This is a common issue that can significantly impact the quality of your swing. Excessive wrist extension at the top of your swing can lead to an open clubface and generally steepens the shaft, making it challenging to square it during the downswing. In this article, we will explore the common issues leading to this problem and provide solutions to help you improve your golf swing.

1. Start with Checking the Grip

One of the primary reasons for excessive wrist extension is often an improper grip that doesn’t suit your particular swing style. Your grip directly affects your wrist’s position and flexibility during the swing. There are two key grip issues to address: Weak lead grip and weak trail grip.

Weak Lead Grip

A weak lead grip promotes an open clubface and often requires a more flexed wrist position, which can be challenging for many players. To identify a weak lead grip, check if the back of your hand faces more towards the target or if the “V” shape between your thumb and index finger points more towards your lead shoulder. As opposed to a stronger grip where fingers point to the opposite side.

During the swing when moving from Address to Top position, it will be a lot easier to flex your wrist by 10 degrees or keep the same angle from 20-30 degrees of extension than doing it from 5-10 degrees of extension. Players with a weak lead grip have to work harder to flex their lead wrist in order to get their club more closed.

NOTE: In addition to the grip adjustments mentioned, it’s essential to ensure that you hold the club using your fingers rather than positioning it deep inside your palm. Utilizing your fingers for grip provides enhanced control over the club’s movement and positioning.

How To Identify a Weak Lead Grip?

If you notice in the HackMotion data that your address position consistently remains around or below 0, it’s a sign that you should investigate your grip. Addressing your grip and making it stronger may resolve the issue of excessive extension at the top of your swing.

How To Fix a Weak Lead Grip?

– Place the club in the fingers of your left hand with your fingers pointing downwards.

– The grip of the club should run from the middle of the index finger to the base of the little finger.

– Ensure that the line between your thumb and index finger points to your trail shoulder.

Start by slightly strengthening your lead wrist grip, but be cautious not to make it too strong. A stronger grip will help close the clubface, which can benefit players prone to pushes and slices but may be detrimental if you tend to pull the ball.

Weak Trail Grip

A weak trail hand grip can make it difficult to flex your lead wrist during your swing and may make you feel “restricted” when trying to do so. To identify a weak trail grip, check if the “V” between your trail hand’s thumb and index finger points towards your lead shoulder.

How To Fix a Weak Trail Grip?

– Work on strengthening your trail hand grip.

– A stronger trail wrist makes it easier to achieve a more flexed wrist position at the Top of your swing.

2. Check The Takeaway

In the HackMotion swing graph, the takeaway phase corresponds to approximately the first 45% of the backswing.

The takeaway phase in your golf swing is crucial, as it sets the stage for the rest of your swing. Two issues related to the takeaway can contribute to excessive wrist extension: Inside takeaway and extension in takeaway.

Inside Takeaway

An inside takeaway can make you feel “stuck” and lead to the natural extension of your wrists as you try to complete your backswing. This can occur in three ways:

• through early flexion in the takeaway,  
• by rolling your wrists (rotating) during the takeaway, or
• through body rotation with flat shoulder plane 

How To Identify an Inside Takeaway?

1. Using HackMotion observe:

• if there is a significant drop in extension during your takeaway, indicating you are taking the club inside through flexion. If a player drops to more than 10 degrees in flexion in their takeaway we consider that as in inside takeaway.

• If there is too much wrist rotation in the takeaway, which can take your club too much behind you. If you observe wrist rotation in the range of 80-90 degrees, you are at a medium risk for an inside takeaway. However, if you measure it exceeding 90 degrees, then there is a high risk for having an inside takeaway as your issue for Top extension.

2. Additionally, you can try to record yourself from down the line view. If during your takeaway you see the clubhead going behind your body your taking it inside far too much

How To Fix an Inside Takeaway?

Use specific drills designed to address an inside takeaway:

• The drill for the flexion inside takeaway: 

• The drill for the rotational inside takeaway:

Extension In Takeaway

If you notice that you are cupping our wrists or rotating them aggressively during the takeaway, this can lead to added wrist extension. 

How To Identify Extension in Takeaway?

Check if there is an added extension by more than 5 degrees from your address position during the takeaway. If yes, then this is the issue to focus on.

How To Fix Extension in Takeaway?

In order to fix this wrist issue, practice drill with a focus on maintaining flexion.

