Proper Release of the Golf Club-Pulling the Handle

[@hanizaki8928]

Teaching and LEARNING is a very personal thing … especially for golf. for me, you’ve become THE BEST GOLF TEACHER. Every instructional video you’ve made has had profound positive impact on my game. Your guidance is clear, simple, and executable. An enormously sincere “THANK YOU!”

[@Thebladespanker]

I have been struggling with toes shots over the top and driver low snap hook for over 3 years. 3 pros have tried to fix it and i have changed clubs 3 times and driver 4. Watching this i had a lightbulb moment and tried some practice in the garden which worked well. took it to the course yesterday and am now able to play the long game again. i can hit driver, fairway woods and hybrid again with confidence and pretty consistent results. Thank you so much for posting this. This guy KNOWS what he is talking about. You are a legend in my eyes. i have not hit a ball like this in years and have had to rely on my short game to score anything approaching reasonable. :)

[@tristanwilliams271]

Hi there, this is word for word the troubles I am going through now!!! Is this still working for you? I'm going to give it a try 🤞

[@Thebladespanker]

@@tristanwilliams271 hi. Yeah. I have other swing issues but in general this is still working

[@tristanwilliams271]

@@Thebladespanker thanks for the quick reply mate. I'm hitting everything off the toe and can't use any woods as they hook really badly 😭

[@paullazarus790]

Monte's golf videos are the best on the net! I've uncomplicated and unlocked my swing based on his commentary. They are all excellent!

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

Thank you😀👍

[@SpinandThrowDiscGolf]

Sir, you are genuinely impressive as a teacher. And your ability to mimic all these positions is simply unprecedented.

[@beltunaman]

Monte if you look at your downswing and how the butt end moves you are.indeed pulling the handle down and in front of you.

[@skyk3132]

Monte... I came across this video last weekend... I had gotten into habit of putting my upper body to far forward... And I was told by a pro to pull the handle... Went to the range and worked on tilt and right elbow... Amazing results... Thank you so much... I am about to get familiar with all your videos... Thxs again...

[@eagledetective]

Im shocked that anyone thumbed down on this! This is a classic example of the modern blended plane swing! Damn good video Monte! I fell into a similar trap comparing using a battering ram on a door!!! can lead to deep over lag and kill a good swing! Tough on your wrists too!

[@dtgps]

Johnny Miller 's wall is at impact. At impact, with hands leading the clubhead, the butt end of the club is pulled up and around the left hip.(lead hip), as body rotation squares the clubface. Lag and shaft lean is a result of hands leading the clubhead. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXO5hIh-jdOah5Y

[@randomhero1090]

1.9 handicap and I watch this video every week. Just a reminder of how you really generate lag and forward shaft lean.

[@lutonbusdriver2315]

Do you use this example for all clubs, including the driver???

[@Rrracket]

another classic Monte lesson, thanks. I have found that if one makes a proper pivot and has a loose grip & stable head through the swing, you get all the lag you need.

[@davidboucher1701]

I have been playing for longer than i want to admit to myself. After a lot of lessons and everyone saying I have a natural swing I remain inconsistent. Montes method is simple and allows me to cler my hips without thinking about in . No more pulls and now I cant light into my release hands infront of the ball and get reasonable distance. His point of staying behind the ball is right on . When you see a baseball player crush one he is tilted back slightly and the ballis way in front of his body. Thanks Monte look for me on your blog where are you located? David Boucher

[@johnnyboy89able]

Monte I love the passion and committment. Please do a video on the similarities and influence of the baseball swing and the golf swing. I think the coming future of the golf swing will gravitate more towards the power and athletic speed of the great sluggers. Trent Scruggs and Ryan Wynther are possible examples of this.

[@davidstevan1]

I reckon pulling the handle a la mr miller has been a major contributor to my shanking problems for the last 3 years compounded by a teaching pro pr occupation with a flat wrist at the top of the backswing. Your videos are great.

[@Charlyky]

In my quest to gain more distance, I experimented with pulling the handle AKA extreme lag. The other tip was to strengthen the grip. When the timing and sequence was done correctly, farthest I've ever hit the ball. But you are correct, it was very difficult not to shank the ball every now and then. cannot play a round with the handle pulling.

