7 Lag Training Drills That Add Serious Distance to Your Shots

Are you watching your golf buddies consistently outdrive you by 20-30 yards? Feeling frustrated when your shots lack that crisp, powerful contact you see from better players? You're probably missing one of golf's most crucial power sources: lag.

After playing weekend golf for over 25 years, I've discovered that lag isn't some mystical technique only pros can master. It's a learnable skill that can transform your distance and consistency faster than any equipment upgrade. The problem is, most weekend golfers either don't understand what lag actually is, or they're practicing the wrong drills to develop it.

The truth is, proper lag training can add 15-25 yards to your drives while making every iron shot feel more solid and penetrating. According to TrackMan data, each mile per hour of clubhead speed adds approximately 2.5 yards of distance - and lag is the fastest way to unlock that hidden speed.

What Is Lag in the Golf Swing?

Lag is the angle between your lead arm and club shaft during the downswing. Danny Maude (Head PGA Professional at Canterbury Golf Club, 1.16 million YouTube subscribers, "The World's Most Watched Online Golf Coach") explains it perfectly: "Lag is really the upper part of the body, the arms and the club lagging behind the lower part of the body. When we get to the top here, the lower part of the body is going before the upper part - that's what lag is."

According to TrackMan data, PGA Tour professionals average 115 mph clubhead speed and achieve 300+ yard drives, while amateur golfers average just 93.4 mph and 214 yards. The difference? Tour players naturally create and maintain lag throughout their swing, generating a whip-like effect that amateur golfers leave on the table.

Think of lag like cracking a whip - the energy builds up in the handle (your hands and arms) before explosively releasing through the tip (the clubhead). Without lag, you're essentially pushing the ball instead of unleashing stored power.

But there's more.

Why Is Lag So Important for Distance and Ball Striking?

Understanding why lag matters will change how you approach your golf swing forever. Eric Cogorno (Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, 20,000+ in-person lessons, 200,000+ YouTube followers) emphasizes that "when you don't create lag in your golf swing, you're losing out on tons of distance, sometimes 15-30 yards."

According to HackMotion analysis of over 1,000,000 golf swings, lag provides four critical benefits:

1. Increased Clubhead Speed: Proper lag creates stored energy that releases explosively at impact. Research shows that maintaining lag for just 10% longer in the downswing can increase clubhead speed by 3-5 mph, translating to 7-12 extra yards.

2. Better Ball Compression: Lag allows you to hit down on the ball consistently, creating that penetrating ball flight and solid contact feeling. Without lag, you're forced to scoop or flip at impact, leading to weak, high shots.

3. Improved Swing Plane: Lag naturally shallows your swing plane, helping you attack the ball from inside the target line rather than coming over the top. This eliminates slicing and promotes a powerful draw.

4. Enhanced Consistency: When your hands lead the clubhead through impact, you create predictable contact and ball flight. According to PGA Tour statistics, players with better lag metrics hit 23% more greens in regulation.

Let me explain the science behind this.

When weekend golfers try to generate power by swinging harder with their arms, they actually destroy lag through a motion called "casting." Last month while playing with my regular foursome, I watched one of my buddies swing out of his shoes on every drive, yet consistently get outdriven by players with smoother, more controlled swings. The difference was lag.

How Do You Create Lag in Your Golf Swing?

Creating lag isn't about forcing some artificial position - it's about proper sequencing and letting physics work for you. The key is understanding that lag happens naturally when your lower body leads the downswing while your arms and club "lag behind."

Proper lag creation starts with the transition. At the top of your backswing, you should have roughly a 90-degree angle between your lead arm and club shaft. The magic happens when you start your downswing with a slight weight shift and hip rotation, allowing the club to naturally lag behind.

Think of it like this: when I'm working on lag drills in my garage during the winter, I imagine my lower body as a car pulling a trailer (the club). The car (hips and legs) starts moving first, and the trailer naturally gets pulled along behind. If you try to push the trailer from behind, everything gets out of sync.

