How early do you set your wrists?

[jonsnow]

I started playing during the early 1970s when the big, wide arc & late wrist set of Jack Nicklaus was what we copied. In the early 1990s I took a series of lessons that led to my swing becoming more connected & rotational with less lateral movement along with an earlier set of the wrists. As I've gotten older I've drifted away from the earlier wrist set in an effort to maintain the distance I'm starting to lose. I always equated a late wrist set with a wider arc & more potential for distance. But I've been watching some videos of Sam Burns & he seems to set the wrists fairly early. I know I struck the ball better when I set the wrists earlier, getting them fully set by left arm parallel. Chasing width & setting the wrists later seems to lead me to throwing away my wrist set earlier on the downswing & I also feel like I have more difficulty getting the club in the same positions consistently on my backswing. I struggle to keep my arms from getting disconnected from my pivot.

 

How early do you set your wrists? Is there a tradeoff in potential distance versus consistent solid contact between an early & a late setting of the wrists? Thanks!

Edited August 25, 2022 by jonsnow
Correct time frame

[Kuuuch]

I prefer to think of it as a gradual wrist set but getting to somewhere around 90* or slightly less by left arm parallel in the backswing. Personally, I think it’s an important piece of the backswing and I for one hit it further than a late wrist set (way more compression). 
 

The 2 keys for me are 1) like I said making it gradual and not too early because things get handsy when I think early 2) making sure the arms stay wide so you don’t lose width. 
 

I’ll occasionally start setting my wrists a little too late (actually just recently happened) and doing some 9-3 swings where I feel like I get a full wrist set with the arms staying nice and wide cleans it up pretty quick.

[PracticeSwinger]

Vertical by P3 latest

Horizontal by P4 latest

Vertical by P5ish-P6

Horizontal on their own through impact

 

I could unpack

 

 

[A.Princey]

Immediately, I swing all my full shots with preset wrist hinge from address, like the Faldo drill. Partial wedges and/or shots I intend to curve will be a normal, conventional backswing though.

Edited July 15, 2022 by A.Princey

[northgolf]

I pay more attention to flexion vs extension of the lead wrist than set. Set takes care of itself, if it doesn't then you whiff.  

 

I want my lead wrist to be flat or in flexion at the top of the backswing.  If flat, then I want to dump, bump, and turn. If in flexion, then I  zipper away until my right elbow is in front of my right hip and then I fire my trail leg as hard as I can.

 

In both cases, I am working to get the right elbow in front of my trail hip with the club square so I can use my core and legs to hit.  I have weak upper body and fast legs, so trail elbow in front of hip means all the power of the legs and core can be transferred to the club mechanically instead of relying on arm strength.

[Duff Specialist]

1 hour ago, MtlJayMan said:

Vertical by P3 latest

Horizontal by P4 latest

Vertical by P5ish-P6

Horizontal on their own through impact

 

I could unpack

 

 

 

What are the negatives from late/passive hinging? 

[MonteScheinblum]

51 minutes ago, Duff Specialist said:

 

What are the negatives from late/passive hinging? 

Sequencing gets thrown off for most golfers and lead wrist extends into late downswing for most golfers.  Add those two issues to a scratch golfer and you have a 12 cap

[b.mattay]

I do the majority of my wrist set past P3. However, I realize this isn't good and am trying to work on an earlier set.

[Righty to Lefty]

Don't try to consciously set anything and I think you will find they will set just the right amount on their own.  

[Nickc]

No Setting until after P2..then gradual and not forced...and all set by P3 ish! Is this late or early?

Edited July 15, 2022 by Nickc
Added a bit

[Nickc]

1 hour ago, MonteScheinblum said:

Sequencing gets thrown off for most golfers and lead wrist extends into late downswing for most golfers.  Add those two issues to a scratch golfer and you have a 12 cap

Not saying you are wrong but this chap -  Kim Jeong-kyoo 's take on it I think differs !

"Setting your wrists early in the takeaway almost leads to unhinging them too early in the downswing. This costs your power, accuracy and consistency."

 

[Valtiel]

I set my wrists once sometime around 94' and they've been that way ever since. 

[MonteScheinblum]

2 hours ago, Nickc said:

Not saying you are wrong but this chap -  Kim Jeong-kyoo 's take on it I think differs !

"Setting your wrists early in the takeaway almost leads to unhinging them too early in the downswing. This costs your power, accuracy and consistency."

 

He is correct, that’s the other extreme.

[getitdaily]

I set them as early as possible for about 75 balls on the range. 

 

Then when I play, I don't worry about them. It's one of the moves I adjust on-course depending on how I'm hitting it. For me, earlier set helps me get more vertical in the backswing. I swing a bit too flat when I'm off. 

 

I've noticed lately (and my lesson notes outline it) that I need to set early through about 6i. As the clubs get longer, my wrist set need to be later. Overall though, I feel the set is neither late nor early, but gradual.

[Zitlow]

You can hit the ball hard from the top in one unified motion if you get you, the shaft and clubface aimed at the ball on the inclined plane. 

 

Fully cocked here. 

 

 

Shaft and clubface coming onto the inclined plane here.

