Why You Need This:

In this video we will test your Straight Line Release on video and see if you are hitting the key checkpoints. For level two I give you several checkpoints to be sure to do correctly. Keep up the hard work on the reps!

What's Covered: In this video we will test your Straight Line Release on video and see if you are hitting the key checkpoints. For level two I give you several checkpoints to be sure to do correctly. Keep up the hard work on the reps!

Golf Pros Featured:

Instructors Featured: Clay Ballard    

Video Duration: 8:43

Video Transcription:

Hi guys, and welcome back. Straight line release Level 2, it’s time to put this to action, actually hitting a ball. In Level 1, let me recap real quick what we went over in the straight line release, what we’re focusing on.

I’m going to add one piece to that, and the we’re going to go into hitting a lot of golf balls as we’re doing this.

So I talked about in Level 1, we have a ball that we’d be hitting on the ground, and a ball about four feet in front. Doesn’t have to be exact, but about four feet in front that we’re going to be the very first time our club splits our forearms, there’s going to be when we’re facing that ball if we’re looking from face on.

If you’re hitting a driver, could be a little bit farther in front. We could be instead of four feet, maybe it’s out her to five.

It’s not an exact number, that’s one thing I want to make sure that everybody understands, is t’s not that we have to be ta this number and nothing else matters, that’s just giving us a frame of reference to know about where it should be right.

If we’re a little farther in front, or a little bit farther behind, especially if we’re hitting a pitching wedge, or a shorter iron, it may release three feet in front. Not a huge deal, but we definitely want to be around this range.

I give you this as a check point so you know, “Oh, if I’m releasing at the ball, well I’m way off, that’s not exactly where I want to be.” I want to be somewhere right around this ball out in front.

I’m going to check, number one, I can go ahead and grab up on a club here, take my grip, and I want to check when’s the first time that this club angle splits my forearms. If I’m doing it back here, I’m releasing early.

If I’m releasing that club out in front, now the club is splitting my forearms, so the very first time when it’s pointing after that ball in front, that’s in a good spot.

The second thing I want to worry about here, I’m going to check as I’m videotaping, you need to be videotaping these.

Grab your camera, make sure that it’s correct, do some practice swings, check it on film, check face on and down the line, see if those are right, and then you can go ahead and do some more reps without videotaping.

But I’m going to go ahead, go to my straight line release out in front, and now I’m going to make sure that my hips are about 45 open, my chest is pointing to that ball that would be out in front, so let’s imagine a ball out here.

My chest is pointing to that, and I want to make sure that my shoulders are still in posture as I keep on coming through, it’s going to look something like that, as I’m staying in my posture. So I’m going to check those positions.

The last thing I want to add to this, as I have lag and as I’m getting closer and closer in the downswing with the ball, my legs are going to be bent. As I get to my straight line release, that’s when my legs are posting up. My left leg is straightening out, and my left leg should fully straighten right as I get to that straight line release position.

That’s allowing the butt of this club really whip up and get that sling-shot kind of action coming through there. That’s the last piece I’d add to this. As you’re coming in to impact, your legs should be bent, right leg and left leg.

As I get into my straight line release, that’s the first time you’re going to see that left leg really straightening up.

You don’t have to snap it locked, you don’t want to do that, that could hurt the knee a little bit if you try to snap it as hard as you can, but it should be straightening up as you’re coming into that release, that’s going to get that maximum whip coming through there.

We’re going to do another 3,000 repetitions, and here’s the way I’d go about that. Grab a bucket of balls, first few times do some practice swings, check on camera to make sure that the angles look good, just doing some slow motion practice swings.

Then we’ll go ahead and take out a golf ball, and we’ll hit a shot. I’m going to film from face on and down the line again.

I’m going to check those, if they look good, then we don’t need to do anything, we can turn off the camera, hit 30-40 shots, and then take the camera again later in the practice session, just double check and make sure everything’s looking great.

If it’s not looking good, we need to go ahead and work on this, go back and work on the drills earlier in this section. Go through those over and over again until we get this correct, and then work on.

It doesn’t do us any good to do 3,000 reps if we’re not getting the correct kind of reps, if we’re not really ingraining that and making it to where it feels completely comfortable.

So in this section, a lot of practice swing, a lot of pausing, few shots in between, work through those over and over again.

So between every ball I’m going to make some practice swings, checking to where I want to be, and then just videotape every once in a while, once you have it correct.

Get those 3,000 reps in over a period of time, don’t rush yourself, it’s more about making the correct type of motions than it is a certain number.

You guys are going to be doing great, you’re going to be releasing out in front, and compressing the heck out of the ball, hitting those really solid, straight shots.

Good luck to you guys, I’ll see you all soon.