I’ve spent much of my time over the years trying to understand fundamental differences between good and bad golf swings.
Why do the Pro’s seem to develop LAG so easily? and why do most amateurs seem to throw this LAG away so early in their downswing? – essentially throwing power and accuracy away also.
Understanding the role of the hands and educating them accordingly is obviously important but equally as important is educating our arms and body (the pivot).
The more research I do into just why many people “throw the clubhead away” on the downswing, the more I find myself looking at and understanding the role of the right arm (the trail arm).
Right Arm Fold & Left Wrist Cock
What you start to see when slowing both good and bad players swings down is a direct correlation between the amount of right arm folding and left wrist cocking and un-cocking.
In the backswing (for a right handed golfer), as the right arm starts to fold – the left wrist starts to cock and in-turn hinge (load) the club.
The greater the amount of right arm folding in the backswing, the greater amount of left wrist cock. The lower the amount of right arm folding – the lower the amount of left wrist cock.
To put it another way, if the right arm stays extended longer during the takeaway – the wrists will cock a lot later during the backswing.
Now as you would imagine in the golf instruction world, there isn’t just one consensus on the subject.
For example – Sean Foley talks about the need for the club head to start the move, because the club head has the longest arc to travel around.
This then starts some folding of the right arm, and in-turn causes the left wrist to cock and the club head gets higher earlier.
If you look at his client base – let’s use Justin Rose and Hunter Mahan as examples – you’ll see that they achieve an early wrist cock in the takeaway and have achieved a 90 degree angle between their left arm and shaft quite early.
Now if you compare this style to someone like Bubba Watson who believes that the club head should be as far away from the body as possible during the early part of the backswing for a wider arc and greater power. You’ll see that his trail arm is a lot straighter than that of say Rose or Mahan.
Early Loading or Late Loading
Now the difference between these two styles is clear to see. But which action is right and which one is wrong?
They are both right..
Bubba uses a style called “float loading”.
Which means he feels a certain dragging sensation with the club going back and doesn’t fully fold his trail arm until the top of his swing.
Both Rose and Mahan use an early loading technique, which starts folding their right arm and cocking the club earlier in the backswing.
Right Arm Early Unfolding
The difference between these guys (the pros) and the average amateur is that they all delay their trail arm in unfolding until about half way into their downswing.
It’s at a point when the lead arm is about parallel to the ground that the trail arm actually starts to unfold – and in-turn starts to gradually UNCOCK the left wrist.
As the trail arm gets straighter and straighter moving down into impact the left wrist is gradually un-cocking as well.
This is why Homer Kelley in his book “The Golfing Machine” talks about “daintiness”.
Meaning if your downswing is too slow or dainty, your right arm will unfold too soon and the LAG and left wrist cock will be lost before impact.
In-turn the club head will outrace the hands and the shaft will be leaning away from the target at impact instead of leaning forward.
Trail Arm Unfolding and Trail Wrist Bend
One of the tricks to hitting good golf shots is being able to allow the right arm to gradually unfold during the downswing but still maintain some right wrist bend.
Because so many of us are right sided we naturally assume a throwing action with our right arm during the swing. This generally includes a releasing action with the right hand sometime on the downswing and through impact.
If our right arm cocks and un-cocks our left wrist, our left wrist will control the amount of right hand bend. As soon as we try and “throw” the club head with our right hand coming down into impact we’ll again lose our stored LAG and the club head will prematurely outrace our hands.
Don’t forget we need the shaft leaning forward at impact
The right arm shouldn’t reach it’s full extension until AFTER impact in the follow through position.
This means that at impact the right arm (trail arm) is still slightly bent. But a feeling of gradually straightening the trial arm from about half way down to just after impact would be the correct feeling to take into the swing.
The hands should reach a point directly under the left shoulder at impact – as the left shoulder is the center of the swing.
The hands should always be leading the club head, and you should also feel as though the heel is always leading the toe of the club head into impact.
