If you cupped due to bouncing the club at the end of the backswing (common fault for senior golfers), do the “Golf Tee In The Grip Drill”. Set a golf tee between your left hand and the grip (see image below). If the tee falls out at the top of the backswing, you know that your left wrist is too cupped (see image below).
Full Answer
Should you have a bowed left wrist in the golf swing?
A bowed left wrist in the golf swing (for right-handed players) can help hold the clubface more stable through impact, however it requires a far greater hip turn in order for the clubface to return square to the ball. If you don’t open your hips enough, you’re more likely to hook the ball with a bowed left wrist.
How can I improve my wrist placement in backswing?
Getting your wrists in the proper position at the top will drastically improve your ball striking. There are three ways to set your left wrist at the top of your backswing. You can 1) keep it flat, 2) flex, or “bow,” it or 3) extend, or “cup,” it.
Is your left wrist bowed at the top of the backswing?
While the wrist can be bowed at any point during the swing, it is most-easily observed at the top of the backswing. When the club is transitioning from backswing to downswing, it will be easy to tell if the left wrist is bowed, flat, or cupped. So what does a bowed left wrist at top of the backswing look like?
Should your left elbow bend in the backswing?
The left elbow does not bend, and stays straight throughout the entire backswing. At the top of the backswing, the left arm should match the angle of the player’s shoulders which should be parallel to the swing plane. It is important to avoid any separation of the left arm out and away from the body.
Is a cupped wrist bad in golf?
One of the things that we see that is unbelievably common in the golf swing, and probably one of the most detrimental, most common, fundamental fla...
What is a cupped wrist in golf?
The most common thing we see is the early hinge of the hand, the hinge of the right wrist, getting the club buried behind the body, and not getting...
How do I stop my wrist cupping in golf?
Sit in front of a mirror and watch your wrist being flat to cupped, or bent back, arched back on your right wrist, and flattening out your left wri...
How to set left wrist on backswing?
There are three ways to set your left wrist at the top of your backswing. You can 1) keep it flat, 2) flex, or “bow,” it or 3) extend, or “cup,” it.
How to line up your left wrist for hitting?
There are three ways to set your left wrist at the top of your backswing. You can 1) keep it flat, 2) flex, or “bow,” it or 3) extend, or “cup,” it.
What happens if you hit a golf ball with your left wrist bowed?
If you are in a cupped left wrist position at impact, it is going to be very difficult to hit down properly. With a bowed left wrist, your hands will be leading the club through the shot and the club head should be following a downward trajectory through the ball.
What wrist is left handed in golf?
If you play golf left handed, it would be your right wrist that would be in question. The bowed left wrist is one of the various positions that you can use in the golf swing if you so choose. While the wrist can be bowed at any point during the swing, it is most-easily observed at the top of the backswing.
Why did Hogan make swing changes?
Why it worked for Hogan: After having problems with a wicked hook early in his career, Hogan made swing changes to cure his debilitating malady forever. Once complete, this new swing fix featured the famous bowed left wrist, which kept the clubface square or slightly open through impact.
What is Ben Hogan's left wrist position?
The Ben Hogan supination left wrist position is well-known around golf, but plenty of other players have managed to play the game well from other positions. Watch the professional tour sometime and you will see a variety of swing positions even among the top players in the world. What It Can Do for You.
What happens when your wrist is bowed?
When your wrist is bowed at the top of the swing, you may lose a little bit of freedom and flexibility in your wrists , which can make it harder to lag the club sufficiently in the downswing. As a result, you may lose a few miles per hour off of your club head speed and a few yards off your shots as well.
What is the best way to improve your ball striking?
This was mentioned above but it bears repeating because it is so important. Hitting down through your shots – specifically, your iron shot s – is one of the best things you can do to improve your ball striking. If you are in a cupped left wrist position at impact, it is going to be very difficult to hit down properly.
How to swing a golf ball if you lack flexibility?
As a rule of thumb, make sure you can at least get your left shoulder pointed toward the position of the ball at the top of your backswing.
Which wrist do golfers cup the most?
Typically golfers who cup the left wrist the most will bend and fold their lead arm the most, separate their arms from their chest and body, and finally open the face of the club to the path they are swinging on ( Photo 2 ), and swing the most over the top.
How to do a golf book drill?
