Golf tips: learn to release

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Neil Plimmer on how to add more power to your golf swing

Fault: you slice the ball, and your swing suffers from a lack of power.

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Fix: The release is a golfing term that I find is often misunderstood - it certainly doesn't mean letting go of the club! Instead, what it refers to is the flow of the arms and body through the ball.

Rather than working on the release itself, I like my pupils to focus on sequence of movements through impact that will naturally cause the angle in your wrists to release through the ball.

Notice here how my arms work with the rotation of my body. This is the sequence that will effectively deliver both power and control.

Crucially, you shouldn't be trying to hit 'at' the ball. Get the sequence right and the club will breeze through the ball, accelerating as it goes.

Having made a full turn at the top of the backswing, begin the turn back through the ball with your weight moving in the direction of the turn. If your arms can work with your body here, you will master the release.

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In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he went on to become a feature writer interviewing many of the biggest names in the game including Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy and Arnold Palmer.

A 5-handicap golfer, Neil is a club member who takes a keen interest in the health of the game at grassroots level. You’ll often now find him writing about club-related issues such as WHS, membership retention and how best to bridge the gap between the range and the course.