Golf Swing Key Concepts - Part X

This will probably be the last part of the Golf Swing Key Concepts series. This deals with lag pressure, which is a sense in the golf swing, and I believe something that can greatly and immediately improve a golfer's swing, ballstriking and handicap.

Lag pressure's 'epicenter' is at the #3 Pressure Point. This is the base joint of the right index finger. Here's a great video from Jeff Evans explaining the #3 Pressure Point and lag pressure.



However, I believe that lag pressure can be generated thru the other pressure points in the hands.

#1 PP = the lifeline of the right hand where it meets the *left* thumb.

#2 PP = the last 3 fingers (pinky, ring and middle fingers) of the left hand.

As a golfer with the 'hitter mentality', I think of using the #1 PP as I drive the clubhead into the golfball. However, if I am using a 'swinger mentality' I will pull with the club with the #2 PP into the ball.

Here's how I look at the PP's:

#1 PP = Hitter mentality

#2 PP = Swinger mentality

#3 PP = Hitter or Swinger mentality

#1 & #3 PP = Hitter mentality

#2 & #3 PP = Swinger mentality

There's a couple of key points here. For starters, when you grip the club at address you should try and sense and feel the pressure point(s) you plan on using. I discussed this in Part 8 of the series.

The other concept is that you need to try and maximize that pressure in whatever pressure point you use at impact. I drew some graphs, the first one shows the concept I am trying to demonstrate. On the x-axis of the graph, it has the various positions of the downswing. I have an old post explaining these points that you can find HERE.


The thing about lag pressure is that once you lose it, it's gone and will not come back in that particular swing. Homer Kelley referred to lag pressure as 'elusive' and that's what he meant, you lose it and it's gone for good. The other part of lag pressure is that once you maximize it, you are going to lose it almost immediately. The graph illustrates that as the lag pressure is maxed out at impact and immediately decreases afterward.

The problem is that most golfers' lag pressure looks like this graph:


As you can see, the golfer here maxed out the lag pressure in the startdown.

Tiger Woods and Ernie Els have said that their feeling in the startdown is to go S-L-O-W and I believe this is another way for them to max out the lag pressure at impact instead of doing so in the startdown.

I also believes that this helps explain why golfers feel like they 'looked up' on a shot that doesn't get airborne. 'Looking Up' actually rarely happens and the reason why the ball doesn't get airborne is because of poor golf swing mechanics and improper use of lag pressure.

Here's a golfer that topped a driver.



And here's that golfer at impact.


What often happens with golfers is that they max out the lag pressure so early in the startdown that the clubhead throwaway (aka casting) makes the swing feel real jerky and that jerky feeling is usually thought of as 'looking up.' Furthermore, if you do something like coming over the top, that is *often* related to maxing out the lag pressure too early in the downswing.

'Keeping your head down' and 'looking at the ball' are good for absolute beginners, but in my mind very damaging for experienced golfers, regardless of their handicap.






3JACK