Wrist action

[viscount17]

I've pulled this across from the Review forum,a poster got onto the subject of wrist cock and wrist break.

Now this is a real grey area for me, I've heard the terms, never been shown what they are, have a vague understanding of what they must mean but have no idea how to check if I do either of these correctly.

So, what do I look for?

(Picking up on bobmacs questions to the previous poster,
7-i (summer) 150+ , h/cap 24.5)

I don't have a video camera (nor have plans to get one).

 

[bobmac]

The following pic is of a poor wrist break on the left and good on the right.
Watch yourself in front of a mirror or garden window.
Do you have a moby and if so, does it have a video camera?

 

[forefortheday]

Try this for a good explanation

http://www.golfsmith.com/ps/display_page.php?page_num=ps_tips_wrist_cock

Basically don't worry too much about it you should do it already

 

[viscount17]

Thanks guys,

My backswing is much more pic on the right (at least I feel it is) if not further - going to the range tonight so I'll check.

(If there isn't a word for golfer's hypochondria we need one!)

Yes, mobile has got video but pretty useless, still I'll see if I can get someone to video for me.

I do like Harvey's attitude

The wrists are merely a hinge and, when left alone, will do their job without your help.

 

[forefortheday]

Thanks guys,

My backswing is much more pic on the right (at least I feel it is) if not further - going to the range tonight so I'll check.

(If there isn't a word for golfer's hypochondria we need one!)

Yes, mobile has got video but pretty useless, still I'll see if I can get someone to video for me.

I do like Harvey's attitude

The wrists are merely a hinge and, when left alone, will do their job without your help.

I'm very careful with wrist cock Viscount as my major fault is dipping my hands in at the top (ie adding more wrist cock)

My pro tried early set as a fix but that took me too inside on the takeaway.

I now focus on taking my hands away down the line and feeling the club toe is pointing up.

Another drill is without a club put your right arm behind your back, flatten your left hand (in a karate chop style)then take your left arm away as though you had a club there.

Hey presto wrist cock!

(You'll see what I mean when you do it)

PS Harveys a god

 

[theeaglehunter]

I may be wrong but from what I know your wrist should cock so that when your arms are parallel to the ground on the backswing the shaft almost points straight to the sky and then you just continue the backswing from here (this works for me anyway and my pro is happy with it- although he has said I have an early wrist break so this may not be text book / worth copying). Then swing down trying to maintain the angle (lag) before releasing them through impact.

 

[RGDave]

OK, from my point of view.

I've always completely ignored my wrist-cock. I just guessed it was there and working as it should.

I was wrong....as my pro explained, it happens but rather leisurely and not very positively.

At my most recent lesson, he got me taking the club back to 9 o'clock then aggresively cocking the wrists.
He also asked me to practice at home with a weighted club(or short iron) endlessly cocking and uncocking. Sometimes one hand, sometimes just in front of me, just repeating it OVER and OVER. Sometimes on a half swing checking the angle of the shaft (at the ball) etc.etc.

It is paying off. I think he feels that by cocking much more positively, I can probably work towards keeping my left arm straighter at the top, and maybe maintain the "L" deeper (later) into the downswing.

Sometimes at the range, I practice 10 reps then hit the ball and WOW...! I get some real snap and power + 10% distance. Pity I've not done it for a while.....

note to self.....get back to doing this Dave!!!...when you got it right, it showed the "potential" in my rather lazy and slow swing!!!

 

[viscount17]

rg that sounds a plan, and the 'rather lazy slow swing' sounds awfully familiar (though I prefer to term it 'controlled') - an all out swing is guaranteed to fail

managed to get a bay with glass behind it yesterday so I could see that my wrist does cock though I get nowhere near parallel, tbh this may be a physical limitation.

what I can't see is how early or late I get the wrist break

 

[RGDave]

I think I'm right in saying that the wrists should be cocked by the "parallel to ground" position (9 o'clock).

In Faldo's book "A swing for life" he says he looks for the setting to occur earlier rather than later. BUT, if you watch some players (especially the ladies) (Lorena springs to mind) then "when" may not be a hard and fast rule.

Unless I've misunderstood, although I practice it at the point at which the club is directly behind me at 9 o'clock, it could occur a bit earlier or indeed happen later.

In Tiger's book he talks about getting the hands as far away as possible from his pocket (right hip) on the take-away. He's out for maximum width, and on the slo-mo frame by frame photos side on (not down the line) he hasn't even started to cock the wrists by 9 o'clock, it's LATER, clearly.

So, Faldo on the one hand, Tiger and Lorena on the other. If there was a fault in doing one or the other, I think we'd know....

Just make sure you do it, and do it positively.....

How's that for sitting on the fence..

 

[viscount17]

I've been taught the bit about getting the hands as far away as possible but that's as far as any commonality with Tiger gets. Lorena I could watch all day (mind you watching Gulbis last night . . . )

That's one to work on, now
if only I could get the really sweet shots to go straight instead of left.