Let your right wrist bend straight backward

By Kim Jeong-kyoo

A popular theory dictates that you need to cock your wrists straight up, preferably rotating your left forearm slightly clockwise during your takeaway. But just purge your mind of this idea. Let your left forearm subtly turn counterclockwise so your left wrist stays bowed at the top. That way you’ll keep your clubface closed during your swing and stop suffering slices. You’ll hit long, straight shots, often enjoying soft draws.

Waggle your club back by pushing the heel pad of your right hand down against the big knuckle of your left thumb. Keep your hands in their address position and allow your right elbow to move slightly inward toward you. Importantly, let your right wrist bend backward. You’ll create an almost 90-degree angle between your right hand and forearm.

If you waggle your club properly, you’ll let your clubhead correctly move first. Your clubhead travels farther than other parts of your body during your backswing. To synchronize your swing, you need to make sure your clubhead moves first.

Also, you’ll let your back of your left hand turn slightly toward the ground, leaving your clubface closed during your backswing.

Don’t let the back of your left hand rotate upward to face the sky. Make sure your right wrist bends straight back rather than rolling.

You need to let your left hand turn counterclockwise subtly so your left-hand knuckles partially face the ground. You may feel the knuckles of your left hand partly sitting under your grip during your takeaway.

To waggle your club properly, picture you’re hitting a short tennis shot. Just imagine you’re hitting a tennis shot three to five yards. You’ll mostly use your right hand and wrist to swing your racket. Critically, you’ll hinge your wrist straight backward, not straight up and down.

Once you’ve carried out your last waggle, just swing your club back the way you’ve waggled. Your right wrist will break backward, your left hand breaking inward toward you. You’ll let the back of your left hand turn slightly downward to face the ground.

Typically, with this closed-face takeaway, you’ll hit straight shots or draws. But if you’re wrestling with hooks, you need to avoid using too strong a grip.

Look at your hands when your club reaches about waist-high on the backswing. If you can see one knuckle of your left hand and two of your right hand, you’ve hinged your wrists correctly. You’ll see the knuckles at the bases of your index finger and middle finger. Critically, you won’t see the clubface of your driver at this stage of your backswing.

Swinging your club back with your clubface closed, you may feel unnatural. But rest patient. You’ll soon feel comfortable. Importantly, that’ll help you carry out other swing moves properly without a deliberate effort.

First, letting your right wrist bend straight back, you’ll start your clubhead straight back along the target line. Swinging your club back outside the target line, you’ll suffer pulls and pull-slices. Swinging your club back too far inside, you’ll typically incur pushes, push-slices or push-hooks.

Second, you’ll correctly keep your clubface remaining square to your swing plane. This helps you hit straight shots or soft draws.

Third, you’ll swing your club on plane, neither too upright nor too flat. You’ll correctly turn your shoulders. You’ll naturally turn your left shoulder down slightly, letting your right shoulder move up. This prevents swaying to the right.

Fourth, you’ll enjoy a swing simple and easy to repeat. Once you’ve hinged your right wrist correctly to start your club back, you have nothing much to do. All you have to do to complete your backswing is turn your shoulders fully.

Finish your backswing so your handle end points toward your target line. This ensures you swing your club back on plane.

Your downswing is a mere reflex of your backswing. As you’ve created an ideal position at the top, you’ll start down correctly and hit your ball firmly.

Still, to ensure solid, powerful ball-striking, shift your left hip left just a fraction so your weight moves to your left side. That move drops your arms so you slot your club into a downswing path.

Keep the back of your left hand facing toward your target when your club catches your ball. Don’t leave your left palm facing the ground through your shot. That shows you’ve opened your clubface and slowed down your swing. If you let your left palm face the ground, there is no picking up speed. You cannot make your swing speed peak through your shot.

Critically, make sure you get your left-wrist bone raised so it is nearer to the target than any other part of your hand. That purges your swing of your tendency to allow your right hand to overpower your left. You’ll also stop throwing your club outside your target line. That helps you resist the urge to throw your club from the top. You’ll preserve the 90-degree wrist angle longer until you hit your ball.

Starting your downswing with your hips shifting left, you’ll effortlessly keep your head staying still until well after you hit your ball.

Finish your swing in balance, standing comfortably. Your right shoulder is resting closer to your target than other parts of your body. Also, your hands are behind your head, with your arms folded. Your right heel is off the ground, your right foot resting on your big toe. Your weight has fully shifted into your left heel. Your belt buckle is pointing at or is to the left of your target.