Releasing the golf club in the down swing is a motion of the arms and hands that causes the club to efficiently propel the ball towards the target in a consistent manner.  In a proper release, there is no attempt to manipulate the hands.

An efficient and repeatable release is an important part of a consistent golf swing.  The release motion that is described here is appropriate for use in chipping, pitching, and the full swing.

Ben Hogan in his book, Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, mentions that the release of the right arm in the impact area “is quite similar to the one an infielder makes when he throws half underhand, half sidearm to first”.  In golf, this motion is the release of the right arm to swing the club towards the target.

In order to execute an efficient release of the club, the little fingers and the right triceps need to work together correctly to build and release energy in the right arm.  As I describe in my blog, “How to Use the Fingers,” the stretch of the little fingers is used to create supination of the left wrist.  The little fingers must maintain the stretch throughout the swing.

The right upper arm is crucial for building and releasing energy:

• Feel the stretch up of the right elbow, while the top of the right triceps resists up, to build energy in the right upper arm
• After the pause, as I describe in my blog, “How to Feel Rhythm,” feel the right triceps snap the right upper arm down and release the energy

The action of the right arm is similar to how an infielder “throws half sidearm to first.”  When the right upper arm snaps down, the result is the snap down of the right shoulder, the right forearm, the hands, and finally, the release of the club.  This sequence is the most efficient way to release the club towards the target.

Golfers who develop an efficient and repeatable release will hit the ball straighter and farther.