The Magic of the Flat Left Wrist

If you wish to hit higher photographs extra persistently you need a flat left wrist in golf. The wrists in the end decide the membership face on the high of the swing and drastically impression the shaft angle at impression. 

To get into a greater impression place with a barely ahead shaft lean like the professionals, you may want to alter your wrist motion. Whereas so many golfers deal with their grip, not sufficient appear to deal with their wrist as properly.

Right now, we’ll simplify this so you can begin hitting it higher than ever and hopefully begin taking pictures decrease scores quick. 

Flat Left Wrist in Golf 

Swing your swing is a standard saying in golf as no two gamers have the identical movement. For instance, Brooks Koepka could be very totally different from Rory McCilroy vs. Bryson DeChambeau. However all of them have totally different tempos, takeaways, wrist positions, and extra to hit the ball solidly. 

However elite ball strikers are inclined to have a bowed wrist or a flat lead wrist on the high of the backswing. Whereas newbie golfers are inclined to have a flat wrist and/or a cupped wrist.

Let’s get into every sort beneath and the way wrist bent within the improper path can change every thing.

Key Takeaways

• Your wrists play a giant position in ball hanging and shot form.
• Gamers can have a flat, cupped, or bowed left wrist within the golf swing.
• A flat lead wrist is a perfect place because it makes it simpler to hit straighter photographs and cut back misses.

Hold studying to study extra about this necessary subject within the golf swing. 

Wrist Positions in Golf 

The wrist place is an efficient indicator of a whole lot of issues on the high of the backswing. Your left wrist (assuming you’re a right-handed golfer) will be in three positions:

• Flat lead wrist.
• Bowed lead wrist. 
• Cupped lead wrist.

Every sort of wrist place results in a unique sort of consequence when it comes to ball hanging and complete distance. Earlier than reviewing a flat place, let’s shortly talk about the professionals/cons of the opposite two positions first. 

A bowed left wrist is a standard wrist place for elite ball strikers like Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson. This place tends to result in a extra closed clubface on the high of the swing. The face is sort of pointing straight up towards the Golf Gods and tends to advertise a shallowing transfer and usually a draw. 

Right here’s what Golf.com stated about this wanted wrist place. “Bowed wrists provide the greatest alternative to hit the ball farther, they usually additionally show you how to hit it extra solidly. Moreover, you might have higher clubface and loft management when you might have bowed wrists at impression.”

The other of a bowed wrist is a cupped left wrist which is from over extension. That is the commonest place for on a regular basis newbie golfers and never one thing you see when watching the PGA or LIV golf. 

A cupped wrist place tends to result in an throughout the road backswing and promote a extra open face at impression. This is without doubt one of the causes on a regular basis golfers battle a slice greater than a hook off the tee. It’s often called a extra weak place as you may add loft at impression and thus, hit it shorter because of this.

The ultimate wrist place is called a flat left wrist which is extra impartial. That is the place the forearm, again of the hand, and lead wrist are all in alignment on the high of the backswing. 

That is fairly frequent amongst elite ball strikers together with Tiger Woods. A flat wrist results in a greater trajectory and straighter photographs – plus, it’s simpler to form photographs in both path from this place. 

The way to Hold Your Lead Wrist Flat

So, how do you get a extra flat lead wrist on the high of your swing?

It begins by having a impartial grip and stable deal with place to keep away from a cupped left wrist. As Hank Haney (Tiger Woods’ previous golf coach) stated in Golf Digest, “Good gamers not solely have the again of the left hand aimed on the goal, additionally they preserve the wrist flat.

That approach, you’re trapping the ball between the clubface and the bottom and preserving the true loft of the membership — one of many keys to a robust hit.”

Like so many swing points, it’s necessary to start out off within the appropriate place. You need to ensure your grip, alignment, posture, and arms are setting you up for a robust swing. 

