Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.
There are numerous ways to hit the ball longer. From speed training to getting your equipment optimized to going to the gym, there are a litany of avenues you can take to up your distance.
My personal favorite swing-speed hack, however, is making some simple swing tweaks to add clubhead speed. Oftentimes, recreational golfers are far from reaching their swing-speed potential simply because they aren’t swinging efficiently.
One such swing tweak you can make to boost your swing speed is adding lag to your swing. And for more on that, we turn to Clay Ballard of Top Speed Golf.
How to add lag to your swing
If you aren’t familiar with the term “lag,” it refers to the clubhead “lagging” behind the hands during the downswing. This lag is then released at a certain point, creating a whip-like effect and generating clubhead speed.
One issue that recreational golfers face is that they will release this lag too early in the downswing. This is often called “casting” which decreases your clubhead speed and makes consistent clubface control difficult.
If you face this issue, the video above from Ballard will be perfect for correcting it.
The idea of the drill is simple. All you need to do is make a swing with your trail hand on the club, which will force you to maintain lag, open up your body and properly release the clubhead.
“You’re naturally going to start opening up and releasing that club in front,” Ballard says. “I don’t see that casting motion happen.”
Once you make about 10 swings with one hand on the club and start to feel where that release should be, you can start swinging normally. Maintain that feel of opening up and holding onto that lag longer, and you’ll start generating more clubhead speed in no time.
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