Perfecting Wrist Action for Better Short Game Performance
If you feel like your wrist mechanics in your long game are where they need to be, this is the information you will need to get your wrist action in the short game figured out.
Short game wrist mechanics help you control and spin the ball. Understanding things like flexion/extension, hinging, and the release of the wrists will help you take your short game to the next level.
We’ve broken this into three parts to help you figure out what parts of your wrist control and action are correct, and which need some assistance. Each section has drills you can take with you to the course to deepen your understanding.
Key Takeaways
If you don’t have time to read through all of this information on optimizing wrist mechanics for the short game, here are a few of the most important things to know.
- Wrist flexion and extension will control the ball flight as well as the clubface angle in the short game.
- Adding more hinge in the wrists should increase ball flight and backspin on your short game shots.
- Experiment with different amounts of wrist hinge to increase ball flight and improve distance control.
- Wearing the HackMotion as you practice your short game will give you information on the current status of your wrist action and what may need improvement.
Contents
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Wrist Flexion and Extension in the Short Game
The first area to look at is the flexion and extension of the lead wrist.
Flexion is when the wrist bends towards the palm, often referred to as bowing of the wrist. Extension is when the wrist bends backward towards the forearm.
Wrist flexion is great for a stable and consistent clubface. It’s used in chip shots and bump-and-runs to get the ball on the green and rolling forward toward the hole.
Extension is better when you are trying to add spin and achieve a higher ball flight with your golf shots.
At impact, you will want more flexion in the lead wrist with the chip shot and more extension in the lead wrist with the pitch and bunker shots. Too much extension in the lead wrist can cause a lack of control over the clubface.
Drills to Work on Wrist Flexion and Extension in the Short Game
You’ll need two different drills to work on for flexion and extension as the movements are not the same.
For a chipping drill, try this right-hand-only option. You can hit shots where you focus on maintaining the angle in your right wrist as you strike the golf ball. If that angle breaks down, you’ll be flipping the wrist which likely causes a skull or thin shot.
With pitching the goal is to get your wrist to a flat or slightly more extended position through impact.
This video gives you some guidelines to follow and helps you ensure you don’t turn this little bit of extra extension into a full flip of the wrists.
Wrist Hinging in the Short Game
Wrist hinge is the up and down movement of the wrists. Proper wrist hinge creates leverage and can help with distance control and the trajectory of the golf shot.
In addition, if you hinge the wrists properly, you may find it easier to hit down and through the golf ball with the correct angle of attack.
For most chip shots, wrist hinge isn’t necessary. You’ll want to keep the arms more extended and avoid hinging the wrists to help keep the stroke smaller and the ball flight more controlled.
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Drills to Work on the Hinge in the Wrists
Start by wearing your HackMotion throughout your next practice session and see how much hinge you have in your short game.
For higher lofted shots there should be more hinge. Experiment with different amounts of hinge in the wrists and the impact that it has on the shot.
This hinge and hold drill that Phil Mickelson does helps you work on distance control. The great thing about this method from Phil is that you will always have to accelerate through the ball so there is much less chance of a thin shot.
Finally, practice some half swings where you focus on maintaining the hinge until right at impact.
Delay the release a little and see if it helps you get some more control over your short game shots.
Wrist Release in the Short Game
The release of the wrists is really about the unhinging of the wrists or the rolling of the forearms through impact. A proper release will help you square the clubface up to the ball and encourage solid contact and better spin.
The timing of the release of the clubhead needs to happen so that the clubhead is left square at impact. If you are releasing early or late you will notice inconsistency in both ball flight and distance control.
As you follow through the shot you’ll notice even more of a release and better balance and control.
Drills to Work on Release in the Short Game
The release is a bit different depending on if you are trying to hit a high soft shot and a low chip shot.
This video will break down the differences for you and give you a great drill you can use with just an alignment stick.
Simply grip an alignment stick together with your golf grip. As you swing you’ll pay close attention to what the alignment stick does during the release.
If the alignment stick hits your side, it’s more of a release type pitch shot. If you keep the alignment stick from hitting your side it’s more of a chip shot or bump and run with no release.
Conclusion
Optimizing wrist mechanics in the short game involves understanding and practicing the correct flexion and extension, hinging, and release.
Wearing your HackMotion will let you know if you are doing the right things with your wrists or if you need to make some adjustments.
It’s important to be able to move your wrists in different ways to optimize your short game and become more versatile in the shots that you are hitting.
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