Flat Left Wrist in Golf Swing: Consistency Starts with Your Lead Wrist

After analyzing more than 1,000,000 golf swings, there is one fact that we absolutely cannot deny: a flat left wrist position at the top of the backswing and again at impact is beneficial.

Golfers who hit consistently straight and long golf shots are able to achieve this wrist position and square their clubface.

If you have never thought about your wrists or feel like it’s time to break down why your golf swing is not as efficient as it should be, you are in the right place.

We will explain why a flat left wrist in golf is so important and how you can achieve it.

Flat Left Wrist in Golf (Key Takeaways)

Wrist position and wrist action in golf can be confusing. It’s a higher-level topic for golfers serious about improving and understanding the game.

Here are the basics of the flat lead wrist and why it’s crucial for squaring up your clubface:

• Initial wrist position matters – although the wrist at setup only needs to be within range to achieve a flat left wrist at the top. Different grip positions influence your chance of achieving a flat left wrist; aim for a neutral grip whenever possible.
• Flat lead wrist position at the top of the backswing is directly related to having a flatter lead wrist at impact.
• With a flat or slightly flexed left wrist at impact, the golf ball should travel further, have a more penetrating ball flight, and stay on its intended path.
• Using HackMotion, you can measure, analyze, and improve your lead wrist position in the golf swing. It’s like having a professional with you on the range.

Wrist Positions in Golf Swing: Quick Overview

Before we get into fixing your flat lead wrist, it’s important to review how the wrists work in the golf swing.

You must know three wrist motions: extension/flexion, radial deviation/ulnar deviation, and rotation.

Extension/Flexion

Extension is the bowing and cupping of the wrists. The flexion and extension in your wrists will directly control the opening and closing of the clubface.

Extension/flexion changes from setup to the top to impact. Wrist extension opens the face of your golf club; flexion closes it.

Radial Deviation/Ulnar Deviation

The radial deviation/ulnar deviation is the cocking and uncocking of the wrists. If your backswing has more radial deviation, it increases the amount of wrist cock; ulnar deviation decreases it.

For golfers looking for power in the golf swing, radial deviation and ulnar deviation are incredibly important.

Rotation

Rotation is the process of turning the entire wrist; for most players, you will feel as though your entire forearms rotate. Pronation and supination are the technical terms we use for wrist rotation.

Rotation at the top of the backswing will impact where the clubface can return to at impact. To hit a straight shot, you must be able to rotate your hands accordingly and get the clubface square.

What’s the Importance of a Flat Left Wrist in Golf Swing?

Let’s say you have been playing golf your entire life; you shoot around 95-100, and you know your lead wrist is anything but flat during the golf swing.

What’s in it for you to change to the flatter left wrist?

If you flatten your lead wrist, you’ll notice the following:

• Increased consistency and a more repeatable swing: one good swing is nice, but if you want to play great golf, you have to put a few good swings together.
• More speed through impact: a flatter left wrist means a lot more speed through the impact position; with a square clubface, you can fire through the golf shot with no fear.
• Increase golf ball compression: when your lead wrist is flat, you can compress the ball and get a more penetrating ball flight with extra distance.
• Square clubface: the position of the lead wrist is directly tied to the position of the clubface; the flat left wrist produces a square clubface at impact.
• Less dispersion: with a flat lead wrist, your golf shots should finish straighter than with a cupped or bowed lead wrist; expect fewer thin and fat shots as well.

Is a Flat Left Wrist Always Better?

After analyzing more than 1,000,000 swings, we know there is no perfect wrist position.

However, there are patterns that the best players have. These patterns include a flatter wrist position at the top of the swing that leads to a flatter wrist position at impact.

However, there are players like Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa who have a flexed or bowed position with their left wrist at the top of the swing, and they play great golf. The key is that they still have a flat or slightly bowed wrist position at impact, something all players benefit from.

The bottom line is that if you are within range or close to having a flat wrist position, you will see better results. However, no exact wrist angle is universal for all players.

How to Flatten Your Left Wrist?

You have most likely seen dozens of drills of how to get a flat left wrist in the golf swing. But is it that simple, and should you always have a flat left wrist throughout the swing?

The key is to properly direct the face of your club and the way your wrists are moving.

1. Identify Your Setup

Each player has a different way of holding the club.

There are neutral, weak, and strong grips. The grip type affects whether you should aim for a flat left wrist throughout the swing or if a slightly flexed or extended wrist is actually better.

• For stronger grips, the lead wrist naturally tends to be more cupped (extended).
• For weaker grips – more bowed (flexed).

The example we are discussing further is based on a neutral grip. Check out the exact benchmarks for every grip type in our article here. Additionally, let’s quickly note that we are discussing the lead wrist – i.e., the lead wrist will be the left wrist for right-handed golfers.

2. Check the Extension During the Backswing

A common mistake by many golfers is increasing lead wrist cupping during the backswing and at the top. Instead, you should gradually move towards a flatter left wrist at the top.

If your setup position leaves you in a bit of an extended position, you can still keep it consistent or even decrease extension as you move to the top of the backswing.

