The Thesis
Impact is the only moment that matters to the golf ball. The ball does not know if you have a pretty backswing or an ugly one; it only understands the laws of physics applied at the millisecond of collision.
Most amateurs mistakenly believe the 'release' is an active turning over of the hands to scoop the ball into the air. This is the 'Scoop,' and it is the death of power. The true release is not a scoop, but a compression. As Tom Watson states, the goal is to achieve a "consistent bottom of the arc" where contact is made "just before the club reaches the bottom of the arc."
The Conflict
The terminology of the release is perhaps the most confusing area in golf history.
The "Freewheelers" (Jones & Watson):
Bobby Jones, playing with hickory shafts, relied on timing and a sensation of 'freewheeling' the clubhead.
Tom Watson aligns with this "active" release. He visualizes the release as a rotation: "I release the club by rotating my forearms... Try to touch your left forearm with your right forearm as you hit through the ball." He explicitly wants the "toe of the club to pass the heel" through impact.
The "Holders" (Hogan):
Ben Hogan changed the game with his concept of Supination. In Five Lessons, Hogan described the wrist action not as a roll, but as a bowing of the left wrist. He wanted the back of the left hand to face the target longer, effectively "delofting" the club to compress the ball.
The "Extenders" (Woods & Nicklaus):
Tiger Woods focuses on extension rather than rotation. His key thought is to "shake hands with the target." He wants his right arm "fully extended straight down the target line" after impact. He warns against rotating the hands "dramatically through impact," preferring a square face that stays square.
The Mentalist (Rotella):
Dr. Bob Rotella argues that thinking about how to release the club is the problem. "Once the club starts forward, you're courting disaster if you try to think about its path and control it." To Rotella, the release is an act of trust: "He is going to trust his swing and let it go."
The Conflict: Watson wants you to roll the forearms. Hogan wants you to bow the wrist. Tiger wants you to extend down the line. Rotella wants you to stop thinking about it.
The Synthesis (Best Practice)
We cut through the confusion with one geometric truth found in Homer Kelley's The Golfing Machine and confirmed by Tiger Woods: The Flat Left Wrist.
Regardless of your style, at the moment of impact, the lead wrist must be flat (or bowed), and the lead arm must be in a straight line with the club shaft (or leading it).
The Best Practice:
1. The Concept: Bottom of the Arc
You must hit down to make the ball go up. Watson's "Bottom of the Arc" theory states that the club should strike the ball before it hits the ground. "The clubhead strikes the ball first, the turf last."
2. The Action: Throw and Wall
- The Right Hand (The Engine): Tiger calls the right hand his "Speed Hand." Feel like you are throwing the clubhead at the back of the ball.
- The Left Hand (The Wall): As the right hand throws, the left hand must remain firm and flat. It acts as the 'Wall' that absorbs the blow.
- The Follow-Through: Adopt Tiger's "Shake Hands" visual. Extend the right arm down the target line. Do not try to "help" the ball up.
[Image: Close-up of impact position showing flat left wrist, hands ahead of clubhead, and shaft leaning toward target]
3. The Mental Key:
Once you start the downswing, you must abandon mechanics. As Rotella says, "You cannot hit a golf ball consistently well if you think about the mechanics... as you play." You must simply "Let it go."
The Drill
The Drills
1. The Impact Bag (The "Thud")
Goal: To feel the flat left wrist and the proper delivery of force.
The Setup:
Use a dedicated Impact Bag (or an old pillow/cushion against a wall). Take a 7-iron.
[Image: Golfer addressing an impact bag or cushion against a wall with a 7-iron]
The Action:
- 1. Make a half-swing.
- 2. Swing down and stop the club firmly into the bag. THUD.
- 3. Freeze and Check: Look at your hands. Are they ahead of the clubhead? (They should be.) Look at your left wrist. Is it flat? (It should be.)
2. The "Underhand Throw" (Watson's Feel)
Goal: To learn the feeling of natural release without a club.
The Action: Tom Watson suggests you "Throw a ball underhanded with [your] right hand... turn back through and throw the ball toward [your] target."
The Lesson: Notice how your arm naturally extends and your wrist snaps at the bottom of the arc. This is the feeling of the golf release—natural, fluid, and targeted.