Proper Forearm Rotation in the Golf Swing (Gain More Power & Control in Your Swing)

How should the forearms be moving throughout the swing? What is too much? What is too little? What happens due to each of those potential outcomes related to your forearms?

After analyzing more than 1,000,000 golf swings with HackMotion, we have learned exactly what the forearms do, how they rotate, and how you can get your golf shots longer and straighter with the help of proper forearm rotation.

Forearm Rotation in the Golf Swing – Key Takeaways

Don’t have time to read my entire article? Here are the key takeaways:

• Forearm rotation in the golf swing needs to happen; the amount of forearm rotation will depend on the golfer’s takeaway and their position at the top of the golf swing.
• Proper forearm rotation will encourage a straighter shot with more distance.
• It’s crucial to understand the difference between forearm rotation and shoulder rotation; you can rotate the forearms without over rotating the shoulders.
• The correct amount of lead wrist extension throughout the downswing will make it easier to rotate your forearms.
• To make it easier to rotate the forearms through impact correctly, start the takeaway with very little or almost no forearm rotation.

If you prefer to watch instead of read, here’s a video recap of everything you need to know about forearm rotation in the golf swing.

What is Forearm Rotation in the Golf Swing?

The quick answer is that forearm rotation is the amount of rotation that happens with your lead and trail forearm during the golf swing. Rotation of the forearm is referred to as Pronation and Supination.

• Pronation – The inward rotation of your forearms. To picture this, you can imagine your palms rotating down towards the ground.
• Supination – The outward rotation of your forearms. To picture this, you can imagine your palms rotating up towards the sky.

Forearm rotation will directly impact the shape of the shots you hit and how much speed and power you can produce through impact.

The timing of the forearm rotation and the actual amount of rotation are both factors that need to be considered.

Wrist Action and Forearm Rotation

Your wrist and hands, which are responsible for holding the club and controlling the clubface, are connected to your forearms.

So, your forearms play a significant role in influencing the wrists and hands and vice versa.

Since the movement of the forearms directly correlates to your wrists and hands, it helps to keep these wrist related terms in mind.

• Wrist Extension: The movement of the back of the hand towards the top of your forearm.
• Wrist Flexion: The movement of your palm towards the underside of your forearm.
• Wrist Radial Deviation: This is when you move your wrist towards your thumb. Imagine trying to point your thumb up towards your forearm.
• Wrist Ulnar Deviation: When you move your wrist towards your pinky. Think about trying to point your pinky down towards your forearm.

How Your Forearms Should Rotate During Golf Swing

Let’s break down how the forearms work in the four most important parts of the swing: the Backswing, Downswing, Impact, and Post-Impact.

Backswing

Setting up your forearms correctly in your backswing will make getting the proper forearm rotation through impact much easier

• Forearms stay in front of you and are connected in the backswing.
• During the takeaway, the idea is to ensure there is no real forearm rotation happening.
• The trail forearm will move into supination, rotating up towards the sky at the same time your lead arm moves into pronation, down towards the ground.

Your lead forearm should rotate about 45 degrees in pronation on the backswing and the trail forearm 45 degrees in supination. With proper backswing rotation of the forearms, the wrists at the top of the backswing should fall into the right position.

As you reach the top of the swing, your lead wrist should be flat and in line with your lead forearm. Your trail wrist should be slightly extended, and your trail forearm should be vertical, with the elbow pointing down toward the ground.

Downswing and Impact

As you transition down from the top of your swing, you want to have the feeling of steadily releasing or “rolling over” the forearms. The amount you need to rotate your forearms depends on how much body rotation you have.

Players who rotate and clear their body very well on the downswing and through impact will not need as much forearm rotation as someone who doesn’t. Additionally, how your club face is orientated as it comes into the ball will influence how much forearm rotation you need to square up the face at impact.

Measuring forearm rotation without the HackMotion is incredibly difficult. Wear the HackMotion and it will work as a coach on your wrist to ensure you are rotating correctly through impact.

Post Impact

What happens after impact is a result of what happens on the downswing.

If your forearms and wrists have continued to rotate properly on the downswing, your lead wrist and arm should be slightly ahead of the club head at impact. In addition, the face will be square as it strikes the ball.

As you follow through and fully release the club, you must allow your forearms and wrists to rotate as the club extends toward the target and moves left (for righties). Ultimately, you will finish well-balanced and in a strong finish position.

Your trail forearm will get to a point of being over the lead forearm, the opposite of what it looks and feels like in the backswing.

Poor Forearm Rotation – Too Much and Too Little

Many amateur golfers, especially beginners, have a few preconceived ideas about what the forearms should do.

Here are the mistakes that we see come up most often.

• Lack of Forearm Rotation in the Backswing: Many golfers mistakenly try to keep the clubface square to the target too long, limiting natural forearm rotation.
• Incorrect Timing of Forearm Rotation: Rotating the forearms too early or too late can throw off the swing, causing the clubface to be out of position.
• Confusing Shoulder and Forearm Rotation: Some golfers mistakenly rotate their shoulders instead of their forearms, leading to swing errors like an over-the-top move.

Drills to Work on Forearm Rotation

Now that we have a better idea of how the forearms should work in the golf swing, let’s go through three different drills that can help with your forearm rotation and get you into the proper position.

Hit it Hard Drill

In this video from Zach Allen, you can learn about a drill that Jon Rahm used to try to hit the ball further, rotate the forearms and ensure that his swing was in the proper position. One of the things that great forearm rotation can do for your golf swing is increased power and speed.

To do this drill you start the club back in a one piece takeaway that involves no forearm rotation. When the club gets parallel from the ground, you stop, rotate, and then hit the ball as hard as you can. The theory here is that you will have no option but to rotate your forearms and rotate them efficiently.

HackMotion Drill

Feeling forearm rotation and measuring forearm rotation are two different things. With HackMotion you can measure the specific forearm rotation you have in your backswing and your downswing.

Remember, there is no perfect amount of forearm rotation. You will notice that the swing starts out with almost no forearm rotation.

Then, the forearm rotates to take you to the top of the swing. Finally, the forearms switch and rotate in the opposite direction to take you through impact.

Use HackMotion like a coach, and let it help you determine what you need to do to get the forearms moving properly.

Club in Line with Shoulder Drill

For this last drill, you can watch this video from Eric Cognoro, where he explains the importance of forearm rotation and addresses the fears that people have with proper timing and consistency.

With this drill, you will set up as if you will hit a shot and then stand up and hold the club out in front of you. From this point, you will bend your hands up a bit so that the club looks like it will tap your lead shoulder.

Now rotate through to your target and add a little pivot or tilt to get the position you would normally be in for your typical shot. This drill shows you exactly how your forearms will rotate as you move through the ball and the position you need to be in as you reach impact.

Forearm Power Drill

If your motivation to improve forearm rotation is to help you gain more power, then use this forearm power drill. With this drill you’ll hold the club out in front of you and rotate the forearms.

Do this for a few minutes to create muscle memory, and then try to recreate the feeling when you attempt to strike the golf ball.

Summing It Up

Improving the little nuances that make up the golf swing requires a few important steps.

First, you need to understand all aspects of the game. From setup to in-swing fundamentals, having a clear grasp of key concepts is your starting point.

Next, it’s important to know your current tendencies and identify any faults in your swing. Working with a coach or using the HackMotion on your wrist while analyzing a video of your swing can help you square the clubface at impact and align your forearm rotation properly.