How to Properly Use Golf Lag - Golf Tips & Videos

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If you’ve done any research on how to increase your clubhead speed, you’ve almost certainly heard about golf lag.

You probably know lag as the secret of the pros . . . the ultimate key to finally getting the distance you want. Increase your golf lag, increase your yardage, right?

Not necessarily. In fact, lag may be what’s keeping you from achieving the distances you’re capable of. I’m going to explain why decreasing golf lag can actually be the key to increasing your distance.

But first, let’s get clear on what we mean when we talk about “lag.”

WHAT IS GOLF LAG?
Lag is a complicated concept that can be defined several different ways. If you’ve researched the subject in any depth, you may have found that different instructors use the term a little differently, even though they’re essentially saying the same thing.

This is one reason why amateur golfers can have an especially challenging time improving their swing by incorporating lag. So, let’s keep it simple here.

For our purposes in this article, “lag” refers to the angle between the butt end of the club and the clubhead. The bigger the angle—the more the clubhead “lags” behind the club handle—the greater the golf lag. When your club is positioned straight up-and-down, you have zero golf lag.

Now, lag is not a bad thing. But it’s important to realize that it’s only a good thing if you use it at the correct point in your swing. This is where a lot of golfers lose their way.

WHEN GOLF LAG IS GOOD
You want lag in the transition from backswing to the downstroke. At the top of your swing, when you reverse the direction of your club, you want to speed up the club handle and slow the clubhead. The clubhead should trail behind, creating that big angle of lag.

Most amateur golfers instinctively do the opposite. They amp up the speed on the clubhead and even swing it out ahead of the club handle. While it isn’t great form, this instinct is completely natural. Most people realize the harder they hit the ball, the farther the ball flies. So, they try to start packing the clubhead with as much power as possible at the start of the downstroke.