The Proper Wrist Position for Your Golf Swing

By Steve Silverman

Your wrists provide the final movement of the golf club as it prepares to hit the ball. To hit the ball correctly, you must have excellent timing with your wrists as you start your backswing, begin your downswing and finish with your follow-through.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step 1

Address the ball properly as you prepare to swing. Your shoulder needs to be square to the target and your left foot should be directly underneath your shoulder. If you are in this position, your hands and wrists will be in the right position as well. Your wrists should be loose at address.

Step 2

Cock your wrists as you begin your backswing. To get prepared for impact with the golf ball, you need to cock your wrists and get them to a 90-degree angle once you reach the apex of your backswing. This will enable you to hit an accurate shot with good distance.

Step 3

Uncock your wrists as your reach the midpoint of your downswing. This means that once you have reached hip level on the downswing, you need to unlock your wrists and start transferring your power to your hands.

Step 4

Turn your right wrist over as you make contact with the ball. Once your hips have come through the hitting zone, your hands will follow. The correct action with your hands is to drive through the ball with your left wrist and then turn your right wrist over to hit the ball correctly.

Step 5

Get your wrists to finish up high to conclude your swing. Once you have finished the follow-through, your hands should be up around shoulder level. This will help you get maximum distance and increase your accuracy.

Tips & Warnings

Cock your wrists by the time you reach the top of your backswing.

Resources

Proper position for your wrists

About The Author

Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.