Nina Caldwell
A bowed wrist in golf refers to how a golfer's hands are working during the swing, particularly at the top of the backswing. This can cause a destructive shot, as it closes the clubface, resulting in a hook. Golfers with bowed wrists will have the logo on their golf glove pointing directly at the sky, rather than over the back of their head. This swing error is easiest to spot at the top of the swing, where bowed wrists make it look like the club is too heavy to hold. However, some elite players, such as Dustin Johnson, have a bowed wrist at the top of their swing. To fix a bowed wrist, golfers can try a drill where they place a tee peg into their glove, take their normal neutral grip, and then adjust their hands so that the tee points over the back of their head.
How to stop bowing wrist in golf
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cause of bowed wrist | The logo on the golf glove points directly at the sky, closing the clubface |
| Impact | Destructive shots, hooking the golf ball |
| Solution | Move your hands into a more neutral position where the tee is pointing over the back of your head |
| Other solutions | Use HackMotion drills, check your left wrist, practice getting into the correct position at the top of the backswing, ensure a neutral grip |
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What You'll Learn
How a bowed wrist impacts your golf game
A bowed wrist in golf refers to how your hands are working during the swing, especially at the top of the backswing. The ideal position would be with the logo on your golf glove pointing over the back of your head at the top of the backswing. However, golfers with a bowed left wrist tend to have their logo pointing directly at the sky, which closes the clubface and often leads to hooking the golf ball.
A bowed wrist can cause a hook, while cupping the wrist can cause a slice. The wrist position at the top of the swing is crucial, as it determines the clubface angle at impact. A bowed wrist with a neutral grip will result in a closed clubface, while a cupped wrist will produce an open clubface. The goal is to achieve a squaring clubface through impact, which can be achieved by understanding your wrist position at the top of the swing and making the necessary adjustments.
Golfers with a bowed wrist often struggle with hooking the ball. To fix this, you can try a drill using a tee peg. Place the tee peg into your glove, take your normal neutral golf grip, and perform your swing. If you notice your left wrist is bowed at the top of the backswing, adjust your hands into a more neutral position, with the tee pointing over the back of your head. This will help neutralise the angle of your clubface, leading to straighter shots.
The impact of a bowed wrist on your golf game can be significant. It can lead to inconsistent ball flights and a lack of control. By understanding your wrist position and making the necessary adjustments, you can improve your ball-striking, achieve more power, and gain better control over the clubface. This, in turn, can lead to more consistent and accurate shots, improving your overall golf game.
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How to identify a bowed wrist
A bowed wrist in golf refers to the position of the lead wrist (left wrist for right-handed players) during the swing, particularly at the top of the backswing. The ideal position at the top of the backswing is when the logo on the golf glove points over the back of the player's head. If the logo is pointing towards the sky, the wrist is flexed or bowed.
To identify a bowed wrist, record your golf swing and analyse the top of the backswing. You can also use a tee peg during practice—place it into your glove, take your normal neutral golf grip, and at the top of the backswing, the tee peg will show how your hands are working. If you notice your left wrist is bowed, move your hands into a more neutral position where the tee is pointing over the back of your head.
A slightly bowed wrist can be beneficial as it closes the clubface, promoting a draw and improving compression. However, too much flexion or bowing can lead to issues such as low hooks, poor contact, or struggles with shot direction.
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Drills to fix a bowed wrist
A bowed wrist in golf refers to how your hands are working during the swing, particularly at the top of the backswing. While a bowed wrist isn't always a bad thing, it can cause problems if it's too pronounced or if you struggle with a hook.
Tee Peg Drill
Place a tee peg into your glove, then take your normal neutral golf grip. At the top of the backswing, the tee peg will show how your hands are working. Keep your left arm straight and hold your position. If your left wrist is bowed, adjust your hands so that the tee peg points over the back of your head, which will neutralise the angle of your clubface. This adjustment may feel unnatural at first, but it will help straighten your ball flight if you've been hitting a lot of hooks.