[@locsmiths]

That position that you illustrated at 3:00 is actually about as much lag as the average tour player gets. It appears to me that your video is not anti-lag, but more about anti overdoing lag and forward shaft lean. Pulling does work, especially for people who come OTT. Pulling helps you "dump" the club as you teach. You just have to stop when you start to "turn" the hips then the shoulders. usually just before the hands reach your back leg. Your words didn't say all this but your body did. Thanks

[@royrubin7259]

Local pro showed me pulling handle about a week ago and I added total accuracy and an extra 20 yards a club. I'm an old guy but thrilled with the new pop! He also showed me the angle. Look that up! You pull butt of club about 8 inches in front of ball. Pro warned me I'd hit some right at first. I did. Then my timing kicked in, closed the gate, and hit a 230 yard drive, a draw, amazing, right down the middle. Monte, I like you dude, but Johnny Miller is on to something here!

[@dso1986]

Roy Rubin are you older than 70?

[@simonflr]

My simple abbreviated "Senior Swing" is nothing more than the L to L drill (maybe a bit higher hands than 9:00 and 3:00). A wrist hinge of sorts, my own U-joint type gripping of the club (very light and set so the club can almost freely rotate in any direction). I get 200 yards of driver carry + or - a couple of yards, using a 43" 13* Nike driver. My only reason for posting is to say my whole forward swing is pulling the handle straight down and through the ball. I am "Almost Old" (62), fit but with limited flex & range of motion. The L to L drill with a handle pull (and a less than conventional grip) gives me solid consistent ball contact with every club in the bag. I play to a 9 handicap (mainly because i am a mediocre putter). I wouldn't disdain "Pulling the Handle" so vehemently; I know it works quite well for me...

[@SOS89140]

Monte, your explanations are great. We have over complicated the swing (due to agenda driven reasons) to the hilt. I think back to little league baseball for an even more basic view. Shift your weight to the left and drive into the ball. Nothing was ever said about creating lag or wrist hinge. That all happens automatically. The people selling swing mechanics have (purposely) created a mess. Yes it takes practice to be a good player, along with good grip and posture, but let's not add 50 other things to the golf swing that are not needed to be a decent ball striker.

[@prestonnull4009]

Man you make a world of sense. That is some great advice.

[@jamiesloan7259]

The main point here is... You don't get the handle in front of the ball by dragging it with your hands. You do it by rotating your hips. He nailed it!!!

[@golfdoc1950]

I'm not trying to contradict Monte, who is a great golfer and teacher. However, I think teachers and students should be open to the idea that there is more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak. As my golf coach says, learning the golf swing involves skill acquisition and skill development. One may have learned a skill in another sport or activity than can be useful if applied to swinging a golf club. In my case, my persistent OTT move remained resistant until I applied the mental and physical approach that I would use if the golf grip was a battering ram and I was trying to break down a door. It helps me get my golf path coming from the inside. I don't care about the lag aspects at all. For other golfers that approach may not be necessary.

[@scottclark5257]

Monte, really wished you were here in Fliorida so I could take lessons from you--can't tell u how f'd up my swing was for years because of the instructors here telling me to do the very thing that your video disapproves of. Great video!

[@ThePeter202]

Hi Monty Peter here from Uk. I am confused how does this drill marry up with the no turn cast drill?

[@joekeenan7274]

Excellent video as usual from Monti 👍

[@rbauer1632]

What do you think about pulling the handle being responsible for too steep a shaft angle in transition? I've been trying to shallow the shaft angle from the top as most pros do, but I can not get it. I think my muscle memory of pulling down from the top is the problem. When I watch slow motion of the pros, it appears their arms are very passive during transition and it is body rotation that shallows the shaft angle. Any tips on this issue?

[@ilovedavedunlop]

@johnmoye its not a slide if you are turning. And you have to have tilt at impact. Every good player ever has tilt at impact

[@the_full_english]

Not trying to be picky but I’ve just been going thru all your videos and a lot of them seem to contradict each other. Quite confusing

[@golfer348]

Great video, I always saw this as a two piece swing, just get the club back..in no particular order...but drop in on the down swing..so up and then as he says lean back not forward, you see all the pro's do that..although it's hard to pick up on TV.

