It is a disservice to golfers everywhere that most golf instruction acts as if golf is not really a sport, but some elusive contortion that only a Zen Master could accomplish. Such is the case when talking about the golf swing release.
When faced with a challenge in golf, like all other sports, go back to the fundamentals.
The golf club release should be a natural extension of good fundamentals. Therefore by looking at what happens when we don’t properly execute the release in the golf swing, we can then trace that back to the basics. When the golf swing release is too early (before impact) most golf instruction calls this a fat release. The results are a fat shot, a hook or pull hook. When the golf club release is late the resultant shot is typically a topped shot, a block or slice. Every one of these swing faults can be traced back to a poor grip.
The second fundamental that has the biggest impact on the release is tempo. Many recreational golfers hurry the swing thus not allowing the hands, wrist, and forearms time to work through the swing naturally. It is better to swing within yourself.
An effective golf swing release is a lot more then the turning over of the hands, as most golf instruction would have you believe. In truth the golf swing release is the end result of the stored energy of the backswing. As you start your backswing using the fingers and hands to lead, when properly done there is a reverse release of the hands that naturally occurs. As you take the club back when you have the shaft about waist high the club head should be toe up. This toe up position is the natural reverse golf swing release.
The hands and wrist should stay in relatively the same position through the backswing and transition. As you start the downswing and the club again approaches the horizontal waist high position there is a natural turning of the right hand, wrist and forearm over the left (for right handed golfers). Visualize the handle of the golf club as a doorknob that you turn using both hands.
The most obvious observation of release is a baseball swing. Big hitters always finish with the right hand and forearm crossing over the left hand (again right handed). The biggest reason most recreational golfers suffer from a poor golf swing release isn’t the release itself at all. The release isn’t complicated to understand or execute. The problem for most golfers is again the golf grip. Since most golfers start with too strong of a grip with the club in primarily in the palms of the hands, it is physically impossible to turn one hand over the other. Instead the handle of the golf club is pushed through the shot. This will cause blocked or pulled shots.
The best drill for a golf swing release is to hit balls taking the club only waist high on the back and forward swings. Your goal is to hit the ball about 100 yards with a 7 iron straight. When you are no longer blocking or pulling these shots advance to a full swing. Additionally a hinged golf training club is helpful in acquiring the feel of a golf full release.
