LAG

Greetings Golfers,

Let’s talk golf swing. The common denominator in all good swings is “lag”.

From Bobby Jones to Rory McIlroy … they all had lag … it’s pretty obvious in the videos … and even more obvious in real life.

There’s a great video of Hogan talking about how the hips should start the downswing … and he beautifully demonstrates how it creates lag.  (Watch video HERE).

Most of the talk and instruction is about how the body – the lower body creates lag.

Moe Norman has a great video showing how he creates lag by moving laterally and creating lag. (Watch video HERE).

So is it weight shift? Or hip turn? Or both?

Let’s get there in a minute.

I want you to first feel lag with a little drill … and not as a result of the lower body.

Take a club and make a little half-swing figure 8. Seriously, this gives you the right feel. Feel like you’re swinging waist high … don’t go higher than shoulder height. On the backswing, swing it a little out and then loop into your body … then swing it out away from you and loop it back to your body … and then without stopping … start it all over again. Keep the whole swing below waist high.

As you do this … feel the transitions … that’s lag!

This is the feeling you need to incorporate into your golf swing.

So … do you want to feel the opposite of lag? Sure you do … you need to identify the wrong feeling. Ok, do the figure 8 the opposite of what you did. Meaning, swing the club back to the inside … then loop it out and around yourself … then swing it back to and past your body … then loop it back out … and bring it back at your body and start all over again.

That’s the feeling of coming over-the-top … the death move.

I think that a lot of modern golf swings flirt with that over-the-top move … and then save it with unbelievable lower-body action. Ugh. That type of swing puts too much stress on the body.

You don’t want to need your lower body to save your swing. I hate to admit that my swing relied too much on good leg action. As I got older … and if I walked instead of rode … or played multiple days in a row … my swing changed (that’s being kind).

Last year down here, I played with a local Pro and his assistants … we walked and carried … I shot 35-45. If we’d played another 9, I probably would’ve shot 55.

So, I’ve had to do what I’m talking about. The figure 8 action drives my swing, and my body has adjusted to it … not the other way around.

No matter your type of swing, you need lag … and you need to be able to identify the feeling lag.

Hopefully this helps.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com