[@whetedge]

Monte, very good tip to disregard "pull the handle" advice. It encourages a swing powered with the arms rather than the core. Speaking of which, consider, why do you have to "re-connect" the arms on the way down? Just keep them connected, keep your elbows relative to their chest position without any lifting or turning of the arms. It keeps you in impact position throughout, and makes the swing as simple as just rotating the arm pits. That's the only thought needed. The lower body functions perfectly without thought. When you do any lifting of the arms going back, you then have to go through the effort of getting them back in position on the way down. Makes no sense to me.

[@mathewmcintyre5379]

brilliant lesson monte!

[@jakeledbetter7780]

I agree with the way of getting lag is by keeping upper spine back and lower body shifted forward, but in order to have that forward shaft lean at impact and not flip the club when you shift your lower body forward left knee should go down and around with left hip being lower than the right hip. This allows you to rotate even better through the ball and you will be able to use the ground better for leverage, also keeping the face passive through impact which is the ultimate way to hit it far and straight.. example who did it perfect would be Sam Snead.

[@td1138]

I've been hearing "bump the lead hip" for years. First time I've ever heard "keeping the upper body back". Makes total sense and may explain why I never could make the weight transfer work.

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

Scott, I'll be doing a two day golf school in Tampa in August. Interested in attending?

[@dtgps]

OTT is caused by right forearm pronation from the top. Correction: intend to keep the palm of right hand facing the sky from the top of BS. or if you prefer, keep back of left hand facing the sky from top of BS through impact... end of story The 1/4 second for DS allows time for only one intention. Let right palm facing the sky be for you. Lag is a result of having all levers on a common plane from top of BS, through impact. Ben Hogan called it, The Slot. He knew muscles only pull, so use both arms to pull, as in "tug of war". There are two ways to swing We can push or we can pull. Slack in the DS is power leakage. Only be pulling can we eliminate Slack.

[@mikerodrick2430]

At the impact position, I'm not seeing forward shaft lean, but rather straight or even a bit back lean.

[@davidstevan1]

Monte at 3.44 you talk about the right arm reconnecting. Do you have a video which describes this and the problems that result if you don't? I have in mind David Ferherty's "arms work away from the body" as being one of only 2 reasons for shanking!

[@thomasfraser9072]

Wait a minute! Of course one should never pull the handle of a golf club either down one’s side or past one body. Sergio Garcia does not do either of these at all. On the down swing he pulls the grip of the club across and in front of his rotating body. Believe me at 71 years old I can attest Sergio ‘ pull the chain( grip) of the club works excellently when done correctly. Thanks for reading.

[@canefan17]

I'm the same way. My right side of body (mostly shoulder & arm) are too dominating in my downswing. I don't think the FEELING over pulling the handle would be so bad for me. In fact when I use my double sided flashlight swing plane device... I have to pull the handle on the downswing if I want to stay on plane.

[@pbabs3389]

3:21 “god damn it” we’ve all been there

[@klausklaus9112]

hi monte, if one has problems shifting the weight and hits the ground before the ball quite often... would you say that moving the ball back in the stance would help ?... like using that as a permanent solution ? or maybe a weight forward stance ... like gary edwin advocates ? thx a lot

[@mikerodrick2430]

+Klaus Klaus If the weight isn't shifted forward, it'll create a reverse pivot which will cause the club to hit ground before ball every time.

[@swizlestick]

practice by exaggeration....next time you are at the range, practice hitting the ball while keeping your chest pointed backwards. your front shoulder should be turning behind the ball on the backswing, which will cause your chest to rotate. the buttons on your shirt should be pointing back, but still maintain their relative position (think x,y,z coordinates) as you swing, you should feel your belt buckle turn shortly followed by the club head, with the chest in a distant 3rd. the ball should only be just slightly behind the middle of your stance. moving it too far back will only create more compensations elsewhere in your swing. another good way to get the feel of not thrusting forward is you practice keeping your nose still through the swing.

