Danny Lee vs. Bernd Wiesberger - Get more lag

Sorry, you need to be a member to access to this video.
Become a member here!

Congrats to Bernd Wiesberger for winning the 2015 French Open and Congrats to Danny Lee for winning the 2015 Greenbriar Classic. **Are you constantly fighting with your mechanics in search of ways to produce more lag into your swing?** In this video, I'll show you how Danny Lee and Bernd Wiesberger get a ton of lag in their golf swings...but in 2 different ways. I'll show you how both players start the swing off the same way, build lag differently and then end up in the exact same spot in the hitting area!

  • Stay wide into the takeaway with both arms straight. 
  • Only have enough wrist set at the completion of the takeaway to get the club parallel to the ground. 
  • Keep the wrists supple during the swing. 
  • Allow the weight shift to create more angle for lag. 


Lag in the golf swing, we all want it and we all need it to help to help maximize your clubhead speed. But why is it so hard for golfers to achieve this illustrious position in the swing?

Well, the short answer is that most amateur golfers struggle with starting the swing off on the “right foot”. What do I mean when I say this? Typically speaking, most golfers start the swing by loading up the wrists and the arms first and not the lower body and rotation.

In doing so, golfers tend to have a very narrow takeaway with a ton of wrist set. This gives a very collapsed appearance to the hands arms in relationship to the trail shoulder at the top of the backswing. The result of this move will now cause you to widen the arc to early by throwing the club out and away from you to start the downswing. There goes all the lag and now gets you into a flippy and weak impact position.

If you look at Tour Pros across the board, you will notice a very common overall swing shape known as “wide-narrow-wide”. Both Danny Lee, 2015 Greenbriar Champion and Bernd Wiesberger, 2015 French Open Champion have mastered proper width and wrist set early on the swing that allows them to get things going in the right direction to be able build lag in the downswing. For a better understanding on the functions and terminology of the wrists in the golf swing, check out “Using the wrists effectively and efficiently” video. To learn how to get more width into your takeaway, check out the “role of the right arm in the takeaway” as well as the “keep the right arm straight to turn” video.

Now that you have a good and wide takeaway and backswing position, it is extremely important to not fully load of the wrists to their max range of motion and to keep them very relaxed throughout the entire backswing. By doing so, you can now allow your weight shift to start your downswing to create a much sharper angle for lag in the downswing.

If you focus driving the downward move with the lower body and allow the arms to be pulled down into the hitting area, you will notice you are starting to build heaps of lag. So much lag, you won’t even know what to do with it all.

Just remember that lag can be a double-edged sword. It is great to have for clubhead speed but it can also be pesky to get rid of if you do not know how to release it properly. Check out “5 minutes to a perfect golf club release” video to build a tour quality release and impact position.

A quick recap…

  • Focus on staying as wide as you can in the takeaway and backswing.

  • Allow for enough wrist set to support the club to parallel to the ground at a completed takeaway.

  • Keep the wrists supple and not at full range of motion into the top of the backswing.

  • Do nothing with the hands and arms to start the downswing

  • Focus on shifting your weight and allow the arms to be pulled down into the hitting area

Must be Premium Member to Comment

64x64
Loran
A little bit confused? How do the arms "fall" down from the top of the backswing? Straight down? Then I turn my obliques?
July 20, 2015
64x64
Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Loan. Yes, it is a blend of a little pull and gravity. If you take a look at the Re-Shaping Your Swing for Lag in the Introduction Section. Chuck will talk about the gravity/fall aspect. Vertically down and a little pull to get them in front of the chest from the lead arm. So, as to not be straight down, but slightly diagonal.
July 21, 2015
64x64
joseph
One additional difference between the two swings ... Weisberger doesn't shift lateral to start the downswing ... he rotates the hips (a hip spinner??) ... Lee shifts lateral like Chuck ... if I create lag like Lee I lose all control of the club and create a bigger flip or a no release ... if I use the Weisberger technique I better create all the lag by the completion of the backswing or I'm toast
July 7, 2015
64x64
Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Joseph -- Wiesberger does rotate his body harder from the top than most tour players and is still able to maintain lag in the downward move. Just remember with that sort of move, rotation in the downswing can cause deterioration to your spine. It is better to make your weight shift like Lee and allow your arms to be pulled down into the hitting area like Chuck/Lee, so that you can protect the body and still keep a good amount of efficiency in the move.
July 7, 2015
64x64
joseph
upon further analysis ... does Lee get his left hip over the ankle? Can a 'good' lateral move end up short of being fully stacked? I struggle with my head moving forward when I try to get the left hip immediately over the left ankle at the start of the downswing. Lag - the mythical being ... yup ... more mythical than the Loch Ness monster and mermaids!
July 8, 2015
64x64
Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
When you move to a wider stance it is much harder to get fully shifted into the lead side without having a bunch more movement from the head. Under a stock shot format, you want to make sure that you do get the lead side much more stacked up. When it comes to a driver swing and due to the adjustments in stance width, it will give you the appearance of being "short" of stacked. Oh the Loch Ness monster.
July 9, 2015
64x64
joseph
Thanks ... the connection between stance width and head movement is very useful to me.
July 9, 2015
64x64
Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
My pleasure!
July 11, 2015
64x64
Thomas
Good video Chris. Was hoping you could fit Sam Odell's swing in. Probably did fit what you wanted to do. Thanks so much for taking the time to look at it, I appreciate what you do. Tom Spriggs
July 7, 2015
64x64
Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Tom, thanks for the kind words and being a great student of RST. You are a pleasure to work . with and I look forward to seeing more amazing progress. If you get me face on AND dtl of Sam, I will see what I can do for you.
July 7, 2015
64x64
richard
What do you think of Orange Whip for building lag? Swing shirt?
July 7, 2015
64x64
Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
Both are "alright" in our eyes. However, if we do not sell it, then we probably have some issues with it. We are just not in the industry of bashing products that are on the market. We stand behind giving you facts and products that could support the facts.
July 7, 2015
64x64
William
Yet another fine explanation of the 'sequencing' in the golf swing Chris! I've actually replaced the word 'timing' with 'sequencing' in my game. Thanks to you, Steve and all @ RotarySwing for giving me the understanding and drills on how to swing a golf club. (By the way, it's still not right, but I'm getting there!). Regards, William
July 6, 2015
64x64
Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
Thanks William. Really glad to hear you enjoyed the video. Keep putting the work in and you will get it sooner than later.
July 6, 2015

We're after one thing: Real Results - Real Fast. And that's exactly what our members achieve. And that's why they say the AXIOM is: Mind-blowing. Game changing. Revolutionary.

Check it out ...

Here at RotarySwing, talk is cheap and the proof is always in the pudding. Come see the massive transformations we can achieve together in your swing.

See for yourself ...

From beginner to pro, we have what you need to get you where you want to go.

See how inside ...

RotarySwing was founded out of frustration with the current state of golf instruction. Quinton knew a better way had to exist to learn this game we all love.

Learn more ...