Good rhythm in your golf swing doesn’t just happen. You need to set the tone for your swing with your waggle. A waggle is a motion with the wrists in which the hands stay pretty much steady over the ball and the clubhead moves back a foot or two, as if starting the swing.
Waggling the club serves three main purposes:
Waggling is a rehearsal of the crucial opening segment of the backswing. When you use a waggle, you don't have to jump right into the full swing without getting used to the feel of it.
Waggling can set the tone for the pace of the swing. In other words, if you have a short, fast swing, make short, fast waggles. If your swing is of the long and slow variety, make long, slow waggles. Be true to your style.
In golf, you don’t want to start from a static position. You need a running start to build up momentum and to keep your swing from getting off to an abrupt, jerky beginning. Waggling the clubhead eases tension and introduces movement into your setup.
The waggle is actually the second-to-last thing you do before the backswing begins — the last thing is your swing trigger. A swing trigger can be any kind of move. For example, 1989 British Open champion Mark Calcavecchia shuffles his feet. Gary Player, winner of nine major championships, kicks his right knee in toward the ball. A slight turning of the head to the right is Jack Nicklaus’s cue to start his swing. Your swing trigger is up to you. Do whatever frees you up to get the club away from the ball. Create the flow!