Give it some thought like this – on the high of your swing you need your proper wrist to get right into a “waiter” place. That means, you need your wrist to get your hand dealing with up so you possibly can carry a tray of meals or drinks at a restaurant. It will assist get your left wrist flat and hopefully right into a a lot better place.

Flat Left Wrist Drills and Coaching Aids

If you wish to work on this place listed below are a number of drills and aids that may assist get you in a greater place.

Left Arm Solely Drill 

In the identical Golf Digest article from above, Hank Haney recommends gamers hitting photographs with their lead hand solely. I’ve really seen PGA gamers doing this quite a bit on the vary, particularly initially of their session. 

By hitting balls solely together with your left hand it’s simpler to really feel the connection between your wrist, palms, and arms. Fairly shortly you may see how the wrist and palms impression the path and trajectory of every shot. Use this drill as a part of your warm-up with wedges to get a great really feel earlier than the spherical. 

The Ruler Drill

To make use of this drill you’ll want a plastic ruler and golf glove. Begin by sliding a ruler beneath the Velcro of your glove and make a backswing with out hitting a golf ball. The important thing right here is to notate what the ruler is doing in relation to your lead forearm.

If the ruler is digging into your arm, which means you’re cupping your wrists. This wrist cup place is the one you need to keep away from because it negatively impacts the swing airplane. However you probably have a giant hole between the ruler and your forearm, that is bowing an excessive amount of. 

Ideally, you need to preserve the ruler towards your left forearm all through your swing. It will assist promote a flat lead wrist and it supplies prompt suggestions. You can begin hitting photographs on the goal line to really feel a sq. clubface in follow.

When you want much more drills to get into a greater place try this golf swing video from High Pace Golf on YouTube. 

Hanger Coaching Assist

The Hanger coaching support is a good small gadget that may simply show you how to repair a whole lot of frequent wrist points. It retains your swing on airplane, promotes a great impression place, and makes it straightforward to grasp the clubface all through the swing.

Right here’s how they described this revolutionary product on their web site. “theHANGER promotes prompt structural modifications in your physique mechanics to encourage a tour-style golf swing. By grooving an on-plane swing, theHANGER helps golfers construct a constant, repeatable golf swing for extra exact shotmaking.”

It’s very straightforward to make use of too – merely connect it to any iron or wedge in your bag. You need to use it at house making follow swings or hitting balls in a simulator or on the driving vary too.

What I like is that you could simply perceive the membership head relationship due to the design and optimum wrist cock. When you don’t have sufficient wrist hinge it will probably result in a whole lot of points however this gadget helps a ton.

Other than selling a flat lead wrist, different advantages embody:

• Practice membership face to swing path relationship.
• Encourage lead wrist flexion in transition.
• Groove correct muscle reminiscence for a extra constant swing. 

Plus, they’ve a mannequin for proper and left-hand golfers. To not point out it’s very reasonably priced in comparison with different coaching aids. 

Click on right here to buy one now or learn our full evaluate of the Hanger right here.

HackMotion Swing Analyzer  

The ultimate coaching support we recommend is the Hackmotion wrist and swing analyzer. This coaching support will show you how to grasp the clubface for higher accuracy and general ball hanging. It might simply show you how to establish poor wrist angles that result in a slice or hook shot.

Merely put on the gadget in your lead wrist and pair it with the app to get visible and audio suggestions on each swing. You not have to guess in case your wrists are within the appropriate place and might simply see the place in your swing the wrist situation is going on. 

What’s cool about this coaching support is that you could evaluate it to PGA Tour gamers utilizing their information library. To not point out it’s straightforward to make use of, supplies a stay 3D mannequin, and supplies custom-made drills to enhance your wrist place. 

This gadget works with iOS or Android, comes with limitless storage of all earlier swings, and lifelong updates. You can too select from totally different fashions for placing and superior evaluation as properly. When you like tech and like to educate your self, it is a nice funding in your recreation. 

