How to Release Through the Golf Ball

If you’re struggling to find that pure, compressed strike and effortless distance you see from great players, the secret often lies in the release. This is one of the most misunderstood parts of the entire golf swing, and getting it wrong is the source of so many common frustrations. This guide will show you exactly what a proper release is, why you might be doing it incorrectly, and give you simple, actionable drills to finally release the club powerfully and consistently right through the golf ball.

What Exactly *Is* the Golf Release?

Let's clear this up first. The term "release" can be confusing. Many golfers imagine it's a conscious, last-second flick of the wrists at the ball. This picture is what leads people astray. Trying to consciously "flick" your wrists is a recipe for weak, inconsistent shots like slices, hooks, and thin strikes.

Instead of an active hand motion, the release is the natural and powerful unwinding of the body and the club through the impact area. Think of it as a chain reaction. In your backswing, you store up energy and create angles between your arms and the club. T he release is the efficient transfer of that stored energy into the clubhead at the perfect moment - right at impact.

Imagine cracking a whip. You don't just flick your wrist at the start. You make a big, flowing motion with your arm, and the "snap" of the whip happens all the way at the end, almost on its own. The golf release is similar. It’s the result of a good sequence, not the cause of it. When done right, the clubhead accelerates massively through the ball without you feeling like you're putting in a huge amount of effort with your hands and arms.

The Common Mistake: "Casting" and Scooping

The number one mistake amateurs make related to the release is called "casting," or an "early release." This happens when you try to apply power from the very top of your backswing. Your brain says "it's time to hit the ball!" and instinctively, your hands and wrists throw the clubhead outwards.

When you cast the club, you release all those power-storing angles far too early. By the time the club reaches the golf ball, it’s actually slowing down. It’s like flooring the gas pedal a hundred yards from the green light - you run out of acceleration before you even get there. The result? Weak shots that pop up or slice off to the right (for a right-handed player).

Associated with casting is the dreaded "scoop." This is the attempt to help the golf ball up into the air by flicking the wrists upwards through impact. Here’s the big secret: your club already has loft built into it to get the ball airborne! Your only job is to deliver that club to the back of the ball with a downward brushing motion. When you scoop, you add loft, create poor contact, and often hit the ball thin or fat.

Hallmarks of an Early Release:

• Your shots lack power and feel “slappy” instead of solid.
• You hit a lot of slices or high, weak pop-ups.
• You struggle with fat shots (hitting the ground before the ball) and thin shots (hitting the top of the ball).
• Your divots, if you take them, start *before* where the ball was.

The Engine of the Release: Let Your Body Lead the Way

So if you're not supposed to swing with your hands and arms from the top, what are you supposed to do? You need to use your engine: your body. A powerful and consistent release is powered by the rotation of your lower body and torso.

As you've learned from your setup and backswing, the golf swing is a rotational action. The downswing is simply the unwinding of that rotation, but it has to happen in the correct order. The sequence is the secret sauce.

A great downswing starts from the ground up:

1. The Hips Initiate: The very first move from the top of the backswing is a slight shift of your weight to your lead foot and then a turning of your lead hip out of the way. This "clears the hips."
2. The Torso Follows: As your hips turn, your chest and shoulders naturally begin to unwind and follow them.
3. The Arms Are Just Passengers: Here's the important part. Your arms don’t pull down. They are essentially pulled into the hitting area by the rotation of your torso. They respond, they don't lead. This passive feeling is what creates "lag" - the holy grail of retaining those power angles as long as possible.

Because your body rotation is pulling your arms down, your wrists stay hinged naturally. The release becomes an automatic reaction. As your body continues to rotate through the impact zone, your arms are thrown out towards the target by momentum, allowing the wrists to finally unhinge and release all that stored energy directly into the ball.

Feel vs. Real: What a Proper Release Senses Like

Moving from a cast or scoop to a body-led release will feel completely different. At first, it might even feel less powerful because you're not used to being so "passive" with your hands at the start of the downswing.

