Instruction
Aiming For A Late Release Point
The term “release” is heavily used in golf instruction. But what does it mean, and what is actually releasing?
Well, the club releases, or more specifically, rotates around an axis located at the golfer’s hands during the forward swing. OK, but the million-dollar question is how or what releases it? This is important because the timing of this release relates to the golfer’s ability to deliver speed to the club head and also to achieve a bottom to the swing which is sufficiently to the golfer’s left side, essential for delivering a descending blow upon the ball.
What causes the club to release?
Imagine a figure skater holding a golf club out at arms length with the shaft cocked back fully at the wrists, parallel to the ground. Now imagine the skater spinning in place. This type of rotation would not suffice to cause the club to release around the hands. The club would stay cocked back at an approximately 90 degree angle from the left arm. So, rather than with the rotation of the body around the spine, the golfer causes the club to release around the hands with a burst of acceleration created with the arms.
Arm action in detail
In the backswing, the golfer swings the left arm up and across the chest from the shoulder joint, simultaneously bending the right arm to an approximately 90 degree angle. In the forward swing, the golfer releases the left arm back down and across the chest with the powerful straightening action of the right arm adding support and speed. This acceleration of the hands OUTWARD from the body’s center literally forces the wrists to un-cock and the club to release around the hands.
In the swings of virtually all great ball-strikers, the right arm will become fully extended AFTER IMPACT. So then, to keep the club “lagging” behind the hands so that we may achieve that same elusive “late release” used in great swings, then we must swing the left arm back across the chest from the left shoulder socket, again, strengthened by the straightening push of the right arm, at the proper time.
When then?
Imagine the face of an upside-down clock in front of you, tilted so that your arms and club rest on the face. Your upper sternum, where your tie knot would sit, is the center of this clock. In great swings, the right arm will become fully extended when the hands reach approximately 5 o’clock on the dial. There is little variance among the greats in this regard. At this time, the right arm will point to a spot on the ground, on the line of the swing, a few feet ahead of the left foot.
Above: Three-time major championship winner Nick Price.
How do we do it?
Traditionally, we are told to “hold” the wrists to retain the wrist-cock angle in the downswing to achieve the properly “late” release. But the golfer need not consciously do anything active with the wrists in the forward swing. The release of the club around the wrists can be allowed to happen freely, fostered by relatively light grip pressure. Indeed, it is doubtful that the human wrists are typically capable of resisting their bending, which results from the force of the specific arm action described here. Nor, for that matter, are the wrists strong enough to add speed to their inevitable un-cocking.
Not just when, but where?
Suppose rather than focusing on when we release the arms, we focus on where we release them. Specifically, where to. As noted, when the right arm straightens efficiently, it will point to a spot on the line of the swing which is a few feet or so ahead of the left foot. So then, let us aim to forcefully straighten our right arm directly toward that point, an aiming point, if you will. This approach has been presented before in golf instruction, but I believe that the specific procedure presented here is most effective and will be clear where others have left confusion.
The action is an athletic motion, following a specific sequence, and is used in countless sports with only minor variations. First, the lower body leads, the knees and hips striding toward the objective, followed by a turning of the body, hips first, ultimately super-charging the final blow, delivered by a punching extension of the right arm. We might refer to this three-step sequence simply as “stride, turn, extend.” But of course, in an efficient golf swing, the right hand does not move linearly, but rather the hands follow a somewhat circular arc around the body, due to the swing of the straight left arm from its socket and the turn of the body itself. This is a case where the golfer’s intention will bring the desired result.
All you really need to know about “the release” is that when the right arm successfully points to the selected aiming point when fully extended, then the club will release around the hands at the ideal time, the club shaft reaching vertical to the ground and thus, its low point, in-line with the left shoulder. The player who flips, or causes the club to release around the hands prematurely, has straightened his right arm prematurely, in which case the arm will “come up short” and point BEHIND the aiming point when extended. Only more detrimental to the efficiency of the swing is when the right arm never becomes forcibly straight at all. Full arm extension is fundamental to power in sports for the thrower, puncher and swinger alike. The use of high speed video, ideally with a skilled teaching pro, will provide the most reliable feedback as you learn to execute this movement. An efficient full-power release MUST include FULL extension of the right arm AFTER IMPACT!
“Releasing THROUGH the point”
In the sport of javelin, the thrower is coached to “release through the point.” This means that the throwing hand should move linearly, in the straight direction that the javelin is pointing. The golfer should have the same INTENTION to effectively execute the Aiming Point Procedure described here.
Here is a practice drill that you can do using an alignment rod, wooden dowel or the like. Simply load your right arm back to an approximately 90 degree angle, simulating the top of the backswing position. Now, leading with the body, forcefully extend the right arm directly to the pre-selected Aiming Point, releasing hold of the rod just before full extension.
Here we see Hall of Famer Tom Watson with the right arm cocked back 90 degrees, still well into the forward swing. On the right side, you can see that when the right arm becomes fully extended, the hands have reached 5 o’clock on the dial. The spot on the line of the swing that the right arm points to at this time constitutes the Aiming Point.
