Wrist set / hinge at address and at impact.

[Tommygun16]

I may need to refer this to a local pro, but can anyone confirm what they are doing with their wrists at address vs at point of impact?

As a high handicapper, I recently made some improvements to my swing by going back to basics on the set up. Part of this included what I would call 'setting the wrists' at address, i.e. when stood to the ball I feel like I have already set my wrists to an extent. I am not pushing the wrists down, e.g. pointing the toe into the ground (I know the toe shouldn't be down anyway but used to describe the feeling).

What I'm not sure about is whether I should hold that wrist angle as I swing back and at impact, or if I should 'release' the wrist and feel like I'm throwing my wrist down/at the ball. The only danger with effectively changing the wrist set is it becomes another movement to control and a timing issue, which obviously is risky and leads to occasional fat shots when I release too early.

Maintaining my wrist set through the swing seems to work just as well, but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to. All the (very limited) guidance I can see online that focuses on the wrists doesn't really explain this very well - it seems to indicate some kind of wrist 'release' but not what that looks like compared to address. E.g. they presumably think you set your wrists during the backswing, and the release comes back to the original position.

p.s. this applies to all my clubs.

Thanks.

 

[Jimaroid]

See a pro, your setup sounds very confused.

You can pause any video of any decent player to see the difference between wrist angles at address, backswing and release.

Padraig Harrington did a nice video about wrists and it might help you understand why your setup sounds odd.

 

[Tommygun16]

It's a hard one to explain which is why it sounds confused.

Pausing a video for something that is so subtle and more like a 'feel' is going to lead to a long time of concern.

My experience of pros is that some are akin to snakeoil salesman - saw a few for 2 years and not once did they ask what I 'felt' or sort out my set up which was blatantly wrong. I had to work this out on my own.

 

[bobmac]

At address, your right thumb should be on top of the shaft.
At the top of your backswing, your right thumb should be underneath the shaft.
Then let the release happen naturally.
KISS

 

[Tommygun16]

At address, your right thumb should be on top of the shaft.
At the top of your backswing, your right thumb should be underneath the shaft.
Then let the release happen naturally.
KISS

Underneath the shaft? Not sure I can twist my arms that much!

 

[bobmac]

Underneath the shaft? Not sure I can twist my arms that much!

You've lost me, I'll try and clarify as some people have their right thumb down the side a bit.
Think of your left thumb being on top of the shaft at address.
At the top of your backswing, your left thumb should be underneath the shaft.
This is going back to the same idea I tried to give you when you were looking for more distance with your driver

 

[Tommygun16]

You've lost me, I'll try and clarify as some people have their right thumb down the side a bit.
Think of your left thumb being on top of the shaft at address.
At the top of your backswing, your left thumb should be underneath the shaft.
This is going back to the same idea I tried to give you when you were looking for more distance with your driver

My bad I misread your reply. Get that thank you. Backswing is not my issue, it's about address and whether your wrist set is the same at impact. Thanks

 

[chrisd]

My bad I misread your reply. Get that thank you. Backswing is not my issue, it's about address and whether your wrist set is the same at impact. Thanks

I've done what you do for sometime now and certainly have hit the ball ok. In a lesson a couple of weeks ago my pro said he was quite ok with that set up and swing, but asked at what point I released the right hand. I said, as near impact as possible, he felt I should be releasing when the club is parallel to the ground on the downswing at the latest.

 

[SocketRocket]

It's easy to get very confused with what is taught in the golf swing.

I find this is the best way to consider the arms and wrists. The arms and wrists should be lifted up and down only in the swing, they are not pulled around your body. The around part of the swing is made by the torso and shoulders rotating.

This video by Danny Maud covers some basic essential swing moves but #4 explains the way to use the arms and wrists correctly and simplifies the concept.

 

[Tommygun16]

It's easy to get very confused with what is taught in the golf swing.

I find this is the best way to consider the arms and wrists. The arms and wrists should be lifted up and down only in the swing, they are not pulled around your body. The around part of the swing is made by the torso and shoulders rotating.

This video by Danny Maud covers some basic essential swing moves but #4 explains the way to use the arms and wrists correctly and simplifies the concept.

Thanks. Worth trying although he didn't cover the wrists as far as I can tell.

 

[SocketRocket]

Thanks. Worth trying although he didn't cover the wrists as far as I can tell.

He explains that the arms and wrists move up and down. As you lift and drop your arms you also hinge and unhinge you wrists, just like you do with a hammer driving a nail.

 

[Tommygun16]

He explains that the arms and wrists move up and down. As you lift and drop your arms you also hinge and unhinge you wrists, just like you do with a hammer driving a nail.

So this would imply that at impact my wrist has 'extended' (for want of a better word) beyond the set up/address position, just as if you were hammering a nail in. Does that make sense?

 

[BiMGuy]

Impact explained

 

[SocketRocket]

So this would imply that at impact my wrist has 'extended' (for want of a better word) beyond the set up/address position, just as if you were hammering a nail in. Does that make sense?

Yes. Hammering a nail is an excellent way of considering how to strike a golf ball.

If you were to imagine a nail tacked onto the golf ball at an angle of around 20 Deg and to make your objective to hit the nail down through the ball into the ground then you would instinctively understand how to use your wrists.

 

[Bassfisher]

I like Danny Maudes video there, forearm movement could explain a lot for me, as on setup I square the face I use my right forearm to do so, resulting in a slice