How to Use a Lag Shot Golf Club

If you've grabbed a Lag Shot golf club, you're holding one of the most effective training aids for developing a smooth, powerful, and properly sequenced golf swing. This isn't a silver bullet, but it's deliberately designed with a hyper-flexible shaft to force you to feel what elite players feel naturally: tempo, timing, and lag. This guide will walk you through exactly how to use your Lag Shot, progressing from basic feelings to hitting solid shots, so you can finally translate that feeling into your real game.

What is the Lag Shot, and Why Does it Work?

The Lag Shot looks like a standard iron (it comes in 7-iron, driver, and wedge versions), but the secret is its incredibly flexible, or "whippy," blue shaft. This isn't a gimmick, it's a diagnostic tool that gives you instant, exaggerated feedback on your swing's timing and sequence.

In a good golf swing, the body initiates the movement. It’s a rotational action where the club moves around the body. As you start the downswing, your lower body unwinds first, creating a "lag" where the clubhead naturally trails behind your hands. This lag is like a slingshot, storing energy that gets released powerfully through the ball at impact.

Most amateur golfers do the opposite. They get to the top of their swing and immediately throw the club at the ball with their hands and arms, a move called "casting" or coming "over the top." This robs you of power and consistency. The Lag Shot's flexible shaft makes this fault impossible to ignore. If you rush your downswing or use only your arms, the shaft will bend awkwardly, the club will feel uncontrollable, and you'll hit a weak, terribly offline shot. To hit the Lag Shot solidly, you are *forced* to be patient at the top and let your body lead the way, automatically grooving the feeling of effortless power.

Getting Started: Your First Few Swings

Before you even think about hitting a ball, you need to get familiar with the unique feel of the Lag Shot. Don't just jump into full swings, you'll get frustrated. Follow these initial steps to build the right foundation.

Step 1: Just Waggle It

Hold the club and just waggle it back and forth gently. Notice how the blue shaft bends and how you can feel the weight of the clubhead swinging at the end of it. The goal is to feel a connection between your hands and the clubhead, even with the shaft flexing. This isn't something you can muscle, you have to let it swing.

Step 2: Smooth, Ball-less "Chip" Swings

Now, take your setup without a golf ball. Make small, slow, waist-high-to-waist-high swings. Focus on making one smooth, continuous motion. The key here is the transition. As you swing back to waist-high, feel the clubhead "load" the shaft. Then, without any jerky movements, let your turning body pull the club through to the other side. You should hear a soft "whoosh" as the club swings past where the ball would be. Your goal is to get the clubhead swinging in-sync with your body's rotation. Avoid any conscious effort to "hit" at the bottom of the swing.

Drill #1: The Half-Swing Tempo Master

This is where the magic begins to happen. This drill isolates the transition - the most common place amateurs lose all their speed - and teaches you how to sequence your downswing correctly. You can do this without a ball first, then move to hitting balls off a tee.

• Setup: Take your normal 7-iron setup.
• Backswing: Swing back smoothly, stopping your hands when they are about hip-high. Because of the flex, the clubhead will continue to travel a bit further back.
• Pause and Feel: This is the most important part. At the top of this short backswing, wait. Feel the shaft fully "load." It feels like a moment of tension building up. Don't rush it. You're consciously allowing the clubhead to finish its journey before you begin your downswing.
• Downswing: Initiate the downswing by turning your hips and torso toward the target. Do NOT throw your hands at the ball. Let your body rotation pull the handle of the club, which will in turn pull the shaft and the clubhead through impact.

When you do this drill correctly, you'll feel the club almost "slingshot" through the impact area. The shaft "unloads" its stored energy right at the bottom of the arc, creating that satisfying "whoosh." This is the sensation of lag and release.

Drill #2: Building to a Full and Smooth Swing

Once the half-swing feels comfortable and timed well, you can start extending the motion. The principles remain exactly the same.

The Process

Start lengthening your backswing a little at a time - to chest height, then shoulder height, and eventually to a full-feeling backswing. At every stage, the focus remains the same: a smooth, unhurried backswing and a moment of patience at the top.

The Critical Feeling

With a full swing, the temptation to rush from the top becomes immense. You must resist it. As you reach the top of your backswing, try to create that same "pause" you felt in the half-swing drill. It might not be a full stop, but it's a mental pause to let the clubhead settle and "load" into the shaft before you start down with your lower body.

Imagine your body is a revolving door and your arms and the club are just following the door's rotation. The door starts turning first, and the arms come along for the ride. Rushing with your arms is like trying to push the other side of the revolving door - it just fights against the system's momentum.

Taking It to the Range: Hitting Balls with the Lag Shot

Now you're ready to put your new tempo to the test with golf balls. Here are some tips to make this process successful and avoid frustration.

• Always Tee It Up First: Start by hitting shots off of a low tee. Removing the variable of a perfect lie on the mat or grass makes it much easier to focus solely on tempo and solid contact.
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Your only goals are

. The Lag Shot will naturally fly shorter than your normal 7-iron because of the flexible shaft and the fact that you aren't trying to swing out of your shoes. This is normal and expected! Trying to hit it far is the #1 mistake people make - it encourages a rush from the top, which is exactly what the club is designed to prevent. -

A well-struck shot with the Lag Shot will have a wonderfully pure, compressed "thump-click" sound. It won't sound tinny or thin. The sound of proper compression is your reward. Listen for it.

Work your way through a small bucket using the same progression: start with tiny half-swings, then 75% swings, then smooth full swings. Maintain that feeling of a polished, smooth transition on every single shot.

How to Transfer the Feeling Back to Your "Gamer" Clubs

Training with the Lag Shot is great, but the ultimate goal is to hit your standard clubs better. The transfer process is simple but important for embedding the new motor pattern.

Follow this routine during your practice sessions:

1. Hit 5-7 balls with the Lag Shot, focusing intently on that smooth tempo and patient transition.
2. Immediately put down the Lag Shot and pick up your regular 7-iron (or a similar club).
3. Without overthinking it, take one or two practice swings trying to recreate the feeling - not the look - of the Lag Shot swing. Your own club will feel very stable and straight in comparison. This is good! Trust it.
4. Step up and hit a ball with your regular club while that feeling is still fresh in your mind.
5. Repeat this back-and-forth process. Five Lag Shot swings, a few regular swings. Five more Lag Shot swings, a few more regular swings.

This A/B testing is where the new feel becomes locked in. You are moving from consciously feeling the training aid to subconsciously trusting that sequence with your actual clubs. Over time, you won't need the Lag Shot as a crutch, the feeling will become your new normal.

Final Thoughts

The Lag Shot Golf Club is an incredible tool because it doesn't just tell you what to do - it forces you to feel a properly sequenced swing. By focusing on a smooth tempo, being patient at the top of your swing, and letting your body lead the downswing, you can use the Lag Shot to eliminate casting, create effortless power, and finally develop the consistency you've been searching for.

Mastering a device like the Lag Shot is all about translating that trained feeling into a repeatable motion you can trust. Once you're on the course, however, trusting that new feeling under pressure can be a challenge on a tough hole or from an awkward lie. This is a big reason why we built Caddie AI. It gives you instant, on-demand strategic advice in your pocket, helping you make smarter decisions so you can focus on simply executing your improved swing. From choosing the right club to getting a clear plan for your shot, it provides that extra bit of confidence to help you apply what you learned on the range to your real game.