3. Check Your Ulnar/Radial Values

If the takeaway is not the issue, it’s essential to ensure that you are not over-hinging your wrists. Wrist hinge, also known as radial deviation, is a common factor contributing to increased wrist extension. This is often observed when golfers aim to create a “lag” in their club’s motion by introducing excessive wrist hinge during their backswing. 

Wrist Hinge 

Currently, the most effective method for gauging this is to examine the uln/rad change between the address and the highest point in your backswing till the top of the swing, ensuring it does not exceed 35 degrees. If it does surpass this threshold, it indicates that the player needs to focus on refining their wrist hinge.

Additionally, golfers with shorter backswings, particularly those who struggle with rotation and completing their backswing, tend to increase wrist hinge as a means to “lengthen” their swing. It’s worth noting that radial deviation makes it significantly more challenging to achieve wrist flexion during the swing.

How To Identify Wrist Hinge?

1. To assess this, record your swing from a face-on perspective and carefully observe whether you are introducing excessive wrist hinge during your backswing. A desirable goal for most players is to maintain an “L” shape between their wrists and forearms.

2. Utilizing HackMotion data, analyze your ulnar deviation from the address position to the Top of your backswing and ensure it does not exceed 35 degrees.

How To Fix Wrist Hinge?

• Try the wrist pre-set drill. The same drill as for the Extension Takeaway (see above).

4. Other Possible Issues

If none of the previously mentioned issues seem to apply to your case, it’s worth exploring two additional factors that can contribute to excessive wrist extension: Internal trail shoulder rotation or if the player simply is not flexing enough for some other reason. 

Internal Trail Shoulder Rotation

During your backswing, if your trail shoulder starts to rotate towards your body, it can naturally add extension to your lead wrist.

How To Identify Internal Trail Shoulder Rotation?

Capture a video of your swing from a down-the-line perspective and pay close attention to whether your elbows are drifting apart during your backswing. If yes, then this is the issue for you to fix.

How To Fix Internal Trail Shoulder Rotation?

Consider trying the “Waiter drill” in order to fix this issue.

During your backswing, envision that you are carrying a tray of drinks with your right (trail) arm as though you were a waiter. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Begin by setting up as you typically would for a golf shot.

2. Visualize your imaginary golf club and initiate the swing, mirroring your usual takeaway and backswing.

3. As you reach the top of your swing in your mind’s eye, examine your right (trail) hand’s position for these key attributes:

• Ensure your right elbow maintains a slight bend, slightly more than 90 degrees.
• Your right wrist should be bent at an approximately 90-degree angle.
• Your right hand should be pointed upward, towards the sky
• Confirm that your right elbow is positioned below the level of your right shoulder.

This mental exercise can help you achieve an ideal top-of-swing position, promoting a more effective and controlled golf swing.

Simply Not Flexing Enough At Top

If the player simply is not flexing enough for some other reason, in those cases the best we can do is offer some drills to get a feel for better flexion at the Top (i.e. Motorcycle drill).

Final Words

In conclusion, identifying and rectifying issues with excessive wrist extension at the top of your golf swing is crucial for improving your game. By addressing your grip, takeaway, uln/rad values, and other potential contributing factors, you can work towards a more controlled and effective golf swing. 

The post Identifying The Root Causes for Extension at The Top appeared first on HackMotion.

I’ll have to admit; the advice isn’t all that bad; excess wrist motion in putting is, without a doubt, a problem. However, there is no way to leave the wrists out of your putting stroke. Your wrists are going to move.

You can learn to move your wrists correctly and become a more consistent putter because of it. With over 1,000,000 swings and putting strokes analyzed, we have learned what the best players do in their putting strokes and how you can become a better player by improving your wrist action in putting.

Wrist Action in Putting – Key Takeaways

• Wrist motion in the putting stroke will impact the face and the putter’s path.
• More important than finding the perfect angle of your wrist position is to ensure that you are consistent and following patterns.
• Many golfers try to decrease or eliminate wrist motion in the putting stroke, but this is not necessarily the best method; the wrists will move. Learning the best ways to move both the lead and trail wrist is important.
• HackMotion can be used to establish a baseline for your putting stroke and then to check on consistency and stability at impact.

How do the Wrists Move in the Putting Stroke?

