How I Teach Golf (Inspired by Kelvin Miyahira) is a 12-part series on MyJLStory.com. Each post shares one of my personal takeaways from studying Kelvin’s biomechanical framework and refining it through years of teaching. These are not a direct representation of Kelvin’s teaching — they are my interpretations, shaped by my own experience and mistakes. Start here, then follow the series for a full picture.
After understanding clubface control and closure rate, the next question is:
How do you release the club?
The release pattern decides whether you control the face through rotation or timing.
Kelvin categorized releases into three main types — Drive and Hold, Rotate, and Flip.
Each one can work, but only one creates stability under pressure.
The Three Release Patterns
1. Drive and Hold
The most stable pattern. The lead wrist stays flat or slightly bowed through impact while the trail wrist maintains extension.
The face stays square to the arc longer, minimizing closure rate.
It’s the pattern used by elite ball strikers — players who compress the ball and control direction without extra hand action.
2. Rotate Release
Slightly more active. The forearms rotate through impact, allowing a natural turnover of the clubface.
When timed well, it produces powerful, free-flowing shots.
This is where most good amateurs and tour players fall — stable enough, yet still dynamic.
3. Flip Release
The least stable. The lead wrist breaks down and the clubhead passes the hands too early.
It’s usually a compensation for an open face or early extension.
Flippers can hit great shots, but it’s built on timing, not structure.
What I Now Look For
1. Release pattern fits the face pattern.
If your clubface is already square early (P6), you can drive and hold.
If it’s late, you’ll have to rotate — or flip.
The earlier the face squares, the simpler the release.
2. Lead wrist integrity = release stability.
A firm, flexed lead wrist keeps the shaft leaning forward and stabilizes the face.
The moment that wrist collapses, consistency disappears.
3. The body leads, the hands follow.
In a proper release, rotation continues through impact.
The hands don’t throw the club — they react to the body’s motion.
Story From My Teaching
When Xander started squaring the clubface earlier (from our previous lesson), his old flip disappeared.
He used to “save” the shot by throwing his hands at impact — high closure rate, high timing demand.
Once the face was square by P6, I introduced the Drive and Hold release.
We worked on keeping his lead wrist firm and letting his body rotation carry the club through.
I told him, “Feel like your chest turns the clubface, not your hands.”
After a few swings, his strikes sounded heavier — the ball compressed, the flight tightened.
He said, “It feels like I’m not doing anything.”
I said, “That’s the point — the body’s doing it for you.”
That’s what a real release feels like: no effort, just sequence and structure.
[Photo Placeholders]
Drive and Hold — lead wrist flat, trail wrist extended
Rotate Release — forearm rotation visible
Flip Release — lead wrist breakdown, early clubhead pass
Impact comparison — stable vs. flippy release
Closing Theme
The release isn’t a trick — it’s the result of how the face and body work together.
A stable clubface gives you the freedom to release without fear.
Control the sequence, and you’ll never need to “save” a shot again.
Call to Action
This is part of my How I Teach Golf (Inspired by Kelvin Miyahira) series.
Which release pattern do you think you use most — drive and hold, rotate, or flip?
Share your thoughts in the comments — I’d love to hear it.
Editor’s Note
We’re still gathering the right swing photos and visuals for this series. Placeholders mark where they’ll go — thanks for your patience as we complete this resource.