Some players who add too much wrist hinge as part of the backswing have trouble with extension.

3. Keep the Lead Wrist Flat in the Downswing Too

The downswing is crucial because it’s where you put the most power into the shaft. Your wrist movement at this point determines how the face of the club is going to be positioned at impact.

In early downswing, a popular mistake is pulling down the club and increasing lead wrist cupping or extension. The correct method would be maintaining the flat left wrist you had achieved at the top.

If your wrist was slightly extended at the top, now is the time to start losing some of that extension and square up the clubface. The flatter your left wrist is at the top, the easier it is for you to fire through the ball at top speed.

4. Make it Even Flatter at the Impact

At impact, your lead wrist should be flatter than it was at setup – more bowed than when you first started.

Once you’ve completed all the previous steps, you can release the club into a smooth follow-through.

How Does Wrist Position Change During the Golf Swing?

The tough thing about golf is that it’s very hard to start with a flat lead wrist position and then try to maintain this throughout the entire swing. There are always some movements or changes that will help increase power and even consistency.

Here are some general guidelines for how the wrist position may change throughout the swing:

• Address: At the address, it is acceptable to have your grip in a neutral, strong, or weak position; however, it will impact the rest of the golf swing. A neutral grip makes it easiest to achieve a flat lead wrist consistently.
• Backswing: During the backswing, the goal is to ensure you are not adding any extension in the lead wrist. Some golfers are able to decrease extension a bit, and that is a positive.
• Downswing: Any extension left in the lead wrist must be removed so that the clubface’s position at impact is square and the wrist is flat.
• Impact: The most consistent wrist position for solid ball striking is a flat left wrist. Slightly bowed left wrists also increase overall power and precision; the real problem is an extended or cupped wrist at impact.

Tips & Drills to Flatten Your Lead Wrist

The key now is to work on getting yourself into this flat lead wrist position at impact.

HackMotion is the best way to track your progress and monitor your wrist position.

Working with HackMotion is like having a professional with you at the driving range.

HackMotion Data Analysis & Feedback

Wear the HackMotion device and record data on your golf swing. Pay specific attention to the amount of extension and flexion in your wrist at setup, at the top of the backswing, and then at impact.

Use these numbers to set a baseline to improve upon as you work on flattening your lead wrist.

Once you identify the areas of your swing that need the most help with wrist position, you can use HackMotion’s feedback feature.

Set a range for your wrist position that helps you move more toward a flat lead wrist. As you swing, you will want to continue hearing the sound coming from the HackMotion device. If the sound disappears, you have moved outside the recommended range.

This audio feedback feature is one of the only real-time feedback tools in the golf industry for wrist position. Golfers can make significant improvements when the feedback’s timing is aligned with the movements made in the swing.

Impact Bag

An impact bag is a soft-filled bag that is designed to withstand the impact of a golf club. Swing with your golf club and strike the impact bag. To get a solid hit with the impact bag there must be no cupping at impact.

When you strike an impact bag with an extended wrist, the bag will flip up, and it will not have that solid noise or feel. Make sure as you use the impact bag you are checking on your wrist position and the extension/flexion.

Drag the Alignment Stick Drill

This drill from Rob Cheney will help you learn exactly what your lead wrist should be doing through impact. If you thought the alignment sticks were just for use on the ground, think again.

In this drill, you’ll make a slow-motion golf swing movement with the alignment stick to try and set the hands in the correct position at impact.

Set the Impact Position Drill

If the idea of keeping the wrist flat or slightly flexed at impact is new to you, try this drill.

You’ll get your wrist set in the correct position and work on shorter swings until you can really feel that position and hit a straight golf shot.

FAQs

To master clubface control, your wrists need to be in the proper position. Even if it takes a little extra time to learn and understand wrist angles in golf, it is time well spent.

Here are a few more questions that players often ask about the flat lead wrist.

Should the left wrist be flat at the top of the backswing?

A left wrist that is flat or slightly bowed at the top of the backswing will allow golfers to fire through impact with more speed, better rotation, and more control of their golf shots.

An extended wrist position at the top leaves players with more work to do as they move through impact.

Should your left wrist be flat at the address?

The left wrist should not be too flexed or extended, but it doesn’t need to be perfectly flat. The address position can vary slightly as long as the golfer can get to the top of the backswing with a relatively flat lead wrist.

When should I flatten my wrist in golf swing?

The wrist in the golf swing should be flat at the top of the backswing. From here, getting to a flat wrist or even a slightly flexed wrist at impact is easier.

Should your left wrist be flat at impact?

The left wrist should be flat or slightly bowed at impact to achieve great distance, straighter shots, and a more piercing ball flight.

Final Thoughts

At this point, you have all the information you need to get out there and start working on your flat lead wrist. The HackMotion allows you to make big changes in wrist position in a very short period of time.

Remember that getting yourself into the proper range of wrist angles is most important. There is no perfect wrist position; instead, you have to follow the patterns that we have identified from the best players in the world.