Danny Maude describes the feeling perfectly: "As I'm transitioning, my lower part just before the club's reached, we create a lag - the club lags behind. Compare that to releasing too much - there's nothing going on here and the club's releasing."

The sequence should be:

1. Weight shift to lead foot (starts the downswing)
2. Hip rotation (creates the pulling motion)
3. Shoulders and arms follow (naturally maintaining the angle)
4. Hands lead clubhead through impact

Most importantly - and this took me years to understand - you can't force lag by consciously holding the angle. Forcing creates tension, which actually destroys the natural lag sequence.

And here's why.

What Are the Best Lag Training Drills for Weekend Golfers?

After testing dozens of lag drills over the years, I've found these seven produce the fastest results for weekend golfers. These drills focus on feel and natural motion rather than forcing artificial positions.

Drill 1: The One-Arm Lag Drill

This is my go-to drill for developing lag feel. Take your normal grip with just your lead hand (left hand for right-handed golfers) and make slow, controlled swings.

Setup: Address the ball with only your lead hand on the club. Start with small swings - waist to waist height.

Execution: Make a slow backswing, then start the downswing by shifting weight to your lead foot. Feel how the clubhead naturally lags behind your hand due to gravity and momentum.

Key Feel: Your hand should always be ahead of the clubhead until just before impact. This is pure lag in its simplest form.

According to HackMotion data, golfers who practice this drill show a 15% improvement in lag retention within two weeks. It's the foundation for all other lag development.

Drill 2: The Step Drill for Dynamic Lag

This drill teaches you how weight shift and hip rotation create lag naturally. I discovered this technique watching how baseball players generate power, and it translates perfectly to golf.

Setup: Start with your feet together at address, club in normal grip position.

Execution: As you start your backswing, step your lead foot toward the target. This automatically creates the proper weight shift and hip action that generates lag.

Why It Works: The stepping motion forces your lower body to lead the downswing while your arms and club naturally lag behind. You can't overthink it - the physics happen automatically.

Drill 3: The Towel Lag Drill

Danny Maude recommends this drill for developing the proper feel of lag without hitting balls. It's perfect for home practice.

Setup: Place a towel under both arms against your chest. Take your normal golf posture.

Execution: Make swings while keeping the towel in place. This forces your arms to work together and prevents the independent arm action that destroys lag.

Key Benefit: You'll immediately feel how connected arm movement preserves the lag angle, while disconnected motion (letting the towel drop) kills it.

Drill 4: The Pump Drill

This is one of the most effective drills for feeling lag retention. Eric Cogorno uses this with students who struggle with early release.

Setup: Take your normal address position and make a backswing to the top.

Execution: From the top, make a small "pump" motion - start down about 12 inches, then return to the top. Repeat this 3-4 times, feeling how your wrists stay cocked throughout the motion.

Training Effect: This drill trains your nervous system to maintain wrist angles during the critical transition phase.

Drill 5: The Motorcycle Drill

This drill focuses on the lead wrist position, which is crucial for maintaining lag. Proper wrist action controls 80% of your shot direction.

Setup: Take normal address and swing to the top of your backswing.

Execution: At the start of your downswing, imagine "revving a motorcycle" with your lead hand - rotate your wrist into a bowed position.

Result: This motion naturally maintains lag while squaring the clubface, giving you both distance and accuracy.

Drill 6: The Trail Arm "Lose the Arm Wrestle" Drill

This HackMotion-developed drill prevents early release through proper trail arm positioning.

Setup: Extend your trail arm in front of you. "Lose an arm wrestle" by rotating your elbow inward and forearm outward.

Execution: Maintain this feeling throughout your swing. Your trail elbow should stay close to your ribs during the downswing.

Benefit: This prevents the over-the-top motion that destroys lag and creates slices.

Drill 7: The Alignment Stick Lag Drill

This provides instant feedback on your lag retention. It's one of the simplest yet most effective drills for visual learners.

