Types of loading
 

I keep reading threads about sweep loading vs. snap loading, etc. As someone fairly new to TGM, and who hasn't received my book yet, could someone please explain what these are and their differences? Thanks.

jn

Loading and Releasing = Lag and Thrust = to the top and onto the ball.

Loading is to establish lag on the backswing. Lag is best known as a cocking of the left wrist and bending of the right wrist- basic Flying Wedges- but there is also a pivot lag that keeps the clubhead lagging the hands. We can get into that later. You are loading your Power Package

LOAD:
Sweep load is an even smooth loading of the hands and body starting early in the stroke.
Snap load is a late loading in the backswing, near the top.
Random is a pre-determined point along the way.

RELEASE:
There are three release points- Sweep, Random Sweep and Snap and two release types
non-automatic and automatic.

Sweep- a long constant slow release of the power package and its accumulators.
Random Sweep is just like Sweep except you train to have a pre-determined point delaying the release. Tom Watson uses either Random or Sweep
Snap- sometimes mis-called a late hit, releases the club with a strong powerful whiplash motion (ala Ernie Els)

Non- automatic is a deliberate manipulation of the release.
Automatic allows the club to release own its own as the hands drive to an aiming point ahead of the clubhead. The clubhead will have no other option but to release down onto the ball as the hands and pivot finish their assigned tasks. Swingers use Automatic release.

Thanks guys, this helps a lot. I am still trying to figure out the release though. All these years I thought I knew what it was, but the feeling of maintaining lag and right wrist bend feels like holding on through impact to me. I have watched Yoda's impact bag video over and over (and am amazed over and over), but it does change my concept of the release. I just can't get any feeling of release while maintaining right wrist bend through and past impact. Hopefully a lot of this will clear up when my book arrives, and when I can get outside to actually hit some balls.

"Lag is best known as a cocking of the left wrist and bending of the right wrist"

I have to say first I am not an expert on hitting but am learning now. From address, probably fix, I already have the right wrist bent, backswing to the top without changing the right wrist alignment. In this case, loading for hitter will only be the cocking of the left wrist sometime during the backswing?

At this stage, everything seems automatic to me, from the top, just pushing against #1pp, and the uncocking etc.. just happen. Seems long way to go before you can control the releasing?

I meant to say "Lag Loading is best known as a ..." It was a response to Heat who is without a book. I didn't want to force a whole bottle of asprin down his throat quite yet. :D . There is much more that can be said about Lag but thought simple was a good jumping on point.

You are correct about the hands at impact fix for hitting. It is a powerful stroke. I can't believe the number of Hitters Lynn has produced and nurtured. It is about time Hitters found equality. :)