Right Wrist (trail wrist) Bend

[birdmeal]

I have trouble feeling the end point of my swing at the top, especially with the long clubs. The club, hands, and wrists do not feel set before starting my down swing. I was wondering if the right wrist (I'm a right handed player) is supposed to be or could be bent to its maximum in order to achieve some feeling of completion of the backswing?

 

[dbl]

I think the answer is "depends." Some people use an early wristset with the right wrist bending back early..some do not. Then there are folks like Hogan who who have a cup in their left wrist at the top and take that out in the downswing.

In Brian's NSA video there is early right wrist bend, so personally I don't see why if you did that you would have any extra feel at the top that the wrists were set. At the top you may feel more cocking of the wrists (if you cock late like Nicklaus), but this is a different matter from the question presented.

As another variation...For about 2 years I played with having an arched left wrist at the top and that right wrist was realllly bent back...(and fwiw I felt like I could get the left more cocked.)

 

[Kevin Shields]

Your right wrist will bend to its max when the clubhead resists the change of direction and stresses your hands/wrists.

 

[birdmeal]

Thanks for the replies thus far. Sometimes I purposely restrict the right wrist bend because if I don't I feel like I am losing control of the club. If I allow the change of direction to do it (is this like a float load?) it feels like my hands and wrists are going in all kinds of directions. I'm not really sure how to explain the feeling exactly. About 5 years ago it put me into a Charles Barkley-esque downswing problem - I didn't feel I had the club set and therefore couldn't start the downswing. I've fought it off, but it seems like it is creeping back in.

 

[dbl]

Do you have the NSA video? It talks a lot about bending the right wrist and then maintaining it through the downswing. It may not be the overall solution for you but then again you may pick up some tools about clubface control.

Aside from that though, the usual question would be what are your shots like, and do they fade or slice?

 

[teeithigh]

try the lagging clubhead takeaway...set up with your hands behind the ball and lag it then you'll feel a great set at the top

 

[birdmeal]

I don't have NSA. My shots (from this saturday) with the long clubs were mainly some degree of a slice though I did hit several wicked pulls. Irons were pretty good - straight to very slight fade. I used to hit severe low left pull hooks - Brian got me away from those, so I'm a little hesitant to use to much twistaway.

Also try lagging clubhead and occasionally hit good shots with it, but sometimes feel that my hands/wrists are flopping around without my control - this is the general feeling I have as mentioned above. I guess what I need to know is what constitutes the hands and wrists as set - so I have some guide of what to feel for.

 

[Deadly_Scope]

Recently I could not play golf because I had pain in my right wrist. There was also a big lump there. Wondering if I did something bad to it I decided to go to the doctor. He told me it was a huge ganglion cyst. He got a big needle and took out some Jelly like substance.

Now thank goodness, I can move my wrist again .

 

[MikeD2]

Kevin, is that the shorthand definition of "float loading?"

 

[dbl]

Personally, I'm thinking that Kevin will say 'no.' Float loading would have more to due with wrist cocking. However sometimes one might float load and bend the right wrist back at the same time, so some people might experience it at the same time.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Whether your hands "float" a bit at the top or pull down, its still the weight of the club bending your wrists more.