Setup: Attach an alignment stick to your club grip, creating an extension of your club.

Execution: During your downswing, keep the stick pointing to the right of the ball as long as possible. When you cast early, the stick will point left of the ball, giving you immediate feedback.

Training Value: This drill provides real-time feedback that accelerates learning.

Most importantly...

What Are the Most Common Lag Mistakes Weekend Golfers Make?

After coaching hundreds of weekend golfers, I've noticed the same mistakes repeatedly destroy lag development. Avoiding these errors will accelerate your progress dramatically.

Mistake 1: Trying to Force Lag

The biggest mistake is consciously trying to hold the lag angle. When I first learned about lag, I spent months trying to manually maintain the wrist angle, which created massive tension and actually made my lag worse. Lag is a result of proper sequencing, not forced positioning.

Mistake 2: Starting the Downswing with Arms

According to Performance Golf research, 85% of amateur golfers start their downswing with their arms and shoulders instead of their lower body. This immediately destroys any lag angle created in the backswing.

Mistake 3: Over-Hinging the Wrists

Many golfers think more wrist hinge equals more lag. However, excessive wrist hinge actually puts the lead wrist in an extended (cupped) position that opens the clubface and makes lag retention impossible.

Mistake 4: Gripping Too Tightly

Tension is lag's biggest enemy. HackMotion data shows that golfers with grip pressure above 6/10 lose 40% more lag than those with lighter grip pressure. Your grip should be firm enough to control the club but loose enough to allow natural wrist action.

Mistake 5: Ignoring Lower Body Sequence

Weekend golfers often focus entirely on their arms and wrists while ignoring the fact that lag is created by proper lower body movement. The sequence must be: feet, knees, hips, chest, arms, hands, clubhead.

Now here comes the good part.

How Long Does It Take to Develop Consistent Lag?

The timeline for developing consistent lag varies, but most weekend golfers see noticeable improvement within 2-4 weeks of focused practice. According to my experience working with fellow amateur golfers, here's what you can expect:

Week 1-2: Feel Development You'll start understanding what lag feels like through the drills. Don't worry about distance yet - focus on the sensation of the clubhead lagging behind your hands.

Week 3-4: Consistency Building
The movement patterns become more natural. You'll start hitting more solid shots with increased distance.

Week 5-8: Integration Lag becomes automatic in your swing. According to TrackMan data from golf improvement studies, golfers typically see 5-8 mph clubhead speed increases during this phase.

3+ Months: Mastery Lag becomes second nature. You'll maintain the feeling even under pressure during actual rounds.

The key is consistent practice. I recommend spending 15-20 minutes on lag drills every other day rather than marathon practice sessions. Quality repetition beats quantity every time.

But what's more...

What Training Aids Help Develop Lag?

While drills are the foundation of lag development, certain training aids can accelerate your progress. Based on my testing and research, here are the most effective tools:

Lag Shot Training Club: This flexible-shafted training club forces you to create proper lag or you can't hit the ball solidly. Golf Digest named it "Best Swing Trainer" two years running. The whippy shaft provides instant feedback on your lag sequence.

Impact Bag: Hitting into an impact bag teaches the proper feel of hands-leading-clubhead contact. It's perfect for developing the impact position that lag creates.

Alignment Sticks: Use these for the stick lag drill mentioned earlier. They provide visual and tactile feedback on your lag retention throughout the swing.

Heavy Club: Swinging a weighted club develops the proper sequence and strengthens the lag-creating muscles. Start with slow swings and gradually increase speed.

According to equipment testing by various golf publications, golfers using lag-specific training aids improve 35% faster than those using drills alone.

And here's why.

How Do You Practice Lag Training Drills at Home?

One of the best aspects of lag training is that you can practice most drills at home without hitting balls. During the winter months when I can't get to the course regularly, I maintain my lag feel through indoor practice.

