Damaged Left Wrist

[Costa]

Hi I've been playing golf for around four years now and although ive shot under 28 handicap 4 times in club competitions the best being 21 over par im struggling with consistency and never seem to back a good score up with another so don't make any inroads into my handicap. It is really a mixed bag in terms of score. I have a badly damaged left wrist from playing football years ago and falling on it which broke the scaffoid bone. I've had an operation and now it has limited movement which me means I can't really cock or hinge the wrist as it should at the top of the back swing. It probably affects the contact also. Does anyone know if this could be the problem with my consistency and also distance. If so is there anything I can do about it?

Thanks Richard

 

[duncan mackie]

Without seeing the swing it's impossible to deal in absolutes.

However, on balance it's more likely that the inconsistency has some roots in your concious, or subconcious, efforts to maintain your idea of a full swing/hinge/wrist cock. Battling a restrictive element in your physical capabilities is not recommended - work with a physio outside the game, but work with what you have within the game.

 

[Slab]

If you look at the club golfers where you play you’ll see a whole variety of horrendous swings just by watching a few groups tee off at the weekend, some of these folks will be getting respectable scores despite their dodgy knees, arms, wrists, hips etc etc etc

For the most part we’re all a bit ‘broken’ and everyone’s just trying to get a swing that they can do that’s within their physical abilities. You’ll already know what your good shots are so that's what your physical ability currently allows you to do, how many times you can do it out of 10 shots is the consistency part & not much chance this is linked to physical ability, but it is likely this is what’s holding up your handicap progress rather than the physicality of it

Really try to understand what you did for your good shot and practice it

Good luck

Edit to add; I broke my left wrist scaphoid a year ago. I can stand on the tee and hit a ball 200 yards straight down the middle completely pain free… but I don't do it 10/10 But because I can do it (at least once) means it’s not the wrist that’s stopping me

 

[Costa]

Thanks

 

[Costa]

Without seeing the swing it's impossible to deal in absolutes.

However, on balance it's more likely that the inconsistency has some roots in your concious, or subconcious, efforts to maintain your idea of a full swing/hinge/wrist cock. Battling a restrictive element in your physical capabilities is not recommended - work with a physio outside the game, but work with what you have within the game.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

Hi I've been playing golf for around four years now and although ive shot under 28 handicap 4 times in club competitions the best being 21 over par im struggling with consistency and never seem to back a good score up with another so don't make any inroads into my handicap. It is really a mixed bag in terms of score. I have a badly damaged left wrist from playing football years ago and falling on it which broke the scaffoid bone. I've had an operation and now it has limited movement which me means I can't really cock or hinge the wrist as it should at the top of the back swing. It probably affects the contact also. Does anyone know if this could be the problem with my consistency and also distance. If so is there anything I can do about it?

Thanks Richard

Did the same thing with my right wrist 50 years ago, when I was playing in goal, someone jumped on my wrist and snapped it. I have always had restricted movement in it since but now I have arthritis setting in too, I constantly tell myself my bad shots are down to injury and not LOFT. I have little wrist hinge but have worked around it, it depends on how much discomfort you experience I suppose. I hope you can find a way around it.

 

[Costa]

Thanks for the response

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

No problem, welcome to the forum, you might want to provide a little more info about yourself ie where you play, club member ?, etc

 

[SammmeBee]

Chipping may become an issue - perhaps just putt from everywhere to be safe. If you break it again from chipping then you may never play again.

 

[clubchamp98]

I shattered my Scaphoid in my left wrist when I was 16 yrs old
I have also had a Carpal Tunnel release in the wrist .
I got down to 1 hcap when I was younger.
What I do find is I have a tendency to have my hands (shaft lean ) to far forward ,this lessens the pressure on the wrist but does make my swing a bit to upright.
This caused big divots and when the ground is hard it hurts a lot afterwards.

My left wrist is weaker than my right and I am a lot more wayward than I used to be but I think it’s more the swing than the wrist.

 

[patricks148]

i once played with a guy in an open who was off scratch who was a ski fitter who played cack handed. he had broken his wrist a couple of times and had to change to CH to still be able to play. was an awesome player, but said he had been lower and couldn't get back to plus due to the injury. might be worth trying something different you never know