Key Sensations of a Great Release:

• Stretching Feeling at the Start: As your lower body starts the downswing while your upper body is still coiled, you should feel a stretch across your torso. This is the "separation" that builds power.
• Arms Dropping: It should feel like your arms are simply falling from the top of the swing, dropping down in front of your chest as your body turns.
• Pressure After the Ball: You're not trying to hit *at* the ball. Your thought should be to deliver the force of the swing a few inches *in front* of the ball. This promotes hitting the ball first, then the turf.
• Extension Through Impact: A great release involves both arms fully extending through the impact area towards the target. Players who "cast" or "scoop" often have bent ("chicken wing") lead arms after impact. Feel like you are throwing the clubhead down the target line.
• The Crossover Happens After the Ball: For a right-handed player, the right hand should feel like it rolls over the top of the left hand well *after* the ball is gone. If this happens at or before the ball, you'll hit hooks or disastrous duck hooks.

Three Simple Drills to Master Your Release

Reading about the release is one thing, feeling it is another. Take these drills to the driving range. Start slow, using a wedge or 9-iron and making half-swings at first. The goal is to ingrain the feeling of a proper sequence.

Drill 1: The "Throw the Club" Drill

The goal of this drill is to feel the centrifugal force extend your arms, not push them. It feels like throwing the clubhead toward the target.

1. Set up to a ball as normal. Now, place another ball or a tee peg about a foot in front of your ball, directly on your target line.
2. Take a smooth, three-quarter backswing.
3. Your only thought on the downswing is to make the clubhead “kiss” the second ball/tee on the ground. Forget about the actual golf ball. Reach out and "throw" the clubhead at that forward target.
4. Notice how your body has to keep turning and your arms have to fully extend to reach that forward point. This encourages releasing the club's energy *through* the ball, not at it.

Drill 2: Right-Arm-Only Swings

For right-handed players, the casting motion is often dominated by an overactive right arm and shoulder. This drill teaches the right arm its proper, supportive role.

1. Take your normal stance but tuck your left arm behind your back. Grip a short iron (like a 9-iron) with just your right hand.
2. Make small, waist-high to waist-high practice swings.
3. You’ll quickly feel that to hit the ball with any sort of quality, you can't just throw your hand at it. You have to use your body rotation (hips and chest turning through) to carry the arm and club through impact.
4. This teaches you the feeling of the trail arm straightening and releasing properly *through* the ball in response to your body turn. Graduate from hitting balls off a tee to hitting them off the ground.

Drill 3: The Split-Hands Drill

This drill helps you feel how the wrists and club should work through the hitting zone and is brilliant for stopping the scoop.

1. Grip the club with your lead (left) hand in its normal position at the top of the grip.
2. Place your trail (right) hand about four to six inches below it on the steel of the shaft. This split grip feels weird but is highly effective.
3. Take gentle, half-swings, focusing on the movement through impact.
4. With this grip, it's almost impossible to scoop or cast without feeling a very weak, awkward motion. To make solid contact, your body rotation must lead the swing, allowing the clubhead to pass your hands and your right arm/hand to cross over your left through the hit. It beautifully exaggerates the feeling of a correct release.

Final Thoughts

Learning a proper release is about shifting your focus from "hitting at" the ball to "swinging through" it. The release isn't a single move you add to your swing, it’s the powerful and natural result of a well-sequenced swing powered by your body. By understanding the proper sequence and mindfully practicing these drills, you can transform weak shots into compressed, pure, and powerful strikes.

Putting these new feelings into practice while facing a real shot on the course can be a challenge. How do I apply this concept when the ball is sitting down in the rough? This is precisely why we designed Caddie AI. When you encounter a specific lie or situation that leaves you unsure about the shot, you can snap a photo, send it over, and get instant, pro-level advice on the best play. It takes the guesswork out of those tricky spots, giving you the confidence to trust your technique and make a committed swing.