The release is the part of the golf swing where you convert the speed of your body to club head speed and is largely responsible for whether you hit a slice or a draw. In the video below PGA Professional Jack Backhouse explains the different styles of release that might help you straighten out your shots and hit the golf ball further.
Why is the release important?
How you release the club is a vital part of the golf swing and is responsible for speed, power, and ground contact. Golf is primarily a hand-and-arm sport, and the release is how we get the energy out of our body and into the clubhead, giving us the whip at the bottom that helps us hit the ball high, straight and far.
Here are some signs that you might need to improve your release:
- You hit the ball very low
- You can’t stop hitting the ball to the right
- You often hit the ground before the ball
- You turn your body hard on the downswing but don’t seem to hit the ball very far
Working on what your hands are doing at the critical part of the swing will help you improve these faults.
3 Different types of release
Not all golf swings are the same, so there is not one type of release for all golfers. When working on this part of your swing, the first place to start is knowing which of the 3 releases will improve your shots, not someone else’s.
- The roll release. This is for a golfer who swings down with an open clubface and often hits the ball short and to the right. This golfer needs to feel like the trail hand rolls over the lead hand as the club passes through the impact zone, reaching a point where the forearms touch.
- The block release. This release is used by Dustin Johnson and Viktor Hovland and is for high-speed golfers who struggle with the ball going too far left or too high. This is where the trail arm and trail wrist stay bent for a long time through impact, feeling like the club face stays very square or open.
- The Ben Hogan release. This is for golfers who want to hit the ball higher and add speed without hitting the ball left. This is where, as the club swings through the impact zone, the lead wrist extends, and the trail wrist bends under. This feels a bit like a flick but adds loft without the club face closing.
Practice
Working on the release can be difficult as the swing doesn’t take very long, and there isn’t enough time to think about everything!
I always encourage golfers who want to improve their golf swing release to start by hitting some half shots, or doing some slower swings than normal with the intention to exaggerate the release and the outcome with the shot.
A roll releaser should be trying to hit the ball lower, starting further left than normal and then curving more to the left. A hook is a good sign you are getting this release down.
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A block releaser should be trying to hit the ball lower and further to the right. When the swing speeds up you wont be able to keep your hands that far ahead of the ball so it will go higher and straighter.
A Hogan releaser should be trying to hit the ball really high with their drill swings. It might also help to hit some flop shots or bunker shots as you also use this type of wrist action during those shots.
If you want to watch some more of Jack’s swing tips instruction videos, you can get to his YouTube Technique Tips playlist by clicking here. Please check out our other instruction articles if you liked this how to release the golf club video!
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