Number One Reason Why “Casting” Produces Inconsistent Ball Contact

By Jim Fanatra, CSCS

 Do you remember playing with the “Little Red Radio Flyer Wagon”?  Casting is like trying to run fast and push the wagon in front of you using only the handle.

 Long drives and low scores require consistent ball contact.  If you’re “casting” it’s hard to consistently find the sweet spot on the driver and irons.  The reason is found in physics.

 It’s Often Easier to Control Something by Pulling it Rather Than Pushing It.

 In certain circumstances, it’s easier to control the center of mass by pulling rather than pushing.  Force leading the mass can provide more control, especially when the object is narrow and the force is not dispersed across a wide platform.

 Here’s where we need the “Little Red Radio Flyer Wagon”.  How hard would it be to push on the handle to move the wagon rather than pulling it as you walk?  It would be very hard to control while running.  But you could run fast and still control the wagon if you pulled it. That pivoting handle may help when you’re pulling, but it makes pushing the wagon really hard.

 “Casting” is Like Pushing The Wagon While Your Running.

 In the golf swing, the only place to exert force is into a narrow grip that is in line with the narrow line of a thin shaft. A shaft that’s attached to a club head that can “pivot”. In this case, just like the wagon, more control is gained if the force (hands on grip) leads the club head into impact. 

 It’s very hard to control a club head that leads the hands into impact.  But that’s what you’re doing when lag is lost early in the downswing. “Casting” or “flipping the head” into impact is essentially pushing the club head to impact.  Without the control gained by force leading mass, consistent ball striking is just a nice dream.

 Since we want to build as much clubhead speed as possible, when you cast, your hands are trying to catch up to your hips. Flipping the club head at the ball feels faster.

 But flipping has set up a situation similar to trying to run as fast as you can pushing the handle of the ‘Little Red Flyer Wagon”.  Mass leading force at high speeds is very unstable and erratic.  If you’re casting the club, the clubhead will become unstable and erratic.  The faster you try to swing the more unstable it will become.  Goodbye consistency!

 That’s why maintaining lag is so important. When the hands lead the club head, power and control improve.