Help Adjusting to Flat/Bowed Left Wrist

[HateTheHighDraw]

Hi all:

I've always struggled with a cupped wrist and slicing/fading. I finally decided enough was enough I am committing to working toward a flat/slightly bowed left wrist going back and at the top. The first few times out the results are clearly there, I can actually draw the ball now with a much much stronger ball flight.

My issue, however, is that my mishits are now EXTREMELY out on the toe of the club and its very difficult to hit my fairway wood and longer irons as a result. It occurs to me that the toe hits are a result of the much more closed clubface and also geometrically it seems that with a flatter/bowed wrist coming into impact the club/hands are closer to the body.

Obviously there is an adjustment phase needed here, I expect a good 3-6 months, but right off the bat does anyone have any suggestions of what set up or other adjustment one would generally need to make in a swing to accommodate a more closed clubface?

I can say my good swing/hits are AMAZING in ball flight in distance so I know I am on the right track conceptually.

For reference I have been playing for about 10 years, currently a 12 hcp and have always struggled with a fade/push slice.

[HateTheHighDraw]

anyone?

[3eagles18]

This helped me.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmbYKzOmN9o&t=52s

[Zitlow]

There is a reason the old time greats used a forward press. Watch his left wrist flatten as he moves from a two foot balance by stepping onto his left foot and then rebounding onto his right foot which was a kick start to put the swing in motion. In essence he's walking sideways. He's balanced on two feet at address then he steps left, steps right and steps left.

 

[HateTheHighDraw]

Thanks!

[glk]

Some info for you. In short, don't concern yourself with how the lead hand looks at the top , focus on getting the trail wrist extended. Fort Worth Pro on here once posted that 70% of pros are extended at the top of the swing - iteach posted something similar just a while ago - but all of them flex their wrist in transition/downswing - Tyler Ferrell who has seen tons of pro swing 3D graph has noted that on average a pro flexes their lead wrist 25-30* from setup to impact.

 

[HateTheHighDraw]

Makes a lot of sense because sometimes focusing just on the left wrist makes for a weird disconnected feel

[Bnelly428]

I had to work on this a couple seasons ago (and a stronger grip). I had better success just doing practice half swings in my living room and getting to the top of the backswing and checking the wrist. I would also practice keeping it flat or bowed in everyday activities. TO the point where I changed how I crossed my arms so that the left hand is under the right armpit in a bowed fashion. This helped it to stop feeling weird.

 

That and practice it. It's not an easy swing change.

[glk]

Zach Johnson hits the ball with his left wrist extended - now it's is much less extended at impact than at setup but it never gets to flat let alone flexed - he extends the wrist more in the backswing then flexes it thru the downswing - 2 majors and and double digit tour wins - but his trail wrist is really extended although at setup his trail wrist is flat. TV announcers etc have screwed up people making us think we need a flat wrist at the top - but 3D has shown that most guys on Tour have anything but a flat wrist but they all flex the lead wrist through the downswing. Time better spent insuring a extended trail wrist and the motorcycle move .sometime during the downswing.

[Arthur_Vandelay]

Outliers aside, is the lead wrist supposed to remain flat even through the release? I suppose if it didn't that's technically a flip?

[glk]

Pros have lead wrists that are flat, flexed, and extended at impact. Depends on grip. But they all flex their wrists in the downswing. Tyler who has seen tons of 3D tour swing says on average their lead wrist is between 25-30 more flexed at impact than at setup - avg with no mentioned standard deviation so probably a fair amount of range.

and most are extending thru impact Berger is one of the exceptions that is flexing thru impact.

[MonteScheinblum]

Rapid extension from P6 to impact is nearly universal. When the lead arm decelerates and the club accelerates, what else would happen to the lead wrist? That’s why holding angles slows the club.

[Arthur_Vandelay]

So, that means most really good golfers will have a flat lead wrist in the back swing, flex it even more in the downswing, and then rapidly extend (release) back to flat at impact? That's the only way I can reconcile rapid extension of the lead wrist from P6 to impact with being told that it's important to have a flat wrist at the top and at impact.

[glk]

FWP on here has mentioned that some 70% of tour pros are extended, cupped, at the top.

And it's much more important to get the trail wrist extended in the backswing than to worry about what the lead wrist looks like at the top - again, function of grip. Iteach wrote an article on this a while back - I have the thread if interested.

[juststeve]

I think it's easier for right handed golfers to focus on their right wrist than their left. If the right wrist is bent back the left wrist will be flat or bowed. Just keep the right wrist bent.

Steve

[MonteScheinblum]

Most are slightly cuped at the top because that’s what happens when you vertical hinge/radial. Then early flex, then late extension.

[MonteScheinblum]

There are always two separate discussions.

What actually happens. What feels you can use to create discussion 1.

IMO, you need to understand both.

You will not have much success forcing position or movement X in a vacuum.

Feels change so you need to know what you’re actually trying to accomplish.

[HateTheHighDraw]

Thanks all for the discussion points. It is still a work in progress. I tend to over-hinge aka radial at the top, and pull the handle/downhinge. This is particularly why flexing/unlar deviating is hard for me to adjust to. I sense it will take 6 months to a year of hard work.