 

 

Pedal to the medal from here. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2022 by Zitlow

[NoTalentLefty]

Somewhere from 1/4 swing to the 1/2 but not conscious of it.

[phizzy30]

I've always set my wrists late even as a kid growing up.  I think it's part of the reason I've always been long off the tee but also inconsistent with driver. 

[PracticeSwinger]

Yours may differ…

[nitram]

The later you set your lead wrist, the greater opportunity (for most) to "float load". While there will be days you'll hit it as far as you ever have, there will be days when you can't hit the fairway on 1/18 combined at St Andrews.

[Chunkitgood]

I find it doesn’t matter if my body moves the way it should.

 

If what you do with your wrists affects your sequencing, work on your sequencing, not your wrists.

[MK7Golf21]

I like gradual set, but one of the biggest flaws am’s have is little wrist c0ck in takeaway and rolling forearms. Pretty much all the pros, atleast the ones you are watching on YouTube have a good amount of wrist set so the club doesn’t get inside. 

[ANimz]

On 7/15/2022 at 12:33 AM, Duff Specialist said:

 

What are the negatives from late/passive hinging? 

I have seen pro's do it both ways.  To piggy back on what Monte said, a common error with the let set is that you will have a higher probability of collapsing your trail elbow bend near the top.  Personally, I set once I get to parallel.  If I try setting early, I tend to yank the club to the inside.  

[GolfTurkey]

According to Hackmotion, I set and uncock my wrists 14 times on the back swing and 12 times on the downswing.

[jonsnow]

4 hours ago, GolfTurkey said:

According to Hackmotion, I set and uncock my wrists 14 times on the back swing and 12 times on the downswing.

Lots of shotmaking flexibility with a sophisticated move like that. 

[A.Princey]

On 7/14/2022 at 9:30 PM, A.Princey said:

Immediately, I swing all my full shots with preset wrist hinge from address, like the Faldo drill. Partial wedges and/or shots I intend to curve will be a normal, conventional backswing though.

I don’t really think much about it now, but I am self-conscious around new players. Some people think it’s a Barkley-looking hitch, but it’s a pre-swing move. I go rather quick with it now because it’s so normal feeling, I probably could slow it down some now and again, holding the initial wrist set position a tad longer before I make my turn. 
 

I’ve often thought, somewhat arrogantly, if my swing were televised in a pro event, the commentators would certainly have a laughable talking point! Hahaha

Edited July 17, 2022 by A.Princey

[GolfTurkey]

8 hours ago, jonsnow said:

Lots of shotmaking flexibility with a sophisticated move like that. 

Yep, neither me nor my playing partners know which of the “9 windows” is about to be hit.

[fronesis]

On 7/16/2022 at 3:51 PM, ANimz said:

I have seen pro's do it both ways.  To piggy back on what Monte said, a common error with the let set is that you will have a higher probability of collapsing your trail elbow bend near the top.  Personally, I set once I get to parallel.  If I try setting early, I tend to yank the club to the inside.  

 

It's clear to me that there is a lot of variation on this issue from golfer to golfer, and it depends on many other variables. 

I am very flexible and always fight a swing that's too long. (And sucking the club inside is just not something I ever do.) The best way for me to NOT collapse my arm structure and overswing is to keep the arms very straight and the wrists very loose. In this way I can stop my arms on the backswing and let the wrists "set" (radial deviation and also right wrist extension) on their own. If I actively try to set the wrists early, I end up trying to control the wrists themselves (rather than keeping them loose) and this leads me to overswing, pulling my hands to the target side of my head on the backswing, losing the proper structure of my right arm, and sometimes even breaking down my left arm (but I'm flexible enough that I can completely overswing, even with a straight left arm). 

So I think of "late set" as actually NO intentional set – the "set" happens, when I stop the arms with loose wrists. It's clear to me from this thread, and especially Monte's comments, that my way wouldn't work for a lot of golfers. But for me, trying to set early is what gets me manipulating the club with my hands and overswinging. 

[Barfolomew]

Whatever works best for you

 

Not something I ever think about 🐈

[Zitlow]

It's like swinging a hammer on an inclined plane. Hand, elbow then elbow hand. 

[ANimz]

22 hours ago, fronesis said:

 

It's clear to me that there is a lot of variation on this issue from golfer to golfer, and it depends on many other variables. 

I am very flexible and always fight a swing that's too long. (And sucking the club inside is just not something I ever do.) The best way for me to NOT collapse my arm structure and overswing is to keep the arms very straight and the wrists very loose. In this way I can stop my arms on the backswing and let the wrists "set" (radial deviation and also right wrist extension) on their own. If I actively try to set the wrists early, I end up trying to control the wrists themselves (rather than keeping them loose) and this leads me to overswing, pulling my hands to the target side of my head on the backswing, losing the proper structure of my right arm, and sometimes even breaking down my left arm (but I'm flexible enough that I can completely overswing, even with a straight left arm). 

So I think of "late set" as actually NO intentional set – the "set" happens, when I stop the arms with loose wrists. It's clear to me from this thread, and especially Monte's comments, that my way wouldn't work for a lot of golfers. But for me, trying to set early is what gets me manipulating the club with my hands and overswinging. 

Spot on!  Everyone is different.  Find what works best, and perfect it.  Swing your swing!