To execute a more solid strike, try this drill to increase your lag

If you find yourself hitting it thin and aren’t sure why, it may be a good time to focus on the lag in your downswing.

Why? If you start to lose your lag on the downswing, your club can get a bit too steep, resulting in an inefficient strike.

So, how can you combat that tendency? LPGA professional Rachel Drummond and GOLFTEC instructor Nick Clearwater have a quick fix.

Drummond says that when she feels her contact begin to get a bit off, she hones in on the bottom third of her swing.

Ideally, you’d like your club to be in a 90-degree, L-shaped position when your hands reach the bottom of your swing arc. That way, as you turn through to your swing’s finish, the clubhead will strike the ball with maximum speed and power. Here’s how to practice that feeling.

How to practice downswing lag

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1. Put down alignment sticks to highlight your ideal swing path. For Drummond, it sets up a bit to the right since her tendency is to go left.

2. Take practice swings and visualize your ball flight, emphasizing the feel of the lag in your downswing.

3. Feel as though you have the butt end of the club as far forward as possible at impact.

Check out Drummond and Clearwater’s tip in video form above, and for more personalized advice, visit your nearest GOLFTEC for a lesson or custom clubfitting.

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As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.

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