intricacies of a flat left wrist

[tongzilla]

The general consensus on this forum is a flat/arched left wrist at the top is good insurance against slicing.

I have made some discoveries on my own swing. It may apply to others as well, and if it does I would love to hear about it.

This is what I found.
A very arched left wrist (i.e. max twistaway) at the top produces a low duck hook.
A very slightly arched left wrist (almost flat) produces a push or push-fade.
A flat (which to me, is a tiny winy bit more bent then what Brian demonstrates as flat in his NSA video) or a very slightly bent left wrist produces a very straight shot (2 yard draw or 2 yard fade as the ball drops depending on my timing).
If I bend my left wrist a little bit more at the top, then I can hit a slightly bigger draw.
A bent left wrist at the top (no more than 20 degrees bent) produces a fade/cut.

All with the SAME swing and setup.

 

[brucifer]

That may be an easier way to shape shots than concentrating on hinging after impact.

Can you do this on command now?

 

[tbyeaton0627]

there's a flat left wrist, and a geometrically flat left wrist, woulod make sense to match it to your grip type

 

[thefuture37]

This could be how Hogan worked the ball late in his career. He figured out how much he had to bend his left wrist at the top so that he could release as hard as possible and still hit a fade. Then he could flatten his wrist out little by little to hit straighter shots and draws, all with the same amount of hard arm release through the ball.

 

[tongzilla]

ok, let me emphasise the point I'm trying to make above that maybe some of you have missed.

most people think that the more you bend your left wrist at the top, the easier it is the put slice spin on the ball. This simple relationship does not exist for me. I find it easier to DRAW the ball if my left wrist is a little bit cupped a the top. But if it's more than a little cupped, then I fade/cut the ball.

 

[jeffgladchun]

ok, let me emphasise the point I'm trying to make above that maybe some of you have missed.

most people think that the more you bend your left wrist at the top, the easier it is the put slice spin on the ball. This simple relationship does not exist for me. I find it easier to DRAW the ball if my left wrist is a little bit cupped a the top. But if it's more than a little cupped, then I fade/cut the ball.

Perhaps you maintain that bent left wrist as opposed to how Hogan let his flatten or arch ... ?

 

[pecky987]

ok, let me emphasise the point I'm trying to make above that maybe some of you have missed.

most people think that the more you bend your left wrist at the top, the easier it is the put slice spin on the ball. This simple relationship does not exist for me. I find it easier to DRAW the ball if my left wrist is a little bit cupped a the top. But if it's more than a little cupped, then I fade/cut the ball.

i feel that i kno what the face looks likes in my hands i.e if i take the club away more closed i kinda know it is, and make compensations. seems that if you bend the left wrist alot, you realise this and actively flatten/arch and/or alter hinge actions to compensate

 

[noobie]

I've noticed that my ballflight is more consistent when I have a wrist which is very slightly cupped as well (maybe my grip is a tad strong). I also like my trajectory better with the slightly cupped with. If the wrist is too arched, I have a tendency to get below my normal swing path which results in low duck hooks.

 

[dbl]

Flat at the top is different from flat at the bottom, so don't focus on the wrong thing. Many golfers cup at the top and then flatten on the way down. If the ball is shooting/curving a certain undesired way, then you have to figure out to achieve at impact what you need. Perhaps that IS cupped at the top, or it may involve a grip change and being flat at the top, or eliminating certain wrist actions happening in the downswing.

 

[thefuture37]

ok, let me emphasise the point I'm trying to make above that maybe some of you have missed.

most people think that the more you bend your left wrist at the top, the easier it is the put slice spin on the ball. This simple relationship does not exist for me. I find it easier to DRAW the ball if my left wrist is a little bit cupped a the top. But if it's more than a little cupped, then I fade/cut the ball.

Its all in your head. With the clubface open at the top you are thinking that you have to do alot to get the club back to square. Result is that you over do it a little and draw it. With the club square or shut at the top you think that you have to make sure you dont do too much so you end up doing less and fading it. Trevino built his whole swing around his theory of putting himself in a position so he would be forced to make compensations that would give him the shot he wanted.

 

[tongzilla]

Its all in your head. With the clubface open at the top you are thinking that you have to do alot to get the club back to square. Result is that you over do it a little and draw it. With the club square or shut at the top you think that you have to make sure you dont do too much so you end up doing less and fading it. Trevino built his whole swing around his theory of putting himself in a position so he would be forced to make compensations that would give him the shot he wanted.

I'm not really thinking that much. That could be what my subconscious is thinking. If I'm thinking if anything then it's just hold on and pivot.

I would be hooking it if I arched it as much as Trevino did.

 

[tongzilla]

That may be an easier way to shape shots than concentrating on hinging after impact.

Can you do this on command now?

You meant adjusting left wrist position at the top? Yes pretty much. To do it, I just think "draw" or "fade" or "straight/never hook draw".

 

[tongzilla]

there's a flat left wrist, and a geometrically flat left wrist, woulod make sense to match it to your grip type

this thread here is trying to say there is a whole spectrum of flatness which produces a range of ball flight. But for me, there's no direct relationship between how flat/bent the left wrist is in relation to the ball flight.

 

[tongzilla]

To clear up some confusion, let me summarise my beginning post.

Amount of arched/bent left wrist and resulting ball flight (for me):

15-20 degrees arched: hook
0-15 degrees arched: push and push-fade
0-5 degrees bent: straight, very slight fade or very slight draw
5-10 degrees bent: bigger draw
10+ degree bent: slice/cut


[I use a slightly stronger than neutral grip. I'd say about 5 degrees stronger than neutral. Neutral = back of left hand exactly matches leading edge]

 

[birdie_man]

I draw/hook it more with a full-out twistaway for sure. (one way for me to hit a draw actually)

It's funny though.......if you watch my golf swing it still looks the same whether I try to twist it (ala NSA...i.e. right wrist bent STRAIGHT back on itself) or whether I try to swivel it open.

The arch always finds its way in there somehow.

I honestly don't think I'll end up switching even if it does work but I wanna try bending my left wrist more this year just to see if I can make it work. May have to switch to a strong grip.

 

[thefuture37]

To clear up some confusion, let me summarise my beginning post.

Amount of arched/bent left wrist and resulting ball flight (for me):

15-20 degrees arched: hook
0-15 degrees arched: push and push-fade
0-5 degrees bent: straight, very slight fade or very slight draw
5-10 degrees bent: bigger draw
10+ degree bent: slice/cut


[I use a slightly stronger than neutral grip. I'd say about 5 degrees stronger than neutral. Neutral = back of left hand exactly matches leading edge]

Its the combination of your subconscious and what you can actually do during the downswing. 15-20 degrees arched you want to hold it off but you are so shut you can't. 10+ degree bent you want to roll or flip to get square but are so open you can't in time.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

This is a pretty easy answer if you think about it, the hint in that statement is "think."