[@TheNYgolfer]

You ARE pulling the butt end of the club with the hands but in a correct sequence, The sequence starts from the feet UP which pulls everything around in sequence.If you grip the club lightly the club will release naturally so that by impact you will have the club shaft and left arm in a straight line. The biggest reason people throw away the lag early is because they try to kill the ball with the right hand, arm and shoulder.Instead of pulling the club they PUSH it and throw it out of its orbit or plane. Even if you pull using the correct sequence , if you use a typical amateur "death grip" the club will not release and here comes the slice or shank,Good video but a little misleading.

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

You have it backwards. You explanation is misleading and lacks understanding of sequence and cause and effect.

[@mikerodrick2430]

+TheNYgolfer IMO, you shouldn't be "pulling" anything. If you're actually pulling, you're creating muscle tension by increasing grip pressure which is the last thing you want. Speed comes from muscle relaxation & allowing the club to fall by gravity rather than having to actually pull. Turning the body allows this to happen; not pulling anything. All you should feel is the weight of the clubhead swinging which will in turn allow a proper release thru impact.

[@canefan17]

For someone who's first move on the downswing is my shoulder goes OUT (OTT swing)... can't the FEELING of pulling the handle help keep my shoulder down as oppose to out & keep my path inside? I need a feeling to initiate my downswing without coming over the top with my shoulder or getting stuck (arms/club behind lower body)

[@tonystark171]

Nice video , can u do that move down the line? Thx

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

the name of the video is Bump, Dump and Turn

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

Be careful is all I say. Many people get an initial bump in what they do, but long term is sketchy at best.

[@lutonbusdriver2315]

Hey Monte, does this apply to all clubs, including the driver???

[@swizlestick]

yes...the swing should be the same. the only difference is that you want the ball a little up in the stance, and obviously stand back farther. The shaft of the club should from a 90* angle to your spine. make sure you are getting the right wrist hinge as well (look into the swinggyde or knock off version on amazon)

[@chipper701]

Monte watched your video with the bucket so surely if you let centrifugal force happen then these issues should take care of themselves.

[@swizlestick]

exactly the idea you should have in your head. This is the premise of that hinged practice club you can buy. If you have enough CF, the club will straighten out and you will have solid shots. even if the rest of the swing is a bit off line.

[@sjb610]

great tips....just a quick suggestion....you should get a mic so we can hear you easier.

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

You're going to get steep and narrow. You're OTT is a result of an inside backswing, a poor weight shift or something else. Pulling the handle will just make things worse.

[@dry509]

What about moving your rear back to 10:30?

[@JimmyVespe]

Amen brother I was just bickering with one of these internet experts with a zillion followers who has an obsession with forward lean and some new kind of release these players today are "supposedly" doing vs what Hogan/Trevino/Nicklaus/Snead did back in the day. KZbin is both a blessing and a curse as is any technology.

[@mattaitken888]

keeping the upper body back ... Henrick Stenson would disagree with that - see his video on KZbin on the golf channel... it's all about the right shoulder, forget the lower body, the lower body will move out of the way as a RESULT of the right shoulder - people come over the top with the right shoulder due to a too fast transition (like you say, not using centrifugal force properly, being patient enough to roll with it) and the plane of their shoulder being wrong... and keeping the upper body back, sure you can hit balls well like that, probably even further (AKA mike austin reverse C), but it creates a fade, wears out your hip and probably compresses your back - unless like Colin Montgomerie you are naturally hyperflexion jointed

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

I love it when people tell me I’m wrong and describe exactly what I teach. Upper body (head) staying back allows right shoulder to get forward and pull you out of the reverse C without being steep and over the top. Upper body getting forward will force you to drop the right shoulder too much to be shallow and from the inside and create lower body slide to avoid swing bottom being too far back.

[@e.g.flores2819]

Great lesson and video, I just wish you weren't standing next to the fwy or the range ball tractorr being worked on.

[@Bboy4870]

Another good video. All the magazines and "Johnny Millers" of the world attempt to fix novice golfers who lack knowledge of basic swing mechanics, while filling the average players head, as well as mine with misconceived notions of how to hit the ball correctly.

