Mastering Wrist Position at the Top of the Backswing (The Secret to a Square Clubface)

Is your clubface square at the top of your backswing? Are your wrists in the right position? Do you even know what the right position is?

The wrist position in the golf swing (especially at the top) can help you reach impact with a square face.

We have analyzed more than 1,000,000 golf swings of the best players in the world, and it’s given us some tremendous insight into what works and how the wrist at the top of the backswing can make or break your success at impact.

This guide will show you the importance of proper positioning, how to measure your wrist position at the top, and what having your wrist in the right place will do for your game.

Wrists at the Top of the Backswing (Key Takeaways)

If you have to refer to this complete wrist guide at the top of the backswing later, here is some information to take with you for now:

• The position of your grip at setup will impact your wrist position at the top of the backswing. The weaker your grip, the easier it is to get into a bowed position at the top; the stronger the grip, the more extended your wrist will get.
• A flat to slightly bowed wrist is the best position for achieving a square clubface at impact and higher speeds through the ball.
• There is no perfect wrist position at the top of the swing. Instead, you must ensure there is not too much extension to inhibit the clubface squaring at impact.
• The HackMotion will measure your wrist angle in real time and help you determine the exact position you need throughout your golf swing.

If you prefer to watch instead of read, here’s a video recap on the importance of proper wrist position at the top of the backswing and its impact on your game.

Wrists in the Golf Swing Explained

Before we get into fixing your wrist position at the top of the backswing, it’s essential to review what that wrist position looks like.

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

Extension/Flexion

If you hold your arm out in front of you and pull your hand up so you see the back of your hand or push your hand down so your fingers are no longer visible, you are extending and flexing your wrist.

Why are extension and flexion (cupping and bowing) so important at the top of the backswing?

The extension/flexion directly controls the clubface’s opening and closing. Extension will open the face of your golf club; flexion will close it.

Radial Deviation/Ulnar Deviation

The radial deviation/ulnar deviation is the cocking and uncocking of the wrists. Cocking your wrists in the golf swing will show the thumb of the lead hand moving closer to the forearm. When you uncock, the thumb moves away from the forearm.

If your backswing has more radial deviation, it increases the amount of wrist cock; ulnar deviation decreases it.

Rotation

Rotation is the process of turning the entire wrist. Pronation and supination are the technical terms we use for wrist rotation. When looking at these positions, you will notice that it is more the forearm turning than the wrist.

Pronation is the rotation of your wrists when your thumb is moving down; supination is when your thumb is moving back up, and more of your palm is visible.

How Should the Lead Wrist be at the Top of the Backswing?

The left wrist is the lead wrist for right-handed players (for lefty golfers, this information would apply to the right wrist).

To determine the proper left wrist position at the top of the backswing, we have to look at professionals and what they are doing with their wrists.

Professional Data

The first and most important thing you need to know about the wrists at the top of the backswing is that professionals have less extension (or cupping) than amateurs do. How they get to this position and what they do after the top of the backswing differs. However, too much extension in their lead wrist can make it difficult to square the clubface.

From setup to the top of the backswing, a tour player does not increase extension in their wrists.

At the top of the backswing, the player is typically in a flat wrist position. From this point, they bow their wrist or flex slightly until after the impact position.

Why is professional data different from amateur data? Control.

Golf professionals know what it takes to control a golf club face, and to do this, they know the wrists must be in the proper position.

You can see from the chart below that even golfers in the scratch to 10 handicap range have about 14.5 degrees of extension at the top, as compared to a higher handicapper with at least ten more degrees of extension.

Amateur Data

Most amateur golfers start with some extension in their wrists, then continue to add the extension as the club moves to the top of the backswing. If you extend too much at the top of the backswing, squaring the clubface at impact takes quite a bit of manipulation.

Sure, many players can accomplish this, but can it be done every time? Is it repeatable? Most