The wrists have three ways in which they move in a golf swing; rotation, radial/ulnar deviation, and flexion/extension. Those same wrist movements apply to the putting stroke. Putter face and putter stroke are both impacted by how the wrists move.

Extension and Flexion

For most amateur golfers, the easiest place to start is the extension and flexion. Extension and flexion feel like the bending up and down of your wrist, where your palm points down towards the ground or up towards the sky.

In putting, we focus on both the lead wrist and the trail wrist movement. As a golfer, you may have an easier time focusing on the trail than lead, so it’s important to understand them both.

• Lead wrist extension (cupping) adds loft to the putter face, increasing the launch angle.
• Lead wrist flexion (bowing) removes loft of the putter face, decreasing the launch angle.

As you can see from these images, when you cup your lead wrist, it has an immediate impact on the launch angle of your putt. With a launch angle that is anything other than standard, your putt could end up short or long of the hole, and it may not experience as smooth of a roll on the green.

• Trail wrist flexion (bowing) adds loft to the putter face, increasing the launch angle.
• Trail wrist extension (cupping) removes loft of the putter face, decreasing the launch angle.

The trail wrist has the opposite effect on the golf putter face that the lead wrist has. When you change the wrist angle in one of your wrists, you will change it in the other (if using a standard putting grip).

The goal is to get the wrists into a more neutral or stable position without excess bowing or cupping of either wrist.

Radial Deviation

Have you ever seen golfers that get the putter way off the ground on their backswing? It’s not necessarily that their path is entirely off, but instead that when the putter swings back, it moves off the ground.

• Radial deviation moves the putter face above the initial shaft plane.
• Ulnar deviation moves the putter face below the initial shaft plane.

Too much radial deviation can encourage you to lift the putter and strike it on the downswing. The problem is a golf ball that jumps at impact, never getting started on the proper path.

Ulnar deviation is a problem that many players make when trying to develop and perfect a more arc-style putting stroke. The golfer misunderstands that slight arc to the inside with an increase in ulnar deviation and causes the putter to make an inconsistent impact with the golf ball.

Rotation

If you are a golfer that tends to push or pull the ball with the putter, then rotation is probably playing into your issues.

• Rotation in a Clockwise direction (palm up move) twists the putter face open. The ball will go off-target to the right, a push.
• Rotation in a Counter-Clockwise direction (palm down move) twists the putter face closed. The ball will go off-target to the left, a pull.

As you can see, rotation of the wrists in putting has a tremendous impact on the putter face and the angle of the putter face when you stroke the golf ball.

Twisting the hands too much or at the wrong time only further increases your issues with rotation in putting and overall consistency.

Common Mistakes Golfers Make with Wrists in Putting

When identifying common mistakes that golfers make with their wrists in putting, it is often helpful to look at what professional golfers do in their putting strokes.

The professionals are obviously the most consistent putters, and when you break down how the putting stroke works, consistency becomes the most important feature.

Amateur golfers tend to focus too much on having perfectly still wrists. In doing so, they end up creating motions and movements that are not accurate, all while trying to keep the wrists entirely still.

Remember, this is not possible. Tour players have wrist rotation, and they even have some fluctuations in wrist movement throughout their stroke.

Another area where amateur golfers tend to fall behind the professionals a bit is when it comes to wrist rotation. Many amateur players, in an effort to keep the putter back on a straight path, will end up restricting rotation.

With natural movements in the human body, your putter will rotate on the backswing, even if you have more of a straight back and straight-through stroke. Look at it this way, all putting strokes are arc style; some just have a larger arc than others.

Professional golfers rotate the putter face open to the target on the backswing and then rotate the opposite direction of the downswing to help close the face. The most important thing to notice here is the consistency in the amount of rotation.

When you can create a reliable and consistent amount of opening and closing of the clubface, you can repeat the stroke and then fill in with all the other important aspects of putting (like speed, distance control, alignment, and learning to read the greens).

How to Improve and Correct Wrist Action in Putting

To improve your wrist action in putting, there are a few key steps to follow. You know the way you like to practice and improve, and you can implement that into these guidelines.

1. Take Video and Collect Data

Combining a video of your putting stroke with the HackMotion data can be very powerful. The video gives you the visual feedback you need to recognize issues in the stroke. The HackMotion records wrist data at set up, during the backswing, and then again at impact.