[@lbandito1]

It's true that once a player becomes familiar with the concept of lag, their focus on maintaining it can mess up the release. It's also true that the problem is more common in those who drag or pull the club rather than those with a hitting or throwing motion. But to say that lag isn't important is just crazy. Every good player creates lag. Lag's about pressure but this video almost makes it seem like lag is a tilt. Everyone would be wise to learn to load well, lag well, and release well.

[@rfahy991]

What you're describing very well is the rotational release. However, a wrist release is not accomplished in that fashion. Two examples would be the swings of Zach Johnson (rotational) vs Billy Horshele (wrist).

[@hsk5304]

i am interested in attending...im close to tampa

[@bh5606]

Good advice.

[@howiekarasick3892]

Shift. Tilt. Rotate Are they related to....bump....dump..and the other guy

[@tyzxcj34]

Excellent tip thanks for sharing

[@golfinguna]

Hi Monte, you have some great videos that are very helpful. BUT. This one gets thumbs down. You have a slight dig at the way Johnny Millar describes a point then you go ahead and show your hip sliding towards the target??? no no no.The hip does not slide towards the target. You know this! because you have rightly stated in previous videos. The left bum cheek goes back, or squats, You hold the lag and turn the body. Or another way to explain it is. after you have dropped the bum cheek back you turn the body whilst holding the wrist cock and simply let the club fall. Any beginner watching your hips slide would be totally mislead. If you want to be truly in the correct sequence you should move the left knee towards the target and then sit the bum cheek back.

[@xJae14x]

There is definitely a lateral move of the hips closer to the target and is a fundamental part of every single great swing.

[@golfinguna]

The only time you could use a slight lateral move forward is when a beginner is using the driver and this move enables them to hit up on the ball. Watch slow mo swings of all good golfers they drop the bum cheek back. They do not slide.

[@paullazarus790]

Fantastic instruction!!!

[@diverdiver729]

When they say pull the handle through they mean pull it through square not wide open like montys demonstrating

[@MultiCklee]

Shift, Tilt & Rotate....all is good.!!!

[@maeu59]

Pulling the handle is the wrong terminology, it’s more about swinging the handle and not the club head, which automatically keeps the head behind the hands and shaft lean automatically.

[@hkb1467]

Yup. Merci

[@19battlehill]

Well Said.

[@GRUNGELEOPARD]

PERFECT🙌

[@lukedanielborel3628]