The book drill is a very simple drill that can be done almost anywhere you have a hardcover book, clipboard, etc. Begin by taking the book and place it in your hands, using your typical golf grip with book between your hands, between your forearms ( Photo 3). Next, take a few slow backswings and take note of what forearm the book touches as you make your backswing. If the book touches your right forearm, take a look at your left wrist, you will notice a break or angle and not a flat of bowed left wrist. Repeat the process again and this time make sure the book is touching your left forearm ( Photos 4 and 5 ). Look back at your left wrist and notice a FLAT wrist! Make a few more practice swings with the book until you master the ability to let the book touch your left forearm.
How to tell if a book is touching your right forearm?
If the book touches your right forearm, take a look at your left wrist, you will notice a break or angle and not a flat of bowed left wrist . Repeat the process again and this time make sure the book is touching your left forearm ( Photos 4 and 5 ).
What does it mean when your wrist is cupped?
A cupped or for the medical types a wrist that is in “dorsiflexion” has the potential to ruin even the best of golf swings you make out on the golf course. What it means to be cupped during your backswing is your left wrist bends so that the back of your left hand and the top of your left forearm create an angle like Photo 1 above.
What happens if you hook your wrist?
That can result in a slice. If the face points at the sky (bottom inset), you're bowing your wrist and closing the face. That can cause a hook.
How to see square on golf club?
When you look down at the clubface at address, "square" is relatively easy to see. It's harder to see it when you're at the top of the backswing. But if you get the clubface open or shut at the top—by cupping or bowing the left wrist (or having a grip that's too weak or too strong)—you're going to hit a lot of high slices or low hooks. ...
How to keep your elbows apart in golf?
You want it a little higher than in the previous drill, but still below your elbows. Take your golf swing without letting the ball drop. This drill forces you to keep your elbows the same distance apart in your golf backswing. If the right elbow separates from the left elbow, the ball will fall to the ground.
What is the backswing of a golf club?
The backswing in golf might be the most important part of any player’s swing. It is what gets us into position to deliver the golf club to the ball. If we are out of position in the backswing, it is very hard for us to swing the club on plane and deliver a square clubface at impact.
How to hold a pizza in golf?
Remember, if the right elbow folds correctly in the backswing you can hold a pizza with your right hand at the top of your golf swing. If the right arm separates the pizza will fall to the floor.
What are the common mistakes in golf backswing?
There are three very common mistakes that occur in the golf backswing. The first mistake is opening the clubface during the backswing. This move sets up a golfer’s followthrough to fail by creating an open clubface at the top of the swing and an open face at impact most likely causing the ball to slice. The second mistake is separation of the ...
What does it mean when a golfer has a flat backswing?
If the golfer has a really flat and laid off backswing (meaning the club shaft is more horizontal at the top of the golf swing), the player will cast the club over the top of the swing creating a vertical shaft, cupped left wrist (which opens the club face) and a leftward swing path. All of these symptoms lead to some nasty slices.
What does it mean when a golfer gets into the correct position at the top of the swing?
A golfer who gets into the correct position at the top of the swing due to a solid backswing will be able to deliver the golf club in a much more consistent manner. I have been teaching the game of golf for over twenty years.
What is a golf backswing?
The golf backswing is one of the most scrutinized aspects of any golfer’s technique, and for good reason. A quality golf backswing sets you up for a powerful follow-through . . . and a poor golf backswing can alter your clubface angle, weaken your downstroke, and cause you to slice the ball. After all, nobody has a perfect golf swing by starting ...
How does a golfer retain his wrist position?
Essentially, he retains the wrist position from the top as his body rotates and moves toward impact. So the lesson behind the explanation is for you to understand the situation of your wrists and the club-face at the top of your swing, and how to move towards a sound impact position.
Who was more cupped, or lead wrist extended, at the top of the swing?
Back to our Hogan/Morikawa comparison. The legendary Ben Hogan, who was more “cupped”, or lead wrist extended, at the top of the swing, would have to transition from that position to an extended, or bowed, and supinated situation at impact.
Is Morikawa a good golfer?
Morikawa is blessed with a beautifully reliable and repetitive golf swing. He is technically sound and exhibits elements common to many leading iron players throughout the ages. Not the most powerful guy in the game, he does compress the ball effectively, shape it comfortably, and vary the trajectory easily.