As soon as the toe over takes the heel, the club head has rotated too much and starting the ball out to the right to hit a 1-yard push (now I’ve got you thinking..) is impossible.
So stop trying to release the club head – it happens all on its own! Assuming you can apply the correct mechanics.
If you need some help with the mechanics..
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Drill
Move in slow motion, taking notes from the video below. Note how the trail arm of all these Pros doesn’t fully extend until just past impact. Also note how their trail hand is still bent at impact.
Practice extending your trail arm whilst keeping your wrist bent. But allow the trail arm to remain folded during the transition into the downswing, this is where most people go wrong.
Feel free to leave a comment below
GOOD VID JAMMO, STEVE STRICKER HE S GOT A LATE WRIST HINGE AS WELLDA YA THINK.
Thanks Coop. Yeah, watch his right arm, it stays a little straighter earlier in the backswing. Right arm fold is directly related to left wrist cock!
On loading, I like your idea of being aware of the relationship between the folding of the right elbow and the cocking of the left wrist. It definitely helps me flatten my swing plane. Now you have me thinking about the left shoulder and left arm. I am thinking that the left arm (left hand) must begin the loading then the shoulder follows rather than the left shoulder and left arm beginning in unison. What do you think?
Hi Jim, The left shoulder pulls the left arm which pulls the left hand during the downswing. The left side has to pull and the right side has to push..
Thanks James. Actually I was thinking of the backswing (loading). Any thoughts?
Depends if you’re a hitter or swinger. A hitter will always have a little more handle drag at the start as he’s using his body to control his hands. A swinger will start cocking the left wrist straight away and then the body will follow along. To put it another way – A hitter drags the handle a little more causing a loading in the #3 pressure point earlier. A swinger doesn’t feel this loading in the #3 PP until late in the backswing. But either way, that pressure builds up even more coming down when the club head drops lower and the shaft flattens – it’s a very heavy feeling in that PP. To feel it, simply make sure you have patient ‘bump’ with your hips laterally to start the downswing. This helps drop your arms into the slot.
#3 PP = The first pad/joint of the right (trail) hand trigger finger
swingers = Hands controlling the pivot
hitters = Pivot controlling the hands
Nice article James. I didn’t know that the trail arm begins unfolding when the the lead arm is parallel to the ground, I thought the trail arm starts to unfold at the hip or when the hands were in front of the trail thigh.
Cordell
Thanks Cordell. Yes, everyone’s a little different obviously. But that’s one of the big differences between pros and amateurs. Pros have a patient/gradual transition into the downswing. Where as a lot of amateurs throw their right arm from the top and extend their trail arm too soon.
I’ve read this article at least 6 times and will study it until I have ingrained this information into my sub conscience.
This article has opened my mind on how to perform a correct swing. I don’t feel like I’m overpowering the swing and have increased distance and accuracy. Great golf swing explanation!
Thanks,
Walt
Thanks Walt..
Interesting article, thanks. I think you are confusing two different movements on the backswing here.
The trail arm folding during the backswing causes appropriate left forearm rotation as the shoulders continue to rotate. This folding is a combination of right elbow flexion and right shoulder external rotation.
This is independent of any radial wrist deviation (the “wrist cock” you are referring to); actioned by forearm muscles.
I’d agree that most people that allow a fairly early trail arm fold also tend to have an early radial deviation, and vice-versa, but that’s not actually a necessity.
I’ve found it’s very helpful to recognise that folding the trail arm is what results in the left forearm rotating; Hence why the timing of this trail arm fold will dictate where the toe of the club is pointing during the takeaway/backswing. I think a lot of players out there are adding unnecessary additional forearm rotation to try to get the toe of the club in a seemingly appropriate position at parallel, rather than concentrating on trail arm fold instead.
Thanks for the comment Dave. The trail arm fold and lead wrist cock are related, one effects the other. The rolling/rotation of the forearms (pronation/supination) is also a topic most overlook, and I agree the lead forearm rotation definitely effects the trail arm bend.. It gets the club in slot earlier..