HackMotion Drill
Use HackMotion to get real-time feedback on your drill. Focus on adding flexion until the club reaches parallel, then smoothly complete your swing. Start with a slow swing and gradually increase speed as you retain the correct feel. Check that your lead wrist is flexed (bowed) at P6, not cupped, and maintain that flexion into impact before allowing a natural release. This drill will help you understand how your grip, hinge, and movement patterns are affecting your swing.
Swingyde Training Aid
The Swingyde is a simple training aid that attaches to your club and helps you maintain a proper wrist position at the top of the backswing. It ensures a straight left wrist throughout the swing and can be used in conjunction with guidance from a qualified golf instructor.
Impact Snap Training Aid
The Impact Snap is another training aid that teaches you the correct wrist position at impact and during the backswing by forcing you to feel the correct movements in your wrists and forearms.
Remember, fixing a bowed wrist is about building awareness and feel, rather than locking your wrist in place. These drills will help you understand how your wrist movement affects your swing and make adjustments as needed to improve your game.
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How to stop hooking the ball
A bowed left wrist in golf refers to how your hands are working during the swing, particularly at the top of the backswing. If you have been hooking the ball, it may be because your left wrist is bowed, which causes the clubface to close. Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Alex Elliott offers a simple drill to fix this problem.
Place a tee peg into your glove and then take your normal neutral golf grip. At the top of the backswing, the tee peg will show how your hands are working. Try to keep your left arm straight and hold your position. If you notice your left wrist is bowed, adjust your hands into a more neutral position where the tee is pointing over the back of your head.
You can also try filming your swing, which will clearly show how your hands are working at the top. This adjustment may feel unnatural at first, but it will neutralise the angle of your clubface, helping to straighten your ball flight.
It's important to understand how your wrists work during the swing and how to move towards a sound impact position. At impact, the lead wrist is largely in flexion (slightly bowed with the wrist bone raised) and in supination (rotated so that the palm is pointing toward the sky). Before impact, the object is to move in a way that presents a squaring clubface.
If you are bowing your wrist, you may need to focus on extension (where the clubface is open) vs flexion (where the clubface is closed) in your lead wrist position.
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The importance of wrist position at the top of the swing
The wrists play a vital role in the golf swing, and understanding their mechanics can help you take control of your game. The wrists are capable of three distinct movements: flexion and extension, supination and pronation, and ulnar and radial deviation.
Flexion and extension are the most critical movements for learning to control the clubface and hit straighter shots. Extension and flexion refer to the bowing (flexion) and cupping (extension) of the wrist, which control the angle of the clubface. Flexion closes the face, while extension opens it.
A bowed wrist at the top of the backswing can be a common problem for golfers, and it can be the cause of a destructive shot. A bowed wrist can cause a hook, where the clubface closes and the ball veers off to the left (for right-handed golfers). To fix this problem, you can try a simple drill: place a tee peg into your glove and take your normal neutral grip. At the top of the backswing, the tee peg will show how your hands are working. Adjust your hands into a more neutral position, keeping your left arm straight. This will help neutralise the angle of the clubface and straighten your ball flight.
It's important to note that a bowed wrist isn't always a bad thing. Some golfers, like Collin Morikawa, carry a more extended (bowed) wrist at the top of their swing. This can provide a smoother transition to impact, as the wrist position is retained while the body rotates.
Overall, understanding the position and movement of your wrists during the swing is crucial for achieving consistent and powerful shots.
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Frequently asked questions
A bowed wrist in golf refers to how your hands are working during the swing, particularly at the top of the backswing. Golfers who have a bowed wrist tend to have their logo pointing directly at the sky, which closes the clubface and often results in a hook shot.
To stop bowing your wrist, you can try a simple drill: place a tee peg into your glove, take your normal neutral golf grip, and perform a backswing. The tee peg will highlight how your hands are working. Keep your left arm straight and move your hands into a more neutral position where the tee is pointing over the back of your head.
Fixing a bowed wrist can lead to more power, consistent contact, and straighter shots. A bowed wrist can cause the clubface to close, resulting in hooks. By stopping this, you can achieve a squaring clubface through impact, resulting in more controlled and accurate shots.
