Dan Whittaker’s Case Study: Fixing Wrist Angles & Club Position with HackMotion
Golf coach Dan Whittaker breaks down a real-world case study of Sadie Adams, a highly skilled junior golfer struggling with a persistent over-draw.
Despite her strong overall game, she found herself battling a laid-off club position in her backswing, leading to an open clubface and a last-second flip at impact.
In this exclusive webinar, Dan demonstrates how HackMotion was used to analyze and correct her wrist angles, helping her achieve a more stable clubface and consistent ball flight—especially under tournament pressure.
Watch the full webinar recording below.
Contents
Identifying the Problem
Dan saw that the club was laid off in the backswing. However, on the downswing, instead of fixing this position, Sadie shallowed the club even more, something unusual among better players.
Here are the issues he spotted in her swing.
Laid-Off Club Position
- As Sadie reached the top of her backswing, the club became significantly laid off, meaning it pointed too far to the left of her target (for a right-handed player).
- The issue worsened on the downswing, causing the shaft to move behind her hand path and leaving the clubface open.
Trail Wrist & Forearm Rotation
- Her trail wrist was transitioning from a radial (cocked) position into ulnar (uncocked) too early.
- Simultaneously, her trail forearm began to pronate, and her trail wrist started moving into flexion, which made the laid-off position much worse.
- These movements forced a rapid, exaggerated, last-moment rotation of the clubface at impact, causing inconsistency and often resulting in a strong over-draw.
Using HackMotion to Diagnose & Fix Swing Issues
To confirm the specific wrist and forearm movements causing Sadie’s issues, Dan Whittaker used HackMotion. While he had a general sense of the issue, he wanted to measure it in real time to develop a plan that would help Sadie.
By analyzing the data, they pinpointed the precise moments when Sadie’s wrist angles began to deviate and how that led to the laid-off club position.
With the problem identified, it was time to consider what could be done to fix it. It was off-season for Sadie, so she had some time to work through a fix.
Awareness and Measurement
- Sadie wore the HackMotion sensor during practice to monitor her trail wrist angles.
- The data revealed exactly when her wrist started moving from radial to ulnar and pronating excessively, helping her coach design targeted drills.
Technical Drills
- Halfway-Back Drill: Sadie practiced swinging only to the halfway-back position, then rotating fully to the top without letting the shaft lay off further.
- Wrist Stability Training Aid: She wore a training aid on the back of her trail wrist to maintain a more stable angle (avoiding early ulnar deviation) and ensure the trail wrist did not move toward flexion at the top of the backswing.
- Forearm Rotation Control: Emphasis was placed on preventing excessive pronation at the top to keep the shaft in a better position.
Continuous Feedback
- After each drill, Sadie and her coach checked the HackMotion readings to verify improvement and ensure the fix was transferring to her full swing.
- Gradual progress was made in reducing the laid-off position and limiting the need for last-second face rotation through impact.
Take your training to the next level—just like Sadie did.
Try HackMotion’s Interactive Drills to get real-time feedback and refine your wrist positions for a more consistent, powerful swing!
Did It Work?
After spending some time working on these fixes, here are the changes that Sadie and her coach have seen.
- Sadie’s ball flight progressed from a massive over-draw to a more controlled, slight cut.
- She reported feeling more energy and consistency in her strikes thanks to improved wrist and forearm positioning.
- The improved wrist angles helped with accuracy and allowed her to generate better ground reaction forces, enhancing her overall swing efficiency.
- With her wrist motion now in a more stable position, Sadie can refine other areas of her swing to improve both power and consistency.
Final Thoughts
Even elite young players like Sadie Adams can face significant issues with wrist angles and club positioning.
By using HackMotion to identify and quantify the problem and implementing well-designed drills—supported by consistent sensor feedback and a training aid—Sadie and Dan Whittaker successfully moved away from the laid-off club position and excessive face rotation through impact.
She now has a more stable and powerful swing, setting her up for better results in 2025.
Your feedback shapes the future of our articles. Help us deliver the best content for you.
Great to hear! But what could we add to make it even better? Share any suggestions to make this post top-notch.
We're sorry to hear that. Could you share what was missing or off?