Take about 10 to 15 putts with your HackMotion sensor on your lead wrist and look at your collected data.

2. Look for Consistency

The first thing to do is look for consistency. Do you have consistency in any of your wrist motions during the backswing or at impact?

Those consistent strokes are the ones that we want to keep around. Even if that stroke needs tweaking, it’s a good idea to capitalize on consistency.

3. Check for Too Much Extension

Ensure that you are not adding an extension on the backstroke and then increasing the extension again as you go after the ball. Again, this is a pattern that is often seen with golfers trying to hold the clubface on a path that it doesn’t need to be held on.

Professional players have very little increase in extension on the backstroke and certainly don’t have it on the downstroke.

4. Rotation Patterns are Important

Rotating the putter face slightly open and then rotating it back to closed helps you keep the putter head on the proper line. Pay close attention to these rotation patterns if you want to be a consistent player.

Seeing that you rotate on the backstroke but then you don’t rotate well through impact could be a reason why you are leaving your putts out to the right.

5. Follow Up with HackMotion using Wrist Stability Mode

Now that you have properly analyzed your golf putting stroke and you want to make some changes, you can use the HackMotion wrist stability mode for further practice and development.

For wrist stability mode:

• Record your data by taking 10 putts in a row and see if your misses are right or left of the cup.
• Take a look at the direction you are moving your putter face to cause the push or the pull.
• Choose a suggested range within the HackMotion Wrist Stability mode that could help bring your putter closer to being on the right track.
• Regardless of how you grip the club and set up, the range is what matters, and the change from address position to top of backstroke to impact is all that is measured.

FAQs

Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about the role of wrist action in putting.

Wrist action can feel a little complicated, mostly because you have been taught to keep the wrists out of the putting stroke. Wrists are very involved in putting; it’s just a matter of knowing how to use them.

Do you use your wrists in putting?

Wrists are used in putting to rotate the putter face open and then back to square at impact. Without the wrists, we could not keep the putter on a great path and create a consistent golf putting stroke.

How do I keep my wrist firm when putting?

One of the best ways to keep your wrist firm when putting is to use HackMotion.

HackMotion will give you a real-time look at the movement your wrist is making and whether or not you are extending it at the wrong times.

With the HackMotion device, you can not only see what you are doing wrong in your putting stroke but feel it at the same time.

Should you break your wrist when putting?

Breaking the wrists when putting is likely going to cause issues with the amount of extension and flexion that you have in your putting stroke.

Instead of focusing on breaking or not breaking the wrists, instead, create a better path and allow the putter face to rotate more naturally.

How do you putt without breaking your wrist?

If your wrists feel as though they have too much movement during your putting stroke, use the HackMotion wrist sensor to record your data and then learn to repeat it.

Putting without breaking your wrists is possible, but putting without any wrist motion is not realistic.

What is the best hand position for putting?

There is no perfect putting grip. All putting grips that allow you to consistently repeat your stroke are good. The best hand position for putting helps you square the putter face up as it comes closer to the golf ball.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this guide helped to clear up some of your misconceptions about the role of wrist action in putting.

It’s important to let go of the idea that wrist action is non-existent in putting. All golfers move their wrists; they just have to learn how to do it effectively and consistently.

The biggest difference between the amateur and the professional player is the consistency in the movement of the wrists. If you can’t repeat a motion, it’s going to be very difficult to eliminate those three putts!

The post Role of Wrist Action in Putting: Unlocking Secrets for Better Strokes appeared first on HackMotion.

Through the analysis of over 100,000 recorded swings using Hackmotion, we’ve found a common problem: many golfers tend to “flip” their wrists at Impact. Flipping the golf ball likely indicates that you’re not attaining the desired impact ranges, making it highly challenging to achieve consistency in your swing.

What exactly is flipping or early release? 

It is a swing pattern where at Impact, the golfer’s lead wrist goes into extension, and the clubhead surpasses the golfer’s hands right before the contact. This action increases the club’s loft, resulting in a high ball flight trajectory. 

People who flip may still manage to produce straight shots, even with wrist extension at Impact. However, the problem lies in the necessity of timing the flip perfectly on every swing to maintain consistency. Additionally, they tend to lose distance due to the elevated launch angle and reduced swing speed.

It’s crucial to recognize that flipping is a symptom not a cause. If you ever want to fix your flip you should first identify and address the root cause.