Living Room Drills: The towel drill, pump drill, and motorcycle drill can all be practiced in a small space. I use a 7-iron and make sure I have enough ceiling height for a full backswing.

Garage Practice: If you have garage space, you can practice all seven drills with full swings. Set up a net or hitting mat for safety.

Mirror Work: Practice the drills in front of a mirror to see the proper positions. You'll be amazed how much visual feedback helps with lag development.

Progressive Training: Start with slow motion swings to groove the feel, then gradually increase to full speed. According to motor learning research, slow practice creates better neural pathways than fast, uncontrolled swings.

The goal isn't perfect positions - it's developing the feel for how lag creates effortless power.

Let me explain.

Key Takeaways: Master Lag to Transform Your Game

Developing consistent lag isn't about becoming a golf pro or spending thousands on lessons. It's about understanding the simple physics of how power is created and stored in the golf swing.

The seven drills I've shared have helped countless weekend golfers add 15-25 yards to their drives while improving ball striking across all clubs. Remember, each mph of clubhead speed equals 2.5 yards of distance, and lag is the fastest way to unlock that speed.

Focus on the sequence: lower body leads, arms and club lag behind, hands lead clubhead through impact. When you master this natural motion, golf becomes easier and more enjoyable.

Start with the one-arm drill to develop feel, then progress through the other six drills as the motion becomes more natural. Practice consistently but don't force it - lag develops through repetition and patience, not force.

Your next step: Choose two drills that feel most natural and practice them for 15 minutes tonight. Within two weeks, you'll feel the difference. Within a month, your golf buddies will be asking what changed.

The power was always there - you just needed to learn how to access it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Golf Lag Training

How do you create lag without losing clubhead speed?

Lag actually increases clubhead speed when done correctly. The key is allowing the lag to happen naturally through proper sequencing rather than forcing it. When your lower body leads the downswing, the clubhead naturally lags behind and then whips through impact with increased speed. According to biomechanics research, proper lag can increase clubhead speed by 5-8 mph.

What is the difference between lag and casting in golf?

Lag is maintaining the angle between your lead arm and club shaft during the downswing, while casting is the early release of this angle. Eric Cogorno explains that casting is "the early release or early loss of wrist angles in the golf swing." When you cast, your hands and clubhead reach the ball at the same time, eliminating the powerful whip-like action that lag provides.

Can senior golfers develop lag effectively?

Absolutely. Lag is about proper sequencing and timing, not just flexibility or strength. Senior golfers often benefit more from lag training because it helps them generate power efficiently rather than relying on raw clubhead speed. The key is starting with slower, controlled drills and gradually building up speed.

How do you know if you have good lag in your swing?

Good lag feels like the clubhead is "heavy" during the downswing and creates a powerful "snap" through impact. Visually, your hands should be noticeably ahead of the clubhead when your hands reach hip height in the downswing. You'll also notice more solid contact, increased distance, and a penetrating ball flight rather than high, weak shots.

What training aids are best for developing lag?

The most effective lag training aids include the Lag Shot flexible-shaft trainer, impact bags for developing proper impact feel, alignment sticks for visual feedback, and weighted clubs for sequence training. However, the basic drills using your regular clubs are just as effective - training aids simply provide additional feedback to accelerate learning.

Related Lag Training Resources

For weekend golfers serious about developing consistent lag and adding distance to every club, these related topics will help complete your power development:

Golf Swing Speed Training - Discover specific exercises and techniques that tour players use to increase clubhead speed through improved sequencing and lag retention.

How to Stop Coming Over the Top - Learn why over-the-top swings destroy lag and the three training aids that fix this common fault while developing better lag retention.

Golf Wrist Hinge Trainers - Explore specific tools and techniques for developing the proper wrist action that creates and maintains lag throughout your swing.

Golf Swing Tempo Drills - Master the tempo and timing that allows lag to develop naturally without forcing or rushing the sequence.

Golf Training Aids for Home Practice - Set up effective lag training routines you can practice year-round, regardless of weather or course access.

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