why is wrist hinge important in golf swing

by Florencio Keebler Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

In order to produce power and speed in your golf swing, you need to hinge your wrists properly and naturally. This wrist hinge creates a downward pressure that can be released into the ball on the downswing. By unleashing your wrist hinge, you can increase the speed of your swing by a considerable amount.Jan 16, 2020

Should you use your wrist hinge in the golf swing?

The reason why is wrist hinge important in a golf swing is that it affects the distance, elevation, and even the trajectory of the ball after you hit it. So if you are still wondering how important is wrist hinge in a golf swing, here is a simple answer: it affects your swings.

What is the purpose of a golfer's wrists?

Oct 20, 2021 · Alternatively, if the wrists haven’t hinged, there is less angle to unload and therefore generating power becomes a mission. Some players - like Bryson DeChambeau for example - still manage it, but for the club golfer it’s a big ask. It’s much easier to encourage the wrists to hinge early to benefit from the power that angle can give us later on.

How do your wrists affect your golf swing?

It would be a shame to not use your wrists at all in the golf swing because they hold the potential to unleash so much power right at the moment of impact. A swing that doesn’t use any golf wrist hinge is going to look stiff and weak, dragging the club through the hitting zone and generating very little in the way of club head speed. By contrast, doing some basic golf wrist hinge drills to …

Why do golf clubs have hinges?

A golfer’s wrists act as a hinge between the arms and the golf club. Such a hinge can provide an advantage for moving the golf club faster, necessary for longer distance golf shots. How the wrists work in a golf swing is varied, dependent on the …

What happens if you don't hinge your wrists in golf swing?

Similarly, if you don't hinge your wrists in the golf swing you could be throwing away loads of clubhead speed and delivering your irons with less of a descending angle of attack than is ideal.Oct 20, 2021

Do you hinge wrists with driver?

3:227:25Hinge To Boost Your Driver - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipUsually for the driver.MoreUsually for the driver.

Should you hinge your wrists in backswing?

Creating the proper wrist hinge in the backswing will lead to noticeably better ball-striking and, as a result, more consistent distance and direction on all iron shots.Jan 26, 2020

Is wrist hinge necessary?

Hinging your wrists is an important move in the golf swing because it will be a large source of your power. This hinge must occur naturally and it must start before your hands and the club reach waist level in order to keep you on a solid swing plane.Jan 16, 2020

When should you hinge your wrists?

– Golf Tip. It's a question as old as the golf swing itself, and one with no definitive answer. Most instructors teach golfers to take the club back using the arms and shoulders, letting the wrists hinge naturally once the shaft is parallel to the ground.

Should you hinge your wrists when chipping?

So an answer to the question, 'Should you hinge your wrist when you're chipping? ' The answer should be no. Try and keep your wrists not locked out but fairly firm push it through fairly to more of a putting motion rather than a flicking motion.Aug 13, 2014

How does Dustin Johnson bowed his wrist?

But while many golfers bow their hand on the downswing, Johnson maintains the position from the outset. At the top of his lift, he's bowed his left wrist already. Locking the wrists into place gives him more consistency for his drives.Jun 26, 2019

How should your wrist hinge be in the golf swing?

2:283:27Wrist Hinge Simplified - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAll right an angle here a lot of players are this where there's no angle well this is completelyMoreAll right an angle here a lot of players are this where there's no angle well this is completely straight all right if I go the top of my backswing.

What is the wrist hinge in golf?

Understanding Wrist Hinge in the Golf Swing. Hinging or cocking the wrists, is a key component of a powerful golf swing. Each tab above will walk you through the details of how to do it properly. When taking the club back, the wrists must naturally begin to hinge by the time the hands and club reach waist level.

What is the hinge on a golf swing?

The wrist hinge within your golf swing is one of the mysteries that many amateur golfers never quite figure out. It seems like some golf instruction that you read will tell you to use your wrists in the swing, while other tips mention that you should keep them stable and use your shoulders and legs to power the motion.

How effective are golf wrist hinge drills?

This might be one of the simpler golf wrist hinge drills you will find, but it can be highly effective. Your Fingers Influence Your Wrists. Now that you understand just how powerful your wrists can be in the golf swing, it is important that you don’t do anything to ‘get in their way’.

How does taking the club back affect power?

When taking the club back, the wrists must naturally begin to hinge by the time the hands and club reach waist level. If the wrists remain rigid to the top of the swing, you’ll fail to generate power, and fail to get the club on the right plane. On the other hand, too much wrist cock can drain power as well, because the golfer will be forced ...

What does it mean when your wrists are hinging?

If the toe points straight up to the sky, then your wrists are hinging properly. Otherwise, something is amiss with your grip or takeaway. In the golf swing, there are two very important parts to using your wrists correctly – the "set" during the back swing, and the "release" prior to impact.

What is a one plane swing?

Here is a little more information about each –. A one plane swing is a golf swing in which the plane of the club shaft changes very little from start to finish. Mostly the golfer swings the club along the same plane that has been established at address.

What happens if you hinge your wrists early in a one plane swing?

If you were to allow your wrists to hinge early in a one plane swing, you would be forcing the club to the ‘inside’ of the correct plane that you are trying to achieve. That means that when you get to your transition, the club is out of position and will be attacking the ball from too far under the right plane.

What is the purpose of wrists in golf?

How should your wrists work in the golf swing and what are the consequences of improper wrist action? A golfer’s wrists act as a hinge between the arms and the golf club. Such a hinge can provide an advantage for moving the golf club faster, necessary for longer distance golf shots.

What is the function of the wrist in golf?

What happens to the wrists when the body turns forward?

