In this episode of Ask Malaska Golf, Malaska Certified Coach Billy Fitzgerald from Beverly Country Club responds to a question from George Beakley about releasing the club early in the downswing—commonly known as casting.

Billy explains that early release is often not the root problem, but a reaction. When the lead hand grip is too weak, the clubface becomes open during the swing. As a result, the body instinctively tries to “catch up” and square the face before impact, leading to an early release.

He emphasizes that the first priority is fixing the lead hand. The grip must be strong enough to support a square clubface at impact. When the lead arm hangs naturally from the shoulder, the hand should align so the club sits in the fingers, allowing the wrist joints to function properly.

Billy demonstrates how the club should run through the fingers, with the lead hand resting on top. From there, the natural motion of the wrist allows the clubface to align with the body—eliminating the need to manipulate it during the downswing.

To reinforce this, he recommends hitting low shots. This trains the trail hand to stabilize the clubface and control loft through impact. If the grip is too weak, golfers will struggle to keep the ball down because the face remains open.
With the correct grip, the face stays square longer through the swing. There is no need to throw the club early, and the motion becomes more controlled and efficient.

Billy encourages golfers to focus on grip first, then train face control through simple, repeatable shots.
“When the face is square, there’s no reason to throw it from the top.”
— Billy Fitzgerald

What You’ll Learn in This Video:
• Why early release is often caused by an open clubface
• How a weak lead hand grip affects face control
• How to position the club correctly in the fingers
• Why low shots train proper face stability
• How grip and face control eliminate casting