Click on right here to learn our full evaluate now.

FAQs About Wrist Place in Golf

Do you might have extra questions concerning the position of the wrists in golf? In that case, preserve studying to study extra now to start out hitting the golf ball higher than ever. 

How necessary is the left wrist within the golf swing?

The lead wrist is arguably some of the necessary elements in hitting nice golf photographs. Most instructors evaluate the left wrist on the high of the backswing as a key checkpoint. With a impartial grip you will get the right wrist flexion and get the lead arm in the suitable spot on the high of your swing.

Ought to your left wrist be flat at deal with?

Sure, you need the wrist pointed on the goal from the deal with place.

That is the straightforward a part of the swing – it’s sustaining that angle all through the swing that’s troublesome. When you can preserve it flat you’ll preserve the identical loft for a robust strike at impression. 

Ought to the left wrist be flat on the high of the backswing?

It undoubtedly gained’t damage your recreation.

A flat lead wrist is a perfect place on the high of your swing because it’s very impartial and promotes a straighter ball flight. It additionally helps create ahead shaft lean and compress the golf ball for a stable strike. 

Is the left wrist flat, bowed, or cupped? 

These are the three positions the lead wrist will be on the high of the backswing. Most on a regular basis golfers have a cupped or flat wrist. 

Whereas extra expert golfers have a bowed or flat wrist which is why they are usually higher iron gamers and general, higher ball strikers. Use the drills and coaching aids above to start out altering your wrists and enjoying higher golf. 

Do you have to hit impression with a flat or bowed wrist? 

A bowed wrist will are inclined to create extra ahead shaft lean and thus, longer distance. This wrist place delofts the membership which might flip a 7-iron right into a 6-iron loft and add distance. However a flat wrist can even deloft the membership (which is an efficient factor) and promote extra constant ball hanging.

A cupped wrist as talked about above is the place you need to keep away from. This opens the face and promotes a steeper downswing which might trigger a whole lot of points. Use the ruler drill or one of many coaching aids to get into a greater backswing place. 

Does Tiger Woods have a bowed wrist?

No, Tiger has a really impartial left-hand place. This Golf Digest quote sums it up completely, “Tiger all the time had a barely closed clubface on the high of his backswing–that means the face was at a extra horizontal angle than his left arm (beneath, left).

I like that for many golfers as a result of it requires much less hand and arm rotation to sq. the face in time for impression. Plus, it places the left wrist in a barely bowed or rounded place, which is the place it must be at impression.”

Since most amateurs have a cupped left wrist it requires an excessive amount of timing and unreliable contact. However Tiger’s wrists have modified through the years so simply bear in mind nothing is about in stone.

My Expertise

The wrist motion in golf is totally different for each sort of participant – much like your grip. I by no means thought an excessive amount of about wrist motion till a current lesson after affected by a whole lot of skinny photographs. 

By adjusting my wrist hinge it acquired me right into a a lot better place on the high of my backswing. Which led to quite a bit higher downswing and considerably improved ball hanging.

Whereas a whole lot of golfers deal with grip and takeaway, don’t overlook to think about your wrists. The general place – bowed, cupped, or flat – and hinge play a giant position in getting essentially the most out of your swing. 

Use the wrist trainers above and document your swing to get some additional help. Hopefully you’ll repair this situation before later and make it more likely to break 80 (or higher) repeatedly. 

Ultimate Ideas 

A flat lead wrist is a good impartial place to attempt for on the high of your backswing. A cupped wrist is the enemy of nice ball hanging and why you don’t see this transfer amongst elite gamers. 

Sadly, it tends to occur extra with the on a regular basis golfers who attempt to “scoop” the ball up. Don’t overlook, golf equipment have loads of loft and expertise to get the ball airborne. 

There isn’t a have to try to help the ball within the air. 

Get your wrists into a greater place so your impression and strike can enhance drastically.