Shoulder Release
Shoulder Release
By Dr. T. J. Tomasi
Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research
If you have any experience playing golf, you no doubt have heard the advice “release the club.” However, few understand the wide range of concepts that combine to represent that phrase, one of which has to do with your trail shoulder.
Perhaps the number one cause of a bad release is something you never hear about – the failure to keep your back shoulder flowing through impact. This violates one of the most effective pieces of golf advice: during the downswing, keep everything that’s moving, moving.
Our tour model keeps his back shoulder ‘chasing’ after the ball.
In the above photo, our tour model is playing #11 at the Honda Classic in West Palm Beach, Florida. It’s one of the most difficult holes on the Champions course at PGA National – long and narrow with a water hazard in front of the green and a prevailing wind into the player’s face; any flipping of the club through impact will send the ball into an untenable position. Unfortunately, many players freeze up under the pressure and swing their arms during the downswing, but slow/stop the shoulders. This mistake actually causes the bad shot they are trying to avoid.
You can see that our model has kept his shoulders rotating – the club stays in position all the way into the pre-finish.
How can you tell if you’ve released your back shoulder correctly? At this point (shown in the photo), the right arm should be straight – and it can only be this way if the trail shoulder keeps moving as it should.
Have a friend take a picture of your swing with your cell phone and check out your pre-finish. Inexorable is the control-word here – there are no bursts, but the flow of the shoulder is relentless.
If you’d like to study with Dr. Tomasi and other PGA Master Professionals, contact The College of Golf today.
