This pro-approved drill teaches you proper release in the golf swing

A good release is an important part of any solid golf swing. Without this you will never maximize your consistency and results.

But what exactly is a release? It is the way you allow the club head to pass your hands through impact. If you do it right, you can create tons of power and set the conditions for a consistent club face through impact. If you do it wrong, it can cause a lot of problems.

For more information on practicing a good release, watch the video below from GOLF Top 100 teacher Dave Phillips of the Titleist Performance Institute.

How to groove a good release

When it comes to the feeling of a good release, Phillips says he likes to use an exercise he learned from three-time champion Padraig Harrington.

“It’s the hit-and-hold drill,” Phillips says.

Performing the exercise is simple. All you have to do is make your normal swing, but immediately after impact it feels like you are abruptly “stopping” the clubhead.

“If you can hit the ball and stop here,” Phillips said. “What it actually does is it brings out your angles and forces you to get the club in the right position.”

When you feel like you are stopping the clubhead immediately after impact, your wrists are placed in the correct release position.

“I don’t want to hold on [to my wrist position] and stop it,” says Phillips. “It puts too much strain on the shoulder, elbow and wrist.”

If you have trouble feeling the correct release pattern through impact, try this exercise. Not only will it teach you the feel of a good release, but it will also make you a better ball striker.