This efficient swinging action results in the club shaft releasing to a position vertical to the ground, when the left arm itself is vertical, in-line with the left shoulder.
Summary
What has been presented here is a specific procedure designed to produce an efficient release of the club around the hands in the forward swing. An efficient full-power release sees the club’s shaft reach a vertical position, the club head reaching its low point, in-line with the left shoulder. This will reliably happen when the right arm reaches full extension when the hands reach the 5 o’clock position.
So then, the Aiming Point Procedure is as follows: After the completion of the back swing, begin the forward swing with the intention to accelerate the hands in a STRAIGHT LINE directly to the pre-selected Aiming Point, which is the point on the line of the swing which is where the right arm POINTS when the hands reach 5 o’clock on the dial. This INTENDED straight line path of the hands follows an approximately 45 degree angle, relative to the ground. The Aiming Point Procedure may be successfully employed for ALL swings with ALL clubs where the right arm has bent in the back swing.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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Carlton Cormier
Dec 2, 2015 at 11:19 pm
Todd, I see this was written back in summer of 2013, and I just came across it tonight. Best and most understandable description of a proper release of the golf club that I have ever come across. I will start practicing the drill tomorrow! Thanks for such an informative article.
Carlton Cormier
Dec 2, 2015 at 11:15 pm
See this was written back in summer of 2013, but I just came across it tonight. Best explanation of the proper release that I have ever seen. Will start practicing this tomorrow. Thanks a bunch for the article.
Neal Rogers
Sep 30, 2014 at 5:15 am
Clarity at last. Thank You.Found out some minutes ago that I release very late (high flight lots of backspin, long irons)..followed on that and found this article.
What is strange (co-incidence) is, as a kid/teenager (35yrs ago), I had an instructional book by Tom Watson. I release late like Garcia/Hogan ..and I play with Hogan Apex 2002 forged blades with X100 shafts.
These I hit straight to a tiny 2 yard draw,..but my drivers, particularly my Long Drive Club @ 6 degree have large fades.
Fixing that is an ongoing problem.
If there is any advice from anyone ..please!!
but excellent article, thanks again.
Dan.
Nov 4, 2015 at 2:36 am
Tip the driver x-stiff shaft.
Paul Kraus
Jul 30, 2013 at 10:14 am
Hi Todd,
I’ve being playing again for the last 6 months after 25 years out and the question of release has vexed me. Until you article for which I thank you.
I’d tried working the wrists with disasterous results but your instruction has shone a light on it.
I particularly like the how – extending the right arm, and the ‘outcome base’ of the 5 o’clock.
As it’s my birthday today I’ll regard this article as a very welcome birthday present. Many Thanks
Todd Dugan
Aug 18, 2013 at 8:39 am
Glad you enjoyed it, Paul. Swing well!
Dave
Jul 22, 2013 at 7:55 am
Should the ‘clock number’ where we aim our hands to go change for the driver? Remember seeing a video which suggested that 10 o’clock may be more appropriate?
Todd Dugan
Jul 23, 2013 at 8:07 am
Thanks for the question, Dave. As stated, the procedure may be successfully used for all swings with all clubs where the right arm bends in the backswing.
Pete
Jul 17, 2013 at 3:40 pm
Really well written with great examples. I have been taking lessons for a little over a month and this aligns perfectly with what I’ve been taught–helped to refresh the memory and reinforce some finer points. Thanks Todd!
Todd Dugan
Jul 20, 2013 at 9:51 pm
Thank You, Pete. Best wishes for your swing!
Jeff
Jul 16, 2013 at 10:17 am
I’ve been using this technique with mixed results. My miss is most often a strong hook. How do I prevent it?
Jeff
Jul 16, 2013 at 10:18 am
Thinking out loud, should I try to be going more outward?
Todd Dugan
Jul 16, 2013 at 9:14 pm
Jeff, a tendency to hook nearly always includes a swing direction which is rightward of what is required. True, the hands do move outward toward the swing plane line until reaching their low point, but make sure that the plane line itself is not too rightward. Practice executing the Aiming Point procedure with a laser pointer in your right hand to make sure that the swing direction is on-target.
Kevin
Jul 15, 2013 at 1:05 pm
Great explanation. Do you believe the specific target aim point for the throw automatically puts the hands in the proper position for a square clubface or does the act of performing this with a golf club instead of a javelin or ball mean we have to make some other adjustments?
Thanks.
Todd Dugan
Jul 15, 2013 at 9:04 pm
Thanks, Kevin. The clubface will most reliably return to its intended alignment at impact when the release is efficient, as described here. As stated, the wrists may be passive durng the swing.
Tom McCarthy
Jul 10, 2013 at 10:47 pm
Very, very nice article. Full of accurate concepts and guidance. I am impressed with the whole article. Hope to see you publish more!
Todd Dugan
Jul 14, 2013 at 9:52 am
Thnaks for the positive comments, Tom!
Marvin D. Wachs
Jul 9, 2013 at 3:22 pm
One of the best description of release I’ve ever read. Thanks!
Todd Dugan
Jul 14, 2013 at 9:51 am
Thank You, Marvin!