In general, golfers tend to flip the ball due to two main reasons: either they have an open clubface at the start of the downswing, or they are stalling their body with a squared clubface.

1. Too much extension in the downswing

This category includes people who flip the ball due to not too much extension in the transition which means they have an open clubface at the start of the downswing.

This is the most common cause of flipping among amateur golfers. The majority of golfers tend to have an open clubface at the top of their swing and as they initiate their downswing. After this motion, your body reacts to  the open clubface during the downswing and, in a last-minute effort tries to square the clubface by flipping the wrists..

To identify this pattern using HackMotion, refer to the swing graph, where you can observe whether or not you managed to flex your wrists enough in the downswing. If you don’t flex your wrists enough, most likely you have an open clubface in your downswing.

For golfers with this pattern, the most frequent misses include pushes and slices, with occasional straight shots that have a high ball flight.

How to fix this?

Try the motorcycle drill to feel the correct motion of flexing your wrists and enforce your muscle memory. In this drill try to focus your training on the start and transition journey of the swing.

2. Enough flexion in the downswing but flipping the ball before Impact

Often these are people who manage to get enough flexion in the downswing but they are still flipping the ball. Even if they initially manage to square the clubface at the beginning of the downswing, many golfers struggle to maintain body rotation and therefore often stall their body right before impact.

To identify this flipping pattern using HackMotion, refer to the swing graph and check if you have managed to get into flexion in transition but then see a sharp increase in extension right before impact. If yes, then you are most likely flipping the ball due to body stalling issues.

Most common misses that people with this swing pattern experience are pulls or pull hooks. Because the clubface is typically squared in the downswing, when golfers flip their wrists, the lead wrist extends just before impact. This extension closes the clubface even more in relation to the target line.

NOTE: Because of the way how HackMotion sensor works, there might be some cases where a pull or pull hook, which in reality is caused by flipping, might still appear as “in-range” in HackMotion practice mode but in reality it is a flip. To confirm this, carefully examine your swing graph and pay particular attention to any sudden increase in extension through impact if you suspect this is happening.

How to fix this?

Body stalling right before the Impact is a tricky thing to fix as there are several swing faults which might cause this, such as:

1.Setup issues

Make sure that your grip is not too “Palmy” or that you do not have your golf handle pulled back.

2.Putting weight on the trail leg in the downswing

At impact the majority of the body weight (around 80%) should be on the left side and the right heel should have started to lift and be very light at impact.

3.Poor body rotation

If there is a lack of body rotation during the downswing, the only option for the club to reach the ball is for the hand to surpass the body.

4.Hips spinning too early

Pro golfers accelerate their arms earlier than amateurs initiating the hips simultaneously with arms. The vast majority of amateurs move their hands much later than hips.

Final Thoughts

To find out more on how to fix each of these swing faults that causes a flip and what drills to use for improvements go to the HackMotion app section Learn, where you will find a subsection called Swing Faults. There you will find all the information you need on diagnosing and fixing your swing faults.

Fixing your Impact position especially if it is a flip can be quite challenging, even more so when some of your shots seem to go straight down the middle. Making swing changes can initially worsen your game before you will get better, this is just how it should be. However, if you aspire to have confidence in your swing, eliminating the flip is crucial.

The post Understanding the Flip: The Main Reasons For Golf Consistency Issues appeared first on HackMotion.

How you grip the golf club serves as the foundation, setting you up for a successful swing. In this article, we will explore the different types of grips and discuss the various issues that can arise with each of them. By understanding the options and potential challenges, you can improve your grip and set yourself on the path to a better swing.

Grip Strength Explained

The way you position your hands on the club (rotationally) can determine whether your grip is neutral, weak, or strong, it has nothing to do with grip pressure. A simple way to visualize this is by gripping the club and observing your hand placement while looking down. 

• A neutral grip – if you see two knuckles, like Adam Scott or Jason Day do, you have a neutral left-hand grip. 

• On the other hand, a strong grip twists the entire hand position to the right (from your perspective while looking down at the club). Three knuckles or more means a strong left hand golf grip, like Zach Johnson.

• Conversely, a weak grip rotates your entire hand position to the left. If you don’t see any knuckles, your lead-hand grip is very weak. Jordan Spieth grips it like this (so did Johnny Miller

Understanding these different grip types can help you optimize your hand placement for a more effective and comfortable swing.

