For years, golfers were taught to rotate hard through impact, keep the hands in front of the club and the wrists firm (above left). Turns out that’s a recipe for missing a shot to the right, to say nothing of robbing you of speed.
Today, the best iron players in the world do just the opposite: They unhinge their wrists like crazy, getting the trail wrist to flex and the forward wrist to bend through the hitting zone (above right). You still have to turn, but no need to prioritize it above all else. The feeling you’re after is that your wrists are active, as in the motion you’d use to throw a baseball underhand and sidearm, like you see so many MLB shortstops do.
You know you’re doing it right when you sense that the clubhead is flying past your hands. Not only will this action help square up the clubface at contact so you no longer miss it right, but it will also add serious amounts of clubhead speed.
The old way of trying to square the club by focusing solely on body turn actually saps speed and, in fact, allows the clubhead to lag too far beyond your motion to the point that it’s near impossible to square it up.
Copy what you see on the right and you’ll be in business.
Brady Riggs is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher who teaches at Hansen Dam GC in Pacoima, Calif., and PGA WEST Golf Academy in La Quinta, Calif.
