how to release properly?

[jpgolf]

i've noticed my hands tend to 'flip' after impact wherein my left wrist breaks and my palm is almost facing the ground. my iron shots are usually a soft draw although my bad shots are pulls or hooks. i'm quite inconsistent with my hybrids and fairway woods, usually hitting behind or even topping them. my drives are generally a high soft draw but my bad shots are pulls, push and the occasional push slice.

i've tried several 'tips' like keeping the left wrist facing the target at impact. it works well with the driver and irons but not with the woods again. and if i'm not careful, i tend to pull my drives. i also tried keeping my wrist angle on the downswing but this leads to inconsistency and most of my bad shots are push and push slice. i've also tried to 'rotate' my left hand at impact so my palm is facing the sky but again this is causing a lot of topped shots or big hooks.

i see the pros seemingly rotate their left forearm/hand at impact and wonder how they do that without making a big hook like what i'm doing. any ideas on this? i want to have a drill to make me release the club properly that will work for my driver, woods and irons.

[steve-o]

Re: how to release properly?

I also would like to know about releasing the the club properly. although my problem seems to be no release at all. most of my shots start off down the middle but fade,power fade, or slice at the end of ball flight. i also will hit a few pulls that will go staight but left of target.seems to be worse with driver/woods,but is there on to some degree with all clubs. could use some help please!

[BrianW]

Re: how to release properly?

Steve-O
Your problem is more than likely an out to in swing. If you do this with a clubface pointing to target it will create a fade or slice depending on how much you come out to in. It will also create a pull is the clubface is square to the swingpath.

Either work on getting the swingpath coming from the inside or if you are happy with a fade then work on keeping the clubface square or even slightly shut at impact.

[kbp]

Re: how to release properly?

Take a mid iron and address the ball. Look at the label on your glove (the back of the left hand). Is it facing DIRECTLY at the target? No. It is facing somewhat upward and somewhat to the right of the target. Do you have a flat left wrist at address?. No. There is a slight cup in the back of the wrist.

From address, leave your forearms where they are in space and flatten the left wrist. What happens? The right wrist flexes back toward the right forearm (cups). The label of the glove is now facing somewhat down and to the right of the target. The clubhead moves away from the ball....back, up and inward. It is delofted and facing right of the target. This is the hand position you are asking about at impact.

Problem. The wrist are cool, but the club face is not facing the target nor is it up to the ball yet. No problem. Leave your wrists, arms and shoulders as they are. Move the club to the ball with your lower body. Flex the right knee down and in....toward the target. The right hip drops a bit. Pull the left hip up and away from the target line. You’ve rotated through the ball. The hips are somewhat open, slightly forward, the shoulders are square and the spine is tilted away from the target. Classic impact position.

Please notice what happened. The clubhead approached the ball from the inside, on a downward angle with a squaring action. Sound familiar? This is an oversimplification of what the pros are doing. They are lagging the clubhead and using their pivot to advance the hands in front of the ball. Impact and address are two different positions.

A good drill is to hit balls by starting at your intended impact position rather than your normal address position.