Weak Grip

A weak grip will have the right hand in a weaker position throughout the swing. The weak grip has nothing to do with grip pressure; it’s more about the position of the hands and their ability to work in your golf swing.

The weak grip is great for golfers that hook the ball. Sometimes a hook is caused by that overactive right hand shutting the clubface through impact. If you can get the hands into a weaker position, it could square up the clubface.

Players who have a weak grip at address tend to have more flexion in their wrists at the top. This flexion is a great thing to have at impact if a player can return the weak grip back in a flexed position.

Pros

• It can help to control a hook.
• Make the left hand the lead in the swing.

Cons

• Some golfers will find that they can’t square the clubface at impact with a weak grip.
• The right arm can come too far over the top of the club and make it difficult to get the swing on the plane.

A weak lead hand is a suitable option for some players as it facilitates wrist flexion, shifting the club’s center of mass behind the hands.

Neutral Grip

The neutral grip works best for golfers who have all other aspects of their swing in order. The majority of players on the PGA Tour use a neutral grip because it allows for them to hit a wider variety of shots like cuts and draws.

Pros

• The neutral grip feels natural to most golfers so that is a definite benefit.
• Most players feel that the neutral grip helps them easily control the clubface. More clubface control leads to more accurate shots.
• The neutral grip makes it much easier to hit shaped shots.

Cons

• Can lead to slicing in some golfers if the clubface stays open.
• Too much wrist freedom which can lead to inaccurate shots.

A neutral lead hand combined with a flat wrist at the top of the backswing is the popular choice among top players. It allows for better control of the clubface and dynamic loft, enabling versatility in ball trajectory.

Strong Grip

A strong grip has the right hand in a more powerful position that can help golfers square the clubface at impact. If you are a golfer that slices the ball, this is a grip to consider using as the clubface stays more closed.

Pros

• Strong grips can help to eliminate a slice.
• Players with a weaker left hand can feel like it’s easier to close the clubface at impact.
• Makes it easier for players to understand how to release a golf club.

Cons

• It can get too strong and cause a hook if the face is too closed.
• Often makes the right hand get too active in the swing.
• Takes away the ability to shape shots with ease.

A strong lead hand can be effective for those seeking straight shots or gentle fades, as it helps prevent the clubface from staying too open at impact. However, top players generally prefer a more versatile grip to accommodate a wide range of ball trajectories.

Proper Golf Grip: How Grip Affects My Shots?

Your hands connect with the golf club and set the foundation for the rest of your swing. The grip is incredibly important as it has a large impact on the clubface angle. With the new ball flight laws in golf, we know that the clubface angle at impact is what determines the direction of the ball.

The grip also significantly influences your wrist angle positions from Address to Top and all the way to Impact. To comprehend the lead wrist target ranges at each of the positions for Pattern A players, please refer to the table provided below.

How to Know Which One is for Me?

The best way to know how to hold a golf club is to experiment with the different types and see where you have the most success.

Which Grip is Better?

There is no perfect golf grip; the best grip is the one that works for your game. Looking at the grips of professional golfers can teach us a lot about what works, what doesn’t, and how you have to match the grip style you choose to your hand size and natural talents.

How Tour Players Grip

Lead Hand at Address

If we look at the Pro players, we will see that the neutral grip is the goal for most players.

This information was confirmed when looking at tour player data.

• 57% of players have a neutral 2-knuckles position.
• 31% of players have a weak 1-knuckle position.
• 2% of players have a strong 3-knuckles or more position

Lead Hand at Impact

Although address and the top of the swing are incredibly important to learn about, the lead hand at impact is what matters the most.

• The general tendency of players with a weak grip is to present a flexed wrist and greater supination of the forearm at impact.
• The general tendency for players with a neutral grip is to have a flat wrist at impact.
• The general tendency of players with a strong grip is to have a flat or slightly extended wrist at impact and a “locked” position in pronation of the forearm.

Conclusion

While high-level golf can be played with various lead hand positions (weak, neutral and strong), the trail hand position is less variable. Optimal control of the clubface is achieved with a neutral trail hand position, where the palm is parallel to the clubface.

From a biomechanical perspective, a strong trail hand facing upward can be workable, but achieving good impacts with a particularly weak trail hand and a palm facing downward is challenging.

