A classic drill to teach this involves swinging the club from waist-high to waist-high, letting the weight of the club cock the wrists on the backswing and uncock the wrists on the follow through. Think of your wrists as a door hinge—they can move back and forth, but do not move by themselves.
Full Answer
How do you use your wrists in the golf swing?
Many theories abound over the use of the wrists in the golf swing. One should bear in mind that the only contact with the golf club is with the hands and a good golf grip will set the wrists in the correct position to hinge and unhinge, creating a powerful strike on the ball.
Do your wrists “flick” at the bottom of your swing?
Yet, at some point following impact, the opposite is true: Your left wrist is bent and your right wrist is flexed (4). The only explanation for this is that the wrists do indeed “flick” at the bottom of your swing.
What does a cupped wrist mean in golf?
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. All things remaining the same, at the top, a bowed wrist with a neutral grip will manifest in a closed clubface, and a cupped wrist will show an open clubface.
Should your left wrist be flat on the backswing?
The left wrist should remain flat in line with the left forearm. The common error is to open or cup the wrist on the backswing. If you open it or move it to the left, there is no tension on the wrist and the power source is lost. This also opens the face of the club on the backswing.
Why is it important to flick your wrists at impact?
Flicking your wrists at impact is important for clubhead speed. Christian Hafer. It’s trendy these days to try to eliminate excessive wrist action during the swing, but it’s important to recognize that your wrists play an integral part in helping you generate extra clubhead speed and square the clubface for a pure strike.
How does a swing wrist work?
Here’s how it works: As the clubhead approaches the ball, your right wrist is bent backward while your left is flexed, or bowed (photo 1, above).
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Where do wrists flick in golf swing?
The only explanation for this is that the wrists do indeed “flick” at the bottom of your swing. A great way to develop a feel for the flick is to practice swinging the club using just your wrists back and through the impact zone, then slowly integrate your body into the motion.
How to grip a golf club with your left hand?
With your left-hand grip focused in the last two or three fingers, your wrist will remain relaxed enough to move freely… but you still need to provide a bit of guidance to the club. According to teacher Jay Williamson, the simplest way to do this is to keep the back of the left hand flat—that is, the back of the left hand and the back of the left forearm form a straight line. Doing so limits the movement of the wrist to a single plane, improving consistency. This action will not be difficult because using only the last two or three fingers to grip the club actually encourages this movement.
What is proper wrist action?
The Proper Wrist Action for a Golf Swing. This position happens naturally with proper wrist action. Because the hands are the only contact with the club, players are forever looking for some new wrist technique, some grip secret that will revolutionize their golf games. Ironically, the only real secret to proper wrist action is not in what you do, ...
Why do golfers use wrists?
Because the hands are the only contact with the club, players are forever looking for some new wrist technique, some grip secret that will revolutionize their golf games. Ironically, the only real secret to proper wrist action is not in what you do, but in what you do not do. The proper motion is a natural one, described here as a right-handed player would perform it; left-handers should substitute “left” for “right” and vice versa.
What hand is the best for controlling a golf club?
Even if your forearms are relaxed, there are other ways tension can creep into your arms. The left hand provides the primary connection for controlling the club. It is very common to grip too tightly with this hand. According to teacher Michael Hebron, the secret is to tighten only the last two or three fingers of your left hand—the pinky and ring fingers, and perhaps the middle finger. In doing so, you create a strong grip without locking the wrist muscles and interfering with the free movement of your wrists.
What finger do you tighten with a left hand?
According to teacher Michael Hebron, the secret is to tighten only the last two or three fingers of your left hand—the pinky and ring fingers, and perhaps the middle finger. In doing so, you create a strong grip without locking the wrist muscles and interfering with the free movement of your wrists.
Which hand can lock the right wrist?
Just as the thumb and forefinger of the left hand can interfere with proper wrist action, the thumb and forefinger of the right hand can lock the right wrist in position. Hogan recommended practicing with those two fingers completely off the grip. He also recommended adding some pressure with the middle and ring fingers ...
Which hand to grip golf club?
He also recommended adding some pressure with the middle and ring fingers of the right hand to help grip the club, but many players trust the left hand to grip it and merely wrap the right-hand fingers loosely around the grip for support.
What is the difference between flexion and extension?
EXTENSION (TOP) Your wrist is in extension mode when you pull your hand toward your forearm. The clubface responds by opening. FLEXION (BOTTOM) Your wrist is in flexion mode when you bow it like Dustin Johnson and most elite players . The clubface responds by closing.
What is the lead wrist in golf?
At impact the lead wrist is largely in flexion (slightly bowed with the wrist bone raised) and in supination (rotated so that the palm is pointing toward the sky). Everything that comes before this should lead to that situation. And for all you “Grill Room Golf Tip Guys”, no amount of keeping your head down, your eye on the ball, or swinging smoothly will make the ball go properly if your wrist alignments (and by extension the clubface) are not in order.
What are the three movements of the wrist?
Basically, they are capable of three sets of distinct movements: flexion and extension, supination and pronation, and ulnar and radial deviation.
What does a bowed wrist with a neutral grip mean?
All things remaining the same, at the top, a bowed wrist with a neutral grip will manifest in a closed clubface, and a cupped wrist will show an open clubface. Either way, the object is to move in a way that presents a squaring clubface through impact .
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.
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