The golf swing is a complex move that consists of many elements, so you will need to create more than just energy and speed. The moment of impact is when the ball is hit with the club and sent airborne. Still, without a proper backswing and downswing, you can’t really expect to swing and make an impact at full speed and power.
Among the most common mistakes that beginners make is casting the club in their golf swing. What does this result in? It will certainly affect the club speed at the moment of impact, as well as increase the clockwise spin. This can lead to an unintentional fade or slice shot. The term casting refers to a premature release during the downswing.
In order to master an effective swing, you will need to cut out the possibility of this happening. That is why we have prepared an array of drills to stop casting in a golf swing. Let’s get to it so you can start practicing!
What is Casting in the First Place?
Before we get to the exercises that will help you prevent this issue, you should get a better idea of what it is. What happens is you lose the angle between the golf club shaft and your right forearm. As a result, you are trying to regain that angle and thus change the amount that your wrist is hinged.
In most cases, this results in a cupped left wrist during impact, which is then responsible for the loss of power and speed. Thus, as with most other golfing mistakes, casting happens because of improper body alignment. In this case, it happens during the golf swing.
There is a simple golf swing alteration that you can make in order to greatly lower the chances of casting the club. It is shallowing out your swing plane. As you probably know, you shouldn’t let your arms drive the club during the downswing. All parts of your body should work in unison, guided by the weight transition that is happening in the lower body. Allow your arms to stay relaxed at the top of the swing.
Then, you will see how the natural movement and the weight that is now distributed to the front left leg (for right-handed players) will pull your arms down. The momentum that you have created is then transferred to the golf club, ensuring an accurate release.
Drills That Will Help You Prevent Casting
There are a couple of different exercises that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home or on the golf course. These should help you cut out the possibility of casting. First, let’s take a closer look at how casting feels, and then we can move on to the methods that will help eliminate it.
Basic cast
The first drill that you will want to engage in is the one where you will practice a very basic motion. The purpose of this drill is for you to realize the role that the wrist plays in casting. You should be bending the elbow of your dominant hand to the point where your hand is level with the shoulder.
Once that is done, make sure that the club points are parallel to the ground. Unlock the wrist and straighten the club up. The same motion happens with your wrists during the downswing.
Complete cast
The aforementioned basic cast is to show you the motion while holding the club with one hand. However, it is much more understandable when the left hand is involved as well. Stand in the regular address position and prepare for a backswing.
By straightening out your right arm, elbow, and wrist, you will now engage the left arm in a pivoting action. This will result in club points that are directly pointed and parallel to the ground. This shouldn’t happen during the backswing.
Exercises to Help You
Considering this, here are a few exercises that will help you prevent this from happening.
Using the tee to your advantage
The idea here is that you prevent your wrists from straightening out too early. The best way to do this is to practice a short swing with a tee at the end of the club’s grip. It should be pointing to the target, while your golf club should be parallel with the ground.
Repeat the short swings until you master the control of your wrists during the backswing and downswing motions.
The noodle drill
Among the best tips out there is to keep your wrists as loose as possible. The idea is that you don’t play a role in whether the wrists will cock or uncock. This should be decided by the natural momentum of your swing. Thus, grab a club and hold it lightly.
Perform regular swinging motions up to the height of your waist. You will notice that your wrists will unconsciously cock at the finish moment. This exercise should help you understand that you should be using your arms to drive the club and not the wrists.
The punch drill
Similar to the previous drill, the idea here is that you prevent uncocking the wrists prematurely. Once again, you should be practicing with short swings. Meanwhile, focus on the fact that your wrists should be slightly cocked until the ball is sent airborne.
This is the point at which you should be uncocking the wrists. The cast motion usually results in a cupped left wrist (or right wrist if you are a left-handed player). This drill should prevent straightening out your wrist before it is time.
Final Thoughts
Casting is a common mistake for beginners. However, it is also common for golfers that have been in the sport for some time. They simply still don’t fully understand what to do with their wrists during the downswing. We ran through a couple of drills that should help you prevent the casting of the golf club. Now, it is your turn to go ahead and put these drills into practice. Good luck!
