Body Rotation Pulls Flat Front Wrist

Most mishits are caused by a “bent-in” or “flipped” front wrist at impact! At impact, a solid golf shot will have the front wrist flat or even bowed outward a little, with the back wrist bent inward. This wrist alignment keeps the shaft in line with the front arm and maintains a full radius.

 

What generally causes the wrists to flip by impact is the body’s rotation stopping halfway through to support some kind of hand release or throwing of the clubhead at the ball. This urge to “hit at the ball” starts before impact. By impact, the opposite of what we’re trying to accomplish has happened: the clubhead has passed the hands, causing the front wrist to bend inward.

There have been many fixes over the years to salvage the swing just before impact. Ben Hogan’s “supinate” move—rolling or bowing your front wrist just before impact—helped, but the trade-off was that the clubface could point in many different directions. This fix is not reliable. You may get more solid shots, but in many different directions.

The biggest issue in all of this is the body’s rotation stopping. When the body stops turning, the arms and club pass the body’s core or mass—what I call the “Body’s Sweet Spot”!

With my method, if you use body rotation to trap the ball while keeping your hands passive, your front wrist will stay in its setup position,* and you’ll get solid golf shots that are straight and long.

As the body unwinds, the ball is trapped with the entire body. All body parts are aligned with the body’s sweet spot and work together to produce a very efficient golf shot.

With a little practice, this athletic move is very repeatable, making for a reliable golf swing.

Ross

* I teach golfers to set up with the shaft of the club already in line with the front arm. This is the position we want at impact.