AM, MPStrat said:

Wow, you sure know a lot about golf swing mechanics after only 2 months of playing the game 😂 

 

When you can, post a video from down the line or behind you pointed at the target. What kind of ball flight are you getting on the golf course?

 

What you have going on is both a misconception on how to swing the club properly (drag and hold, lead side strike), and probably some things mechanically that encourage you to carry out this misconception. 

 

Below is a video that talks about this misconception. To have a more detailed picture on how to actually fix this problem in your swing, we would need to see the down the line camera angle. 

 

 

 

[KMeloney]

It looks from your face-on view that you're going to dump the driver head into the ground 2' behind the ball if you keep releasing it from there. So, you short-arm it and drag the whole club forward and into the ball that way. It's great that you don't bail out of your posture on the way down -- but your arms do the bailing instead.

 

To me, it looks from your down-the-line view that you make a great Justin Rose move DOWN with your arms and the club. A lot of people here would kill to be able to start their downswing that way. However, I wonder if it's TOO down (or down too long) for your purposes. I wonder if you should be thinking more "around" to start your downswing and into the ball. Then you could let the club release more horizontally and not drag the club into the ball to keep from grounding it out behind the ball.

 

This is just my perception, and may not be the reality of the situation! 🙄

[MonteScheinblum]

Way too close to the ball and forcing you to stick your butt out too much.

 

if you released the way you wanted to you’d hit the ball with the shaft.

Edited August 17, 2023 by MonteScheinblum

[glk]

22 hours ago, Hunter17 said:

 

You spin your hips and pelvis versus use your legs to rotate your pelvis     Your pivot allows you to "over rotate" - you get kinda flat.    Your arms then get too across your body so in the downswing they trail and are stuck - sets up an in to out swing so to hit the ball you can't extended your arms or unhinge your wrists cause you would fat the ball or swing to the right if it - what you do is a reaction to allow you to get the club on the ball.    Arms needs more up along with a better pivot.  Good idea to see a good instructor in person or online.

[mgoblue83]

I'd recommend narrowing your stance a bit and standing a little taller and a little further from the ball. A super wide stance like that feels powerful but makes it hard to rotate and you won't have enough room to release the club without burying it in the ground.