Flat left wrist

Question
QUESTION: Hi Eddie-  5 hcp and been hearing about the flat left wrist for awhile now and trying to learn more about it. I play with a strong grip and read a response on hear that a flat left wrist goes more with a weaker grip and if you have a strong grip not to try and achieve a flat wrist that too many compensations will have to be made, I'm guessing on the downswing to impact. At the top my left wrist has a cup to it; is this a bad thing? I've tried to flatten my wrist a few times at the range to see what the difference would be but maintaining my strong grip because I was unaware that a   flat wrist goes with weak grip. I hear it allows you to return to impact with a square face; is this true and do you recommend switching to a flat wrist for more consistent ball striking? Can you elaborate on this topic for me. Thanks, Bill-

ANSWER: Hi Bill:

It's true that a flat left wrist is more common with a weaker grip.  If you have a strong grip in the left hand, it's almost impossible to get the wrist flat at the top.  I believe there should be a slight dish of the left wrist at the top.  The more the back of the hand flattens, the more the face closes.  So a weak grip is associated with an open clubface, so if the grip in the left hand is weak and then you flatten out the left wrist, that makes sense that it would square the face.  The issue would be at and through impact.  A weaker left hand grip and a flatter left wrist would not promote much if any hand action.  If that were true, that would help you hit it straighter (like Zach Johnson), because with no hand action, the face would get flatter against the ball and with no rotation, there is no spin.  I have a slight dish in the back of my left hand at the top, have a strong grip and hit a gentle draw.  It is not a bad thing at all.  I am still practicing to not turn my hands over so much through impact.  When I was a kid, I hit zillions of balls learning how to turn it over.  Now I am learning to quiet my hand action through impact to reduce the spin on the ball.  But I am not sure I have the time or the patience to try to make that change.  I personally don't see the benefit for you to do that unless you have your heart set on doing it and finding out.  As a 5 handicapper, you hit the ball pretty well and pretty consistently as it is.  Perhaps a resurrection of and a dedication to your short game will lower that handicap and produce better scoring results.  Just my suggestion.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: WOW! Thanks Eddie. I've been on the range and a better player that I'm friendly with has said my wrist should be flatter at the top but perhaps he's not aware, like myself, of the correlation of a weaker grip promoting a flatter wrist position and that someone with a stronger grip won't have a flat wrist and that a bit of a cup is ok. Thanks a lot for the clarification. My problem is that I tend to pull/pull hook my driver and was wondering if the flat wrist would help. Now I'm sure its related more to my slight over the top move(and don't have to worry about my wrist position  now)coupled with too much rotation through impact and when I try to kill it it gets worse. My swing speed is 115-120 and sync'ing everything up at that speed doesn't always work for me. When I swing slower control is better but I feel I'm leaving something in the bag and want to learn to use my speed. Any ideas there? Again, thanks for the great info. Bill-

Answer
Hi Bill:

One of the biggest things I notice when my students pull or pull hook their drivers is where they contact the ball.  They "feel",like you do, that they come over the top a bit.  Not true in most cases.  What actually happens is that they contact the outside of the golf ball with the neck of the clubface.  When you strike the outside of the ball, the club is usually working around the ball, which would feel as though you come over the top.  Most golfers don't.  So, the next time you hit balls, picture swinging the club towards 1 o'clock and striking the back inside part of the ball.  Make sure you do not rotate the face closed at all.  If you do this, your ball has to go straighter!  If you swing out towards 1 o'clock and the face is rotating through impact, you will impart right to left spin on it quickly.  At your speeds, that is a fast, sharp duck or pull hook.  Concentrate on the angle of the approach to the ball, and the control of the rotation of the clubface.  I like the strong grip, but I don't like too much hand action for you.  Remember, Paul Azinger had an extremely strong left hand grip but hit fades.  Held it through impact.  Practice.  You'll see a difference.

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member