Because the body motion is generally circular, the wrist will begin to unload through the impact zone. Ideally, at ball impact, the lead wrist will be fully uncocked while the trail wrist will be in the process ...

What is wrong with wrist action?

Improper wrist action can be categorized by faulty timing and rotation. Faulty timing is allowing or creating the unloading of the wrists too early or too late relative to ball impact. Too early will cause loss of power, increased loft, and typically fat or thin ball strikes.

Which direction do forearms rotate?

For right-handers, forearms rotated in a clockwise direction will create an open clubface orientation; forearms rotated in a counter-clockwise direction will create a closed clubface orientation. If either of these rotations occurs during the impact zone, the direction of the clubface can be altered from the intended target.

Do forearms stay passive?

Ideally, the forearms will remain passive through the impact zone while the wrists unload, producing generally straight golf shots. If you’d like to study with Ken Martin and other PGA Master Professionals, contact The College of Golf today. Back to Blog.

What is the role of wrists in golf swing?

The hinging of the wrists plays a vital role in the overall golf swing and is not something you want to ignore. Remember to focus on keeping the wrists relaxed and free of tension and let them hinge upwards naturally as the body turns in the golf swing. Give it a try and let me know your results, I would love to hear.

How much wrist hinge do you need for golf?

Therefore, if you have completed 50% of your backswing your wrists should have hinged about 50% .

How to swing a golf club?

Ensure your arms, hands, and wrists are free of tension at set up. Practice shifting your weight to your rear leg. When the shoulders have reached 45 degrees begin to turn your body. Keep the wrists relaxed and let them hinge upwards naturally to support the weight of the golf club. Ensure they are hinging upwards.

What is lag shot golf?

Using the lag shot golf training aid teaches you to hinge your wrists correctly so you make a consistent and on plane golf swing. The good news is you’re not alone as incorrect hinging of the wrists is one of the most common problems among golfers worldwide. Unfortunately, due to golfers’ fascination with distance, ...

Why does my golf swing go off plane early?

The other problem with this method is that because the wrist angle is set so early when you commence the downswing the tension has increased in your wrists due to a constant build-up.

What happens when you downswing a golf club?

As a result, in the downswing, you will lose your lag angle (angle between your wrist and shaft) and all timing and power.

How to rotate your wrists when playing golf?

Grab a club in a relaxed position at set up and begin shifting your weight to the rear foot and turn your body. If you are holding the club with the right amount of tension your wrists will hinge when you begin to rotate. As long as you are moving the club away with your body and keep the wrists relaxed, as your finish the takeaway your wrists ...

Why is it important to use your wrists in golf?

Your wrists act like a hinge that connects your arms (and the rest of your body) to your hands and the club by extension. So, using the wrists correctly is an important part of golf. Let’s work through some of the key points you need to watch for as you practice your golf swing technique and try to improve the way your wrists behave.

What angle should your wrist be on a golf swing?

If you get through your backswing nicely, your wrist angles should be set at the top of your swing to where you have roughly a 90* angle between your lead arm and the shaft of the club. This angle may not be exactly 90*, and it doesn’t have to be, but it will probably be close.

What is backswing setup?

The Backswing Setup. If you have a good grip at address, you will already be well down the road to using your wrists properly. With a fundamentally-sound grip, it’s surprising to some people just how much of the rest of the swing falls into place naturally.

What is the best grip for golf?

You need to settle on a method for connecting your hands in the grip. There are two types of grips that are by far the most popular – the interlock and the overlap. An interlocking grip has the pinky of the right hand (for a right-handed golfer) locked between the second and third finger on the left hand.

What is the takeaway in golf?

In the early stages of the backswing, called the takeaway, you don’t want to be moving your wrists at all. This is a time for your shoulders to turn away from the target while everything else remains quiet. Getting the swing started with a shoulders-only turn is one of the best things you can do for your game.

How to learn light grip pressure?

The best way to learn light grip pressure is to practice it on chip and pitch shots. As you get comfortable with your lighter grip, go ahead and gradually work up into bigger swings.

Do your wrists matter in golf?

Without a good grip, nothing that you try to do with your wrists is going to matter in the swing. Your hands need to be in a good position around the handle of the club so your wrists will be free to do their work once the swing begins.

What does a wrist hinge do?

This wrist hinge creates a downward pressure that can be released into the ball on the downswing. By unleashing your wrist hinge, you can increase the speed of your swing by a considerable amount. Many golfers get the motion of the wrist hinge wrong when they are trying to make a correction because it can be difficult to understand.

Why is it important to hinge your wrists?

How to properly hinge a wrist?

The proper wrist hinge starts with the grip. Similar to swinging a hammer, you must have the meaty part of your hand on top of the grip in order to apply pressure and keep the face controlled. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.

How to use hinge on takeaway?

Use the meaty part of you lead hand to hold the golf club in order to apply downward pressure and initiate the hinge on your takeaway.

What is the most common mistake a golfer makes?

Another very common mistake that the average golfer will make is snapping their wrists rapidly as soon as they begin their backswing. You can check to see if this is an issue that you’re facing by observing where the butt end of the club is facing when you are starting your takeaway.

How to make your golf swing backwards?

Take an iron in both of your hands and hold it out like you’re about to hit a baseball off of a tee. Keeping your arms at that level, begin making your normal golf rotation backwards. You will notice that your trail arm naturally rotates and your trail arm begins to bend naturally.

Does casting with a golf club generate speed?

Casting with a golf club will not generate any speed or power and it will not result in solid contact so be sure to avoid this motion. Every golfer has a slightly different wrist hinge but as long as the hinge follows a few basic parameters, you should be able to find consistent results. The proper wrist hinge starts with the grip.