While the majority of players follow general trends, it’s worth noting that a minority of top players exhibit unique combinations such as a strong grip with a flexed lead wrist at the top or a weak grip with an extended lead wrist. These individual choices emphasize the personal nature of a good swing dynamics.

The post Exploring Different Types of Golf Grips appeared first on HackMotion.

Based on the analysis of over 1 million golf swings and numerous tour players, Hackmotion has identified three common patterns that great players use: Pattern A, B and C. PGA Tour Coach Scott Cowx, has categorized these patterns.

Among these patterns, Pattern A is considered the most functional for amateurs as it delivers optimal results without requiring a lot of athleticism or perfect timing. This pattern is commonly used by amateur players, making it the focus of the Hackmotion device.

Wrist Pattern A – Stable extension towards flexion, with supination – “Turn Down release”

This swing pattern has been observed in players such as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Tommy Fleetwood. It is characterized by:

• Maintaining stable wrist extension throughout the backswing and flexing the wrist during the downswing.
• The clubhead speed is released through arm rotation, Instead of relying on extension. 

Players with this pattern often favor a draw shot shape. 

Players utilizing this pattern excel in wedge play, pitching, and chipping, as they demonstrate exceptional control over the club’s loft through flexion. They are adept at executing stingers and shaping shots to achieve different trajectories.

Given this information, it is highly recommended by HackMotion for amateur golfers to try and match Pattern A, which is already incorporated in the HackMotion device to offer optimal support and guidance.

Wrist Pattern B – Flexion to Extension – “Cobra pattern”

This pattern is used by players like Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Victor Hovland, and Brooks Koepka. It is almost the opposite of the stable extension pattern (Pattern A).

In pattern B, players will:

• Intentionally flex their lead wrist in the backswing (being very flexed at the top) and maintain it during the downswing. 
• Release the flexion and move towards extension at impact, with minimal supination. 

Players with this pattern typically play a fade shot shape and excel in hitting long shots, they are often particularly powerful drivers of the ball. However, they may struggle with pitching and chipping due to delofting the club during the backswing and needing to regain loft at impact, potentially leading to scooping and low point issues.

As players get older they have less ability to separate their upper and lower body, so it is harder for them to play with “Cobra Pattern”. It is called “cobra” because the trail arm is curled like a cobra at the top of the backswing.

Rotation of the body is key for selecting the correct pattern for the player. Players with this pattern need to be very flexible in order to be able to rotate consistently.

Wrist Pattern C – Longhitters Radial Sowncock Pattern

Unlike the common swing patterns, this particular motion pattern shares similarities with pattern A in terms of extension and flexion. However, it shows greater movement towards extension, rotation, and radial motion due to higher overtaking rates.

In pattern C, the player faces three challenges:

• Simultaneous radial increase and flexion at impact, making it a challenging movement.
• The need to adjust the club slightly at the top to manage club inertia, which tends to push the wrist toward extension.
• A release with substantial rotation is needed, involving a combination of “scoop release” and “turn down” motion. This demands impeccable timing, as the clubface undergoes significant movement during impact.

Misses with this pattern tend to result in a lower right miss and higher left miss compared to Pattern A. Players who utilize this pattern enjoy the ability to hit various trajectories and shapes of shots.

Professional golfers like Richard Jung and Robert Garrigus have embraced the distinct wrist pattern known as Pattern C in their swings. However, for the average golfer, executing this pattern presents a considerable challenge. Pattern C demands precise coordination of wrist movement in all three dimensions: extension, radial deviation, and rotation. Achieving this level of coordination is highly demanding and can make it exceptionally difficult to consistently perform Pattern C.

Choosing the Right Swing Pattern: Finding Your Ideal Wrist Mechanics

The pattern C is a rare pattern used by pros, patterns A and B are more common. The first two wrist patterns that feature the stable wrist and the flexion toward extension are quite different. But there are two similarities that we can see.

1. From setup to the top of the backswing, great golfers are not adding extension. In pattern A, the wrist remains almost entirely stable; in pattern B, flexion is added.
2. As golfers transition into the impact position, both of these patterns exhibit minimal extension and sometimes flexion, with similar ranges for impact. The only difference lies in the way they arrive at the impact position. With your wrist in this impact position, it’s easy to compress a golf ball and create consistent contