! Scigolf presents Scott Hazledine Answers Your Golfing Questions On Your Golf Game.

Question 109

Scott,
To me it is all in what the hands do. And what they DON'T do. Can you give me a drill (I read your "answer" about the little knuckle on your right hand) to train the hands a bit. I know you can't manipulate your hands through impact. Exactly what is a single-axis "release"?

SH: John, I have tried to explain the release in anatomical terms but most people don't understand so lets try a motion that almost anybody knows. Here goes.

Have you ever skipped stones on water? The release of the right hand or dominate hand is exactly that. Simple right! you bring your hand back and snap the wrist and point you finger, no rotation of the forearm. No suppination or pronation -- a straight flip of the wrist.

Do you drive the right forearm out and forward (after bringing the right elbow down and forward) like you are throwing or hitting with a hammer or ax?

SH: By moving the elbow down and infront of the hip you have the club falling backward behind you. Provided that the grip is correct the shaft will become parallel down the line at the 6/100th of a second before impact with the ball.

Or do you just "let it happen"?

SH: Unfortunately nothing just happens, you must have training. The reason that it does not just happen is that the nerve endings in the muscles tell your brain to avoid this motion for there is a joint angle that needs to be released.

I have struggled off and on with single-axis for 3 years and always wind up hooking badly.

SH: This is typical with the incorrect left hand grip/top hand and the improper release makes the body do things that it should not, and Moe does not do.

Not every shot -- I have shot my best scores with single-axis, but there are periods when EVERYTHING goes wrong because I am rolling my right wrist over and I CANNOT stop it. A total retard. I am about to go back to tennis and lose the 15 pounds I've picked up trying to get down to a single digit handicap.

Good luck to you and thanks,
John

P.S. I have your excellent tape and everything else that is available on the single-axis swing, including a copy of the old article that was in the Wall Street Journal about Kuykendall and Natural golf.

SH: Thank you John. Keep at the drills I show in the full swing video - Master the Golf Swing and when you can send me a video of your swing.