Let your left thumb sit under your club handle at the top
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By Kim Jeong-kyoo
You need to rotate your forearms or roll your hands when making contact with the ball as you simultaneously turn your body. This will ensure you will hit your ball far and straight to the best of your abilities. Your forearm rotation, coupled with turning your body, helps you square your clubface as your club catches your ball, which also helps you stop lurching toward the target, letting you correctly stay behind your ball through contact.
To rotate your right forearm over your left forearm though contact, you need to let your forearms roll on the backswing. That will allow your forearms to rotate naturally as a reflex when you hit your ball. Rotating your forearms too much on your backswing, you will rotate them equally too much through your shot. Rotating your forearms just a little, you will rotate them equally just a little on the downswing.
Put differently, if you don’t rotate your forearms on the backswing, you will incur slices unless you rotate your forearms aggressively before you hit your shot. Similarly, when you rotate your forearms excessively on the backswing, you will suffer hooks. If your shots go all over the place, chances are you are rolling your forearms inconsistently.
Incidentally, if your clubface stays open at the top of your backswing, you’ll naturally begin rotating your forearms sooner. If your clubface rests closed, you will roll your forearms and hands just before you hit the ball.
A popular idea dictates that you need to keep your left wrist flat at the top if you use a neutral grip. That helps you square your clubface without much effort when your club meets your ball.
Having a bowed left wrist at the top, you will leave your clubface closed or facing skywards. Typically, this will inflict hooks on you.
Having a cupped left wrist, you will leave your clubface open and incur slices. Still, you can turn your forearms briskly to square your clubface on the downswing. Rotating your forearms at full speed, you can increase your swing speed to the maximum, hitting your ball farther.
If your urgent priority is increasing your distance, take care to turn your forearms on the backswing. Don’t hesitate to have your clubface a touch open, with your left wrist slightly cupped as you complete your backswing. This allows you to hit your iron shots higher and thus longer. You will bang your tee shots farther as you can release your club full tilt without worrying about hooks.
Incidentally, your left-wrist position at the top will vary from grip to grip. Adopting a strong grip, you will leave your left wrist cupped at the top. Employing a neutral grip, you will leave your left wrist staying flat or slightly cupped at the top. Using a weak grip, you will leave your left wrist flat to slightly bowed at the top. Typically, your left wrist position at the top will resemble the position you have at address if you rotate your arms properly.
You’d better focus on your correct right-wrist hinge rather than your left wrist position. Take care to hinge your right wrist backwards on the backswing. To keep your club shaft correctly leaning forward at contact, you need to bend your right wrist backwards. If you don’t hinge your right wrist backwards, you’ll have difficulty taking a shallow divot ahead of your ball.
To rotate your forearms and hands properly, just focus on the outside muscles of your left arm. Start swinging your club back as you rotate your left forearm. You need to push your clubhead backward with the outside muscles of your left forearm. Your forearms and hands will roll properly to swing your club back on the proper plane.
Critically, your left-forearm rotation helps you turn your shoulders fully on the backswing. That will help you create the space and time you need to speed up your club fully through hitting your ball. That will also allow your right shoulder to move properly on the downswing, enabling you to slot your club into the correct downswing path. That helps you keep your right shoulder from jutting out.
You’ve rotated your left arm properly if your left thumb is sitting under your club handle at the top. That shows your left thumb is properly supporting your club shaft at the top. If this feels uncomfortable, rotate your arms so that your right-hand forefinger sits underneath your club handle. You will feel your right-hand index finger supporting your club at the top.
To rotate your arms properly, you first need to grip your club correctly. Take a neutral grip with your left hand. Let the V between your left thumb and your left forefinger point roughly to your right ear. Importantly, rest your clubhead carefully on the ground so you can hold your club properly with your right hand. Let the V created by your right thumb and your right forefinger point toward your chin or your left ear.
On the downswing, you will automatically rotate your left forearm, squaring your clubface when you hit your ball. Action sparks reflex. Your left arm rotated clockwise on the backswing will naturally rotate counterclockwise on the downswing alone. Still, to ensure you rotate your clubface, cross your right forearm over your left forearm through hitting your ball. That way you will hit your ball straight or curve your ball slightly from right to left.
Importantly, rotate your body toward your target as you roll your forearms. Let your club swing toward the target with your body turning, rotating your clubface with your arms rolling. That way you will hit your ball solidly without any extra effort.
You will finish your swing with your elbows staying close together as they did at address.
A word of caution: Stay clear of rolling your hands instead of your forearms. Make sure you turn your forearms on the backswing so your wrists, your hands and your clubface rotate naturally. Rolling your hands only can invite diverse faults, robbing you of your consistency.
Similarly, don’t strive to rotate your forearms on the backswing. If you try too much to turn your arms, you can overdo your arm rotation. Just let your forearms rotate naturally as your shoulders turn. Indeed, your goal is rotating your forearms through your shot. Remember you don’t rotate your forearms for the sake of arm rotation. Aiming to rotate your forearms on the forward swing, you’ll fittingly roll your forearms on the backswing.
To learn to rotate your forearms properly without your forced effort, grip your club as you normally do. Then, slide your right hand down the club handle to grip your club shaft. Simply make a shortened backswing, keeping your left arm straight. You will notice a significant rotation of your forearms and hands. That is the feeling you want at the top of your backswing so you can roll your forearms correctly.