quote:Originally posted by MizunoJoe
scandres is correct - because cupped at the top means the clubface is closed up there, just as cupped gives a closed face at the bottom. Azinger calls himself a "shutface" player for that reason. He moves from a cupped left wrist to a flat one at the bottom, which effects an "opening" of the clubface as he moves from the top to impact.
Azinger is considered a shut face player because his clubface is SHUT at the top and all throughout his unique swing. It has nothing to do with his cupped left wrist.
There are shut face players who are bowed at the top - TOm Lehman and Lee Trevino come to mind.
Cupping the left wrist at the top of the swing always, always, always has an OPENING effect on the clubface. If you need to prove that to yourself, take a "Manzella Neutral" grip and cup your left wrist at the top and hit balls that way. You'll slice everything off the planet - you defintiely will not hook it.
Azinger's left wrist is not flat at impact - it is definitely still rolled. However, because it started rolled at address due to his unique grip, it can be considered the "equivalent of a flat left wrist", to use Martin Hall's terminology.
Freddy wouldn't be Freddy and Zinger wouldn't be Zinger if they didn't cup their left wrists at the top of the swing.
The last thing you would ever want to teach a guy with a grip like Zinger or Couples is a flat left wrist at the top. It's just totally incompatible with the strong grip.