Pulling the grip down a line parallel to the target line is a very good first move to start the downswing. The idea Johnny Miller was selling of hitting the grip end into a wall is all wrong. The idea of pulling the grip down a line parallel to the target line is good until you get near the impact zone. The club face will square up automatically due to the body turning during the downswing and the lag getting converted into some shaft lean. Where Johnny Miller went wrong is that when the hands are club grip get near your body when you get near the impact zone, then you need to concentrate on keeping the arms and grip end of the club near the body until just after impact. At impact as your grip end and hands begin to travel up and left due to them following the basic curve the the left shoulder travels on, at that time the hands should be released and uncocked After impact the hands and the grip begin to get further away from the body, but not until after impact and at some point your body and club head should vaguely point at the target. Also the real wall that Johnny Miller should have been discussing occurs well before the impact zone. So the grip right before impact begins to travels slightly up and left, however the grip is not getting further away from the body, and at this time the club head is travelling down the target line even though the grip should remain close to the body but it is moving up and left of a line parallel to the target line. The way you describe Johnny Millers concept of hitting into a wall would lead to the club grip moving away from body before and during impact. The real wall is one you imagine that exists well before the impact zone about a foot or so behind the ball. Before you get into the first part of the impact zone you want to focus on not letting the grip or hands getting any further away from the body until about one foot after the impact zone in which case we are not thinking about a wall but whether the proper sequences took place, which you can get clues on by holding your finish and feeling where all of your body parts are and the club positions that the club moves in at the top part of your follow through. Most people are not flexible enough to hit a straight shot when they form a reverse c. The average golfer probably plays best with their spine perpendicular to the ground at impact, their shoulders swing too flat because they are not able to drop their right shoulder, so they have to time their swing so that they create lag and then create shaft lean by turning the body towards the target while keeping the grip and hands close to the body, not allowing the hands and grip to get further away from the body during the impact zone sequence. The simplest most repeatable follow though would be that at some point the body and club grip are general travelling barely left of the target. I suppose it is possible that the hands and grip can get slightly further away form your body during impact as long as the grip and hands are travelling on an arc that turns left of the target line. What you do not want to do, and how Johnny was wrong is that you do not want to still be pulling the grip down a line parallel to the target line entering the impact zone. When entering the impact zone the hands and the grip are beginning to release in such a way that the grip and the hands are travelling left of the target line and are moving up a little bit. However, even though the grips is moving left and slightly up, the club head because you release your hands with proper shaft lean, will travel down the target as a general concept. So I think grip travels left, however ideally the clubhead will travel in a different direct than the grip and will ideally travel straight down or just right of the target line. Actually one thing Johnny Miller had right is that you can pull the grip towards a wall, but the wall is to the left of the target. The idea is to pull the handle from the top of the downswing along an arc loosely defined by the arc of the left shoulder that occurs during the swing. So as you get near the impact zone the grip and hands get nearer both to the target line and your body. Right before impact you are still pulling on the handle but now the hands follow the arc of the left shoulder and begin pulling up and left. I am stilling pulling on the grip with my hands and most of the release happens naturally although some of the release is on purpose.Like an ice skater when the hands remain close to the body he begins to spin faster andat impact the hands remain fairly close to the body and the body is spinning and as a result of the club head moves away from the body and travels down the target line even though the hands are moving up and left and therefore some of the release of the clubhead into the ball is partially caused my body begins to spin faster. Some of the release path of the clubhead is as a result of pulling the grip up and left and the rest is an intentional release on purpose release of the clubhead down the line even though the hands are moving up and left. If an iceskater had a golf club attach to the hip of the ice skater with the grip attached at the waist of the ice skater, and then if the ice skater started spinning and pulled his or her arms in, the ice skater would then start to spin faster, and if the ice skater started spinning fast enough the club attached at the hip, the club head would begin to lift off of the ice and begin to raise up getting higher off of the ground. So the grip end of the club would keep turning to the left, but the club head would get further away from the ice skater if the ice skater kept spinning faster and faster, until the ice skater reached a maximum speed, and the clubhead came off of the shaft at the same time the ice skater reached maximum speed, the club head would travel in a straight line tangent to the circle created by the spinning ice skater. This is another way of saying what I stated above.

[@swizlestick]

grip it and rip it...

[@allandevera8765]

This is the longest comment about Johnny Miller's swing. Poor Johnny. He only won a major to prove he's not wrong.

[@CSqrdX]

This will just get more people stuck and flipping than it will help. Most people will get their left arm pinned across their chest and right shoulder way too low/left shoulder high.

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

Only if your shoulder turn is too vertical and/or you earl extend.

[@hasseygolf]

You're teaching how to "block" a shot.

[@guerzon2010mbc]

+hasseygolf in what sense?

[@joshlynch5676]

First half good. Second half bad

[@mikecrook8434]

yak yak yak, demonstrate

[@huddybozak8803]

Side bend.. That's all

[@vimalmittal5603]

Wrong bud. U can never be a good golfer. U have to drop the club in a slot first . Then only shift the weight.

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

I guess that’s why people come from around the world and I get invited around the world to teach golf...because I’m wrong and not a good golfer.

[@MonteScheinblumRebellionGolf]

[e-mail]

[@hariako20081]

swing

[@swizlestick]

Take lessons from a pro and stop trying to learn from the internet. You may be trying to fix something that isn't wrong with your swing and make things worse.

[@jacobr4558]

You get what you pay for. Most ppl people want fast, easy, cheap answers without effort and thought. Maybe take up another sport because golf doesn't work that way.

[@MaxGravitas]

Good but rather comedic with all those distractions around you, from a dude hitting balls, lawnmowers going, crows cawing, dudes talking.

[@jcsoxx]

ball dont go far your way so i say na. and ya to Johnny way