If you hit a good drive and it goes about 225 yards and you weigh over 150 pounds, I can pretty much assure you, that you are casting the club on the downswing. I weigh 155 pounds, I'm 5'9", and can hit the ball 290-310 yards. So can you! (Sorry if that sounded like a cheesy infomercial off the Golf Channel)

Casting the club on the downswing is still the leading swing fault that leads to shorter drives and iron shots. Don't know what casting means? Casting refers to the pre-mature wrist release on the downswing. The move starts from the very top of the swing where the wrists are cocked, then, on the way down the player will release their wrist cock early. This move looks like a fisherman trying to cast his line into a lake (hence the name). This move completely eliminates your wrists in your golf swing. This alone is a huge power drain.

Casting turns your golf swing into an armsy motion that lacks power. How does this move kill power? Think about it this way, what part of your body can you move the faster, your wrist or your arm? Since you can snap your wrists faster than you can move your arm, your wrists play a huge part in creating more power.

The opposite of casting, known as creating lag, is more efficient in creating power because it uses the power in the larger muscles, and then transfers it to the smaller quicker muscles right before impact. The proper motion looks like an "L" position; with the arms being parallel to the ground and the club standing upright. This position is only possible if your wrists are cocked. From here, the wrists should begin to release. The club speeds up tremendously in the last two feet before the ball.

When a player casts the club, this power-creating position does not occur. The swing becomes an arms-only motion, that cannot create the same amount of swing speed that the wrists can. In slow-motion, the casting move will cause the club to be even with the arms from about hip-height on into impact. Take a stab at which swing would create more power. Then ask yourself... could I be hitting it further?

For pictures regarding this drill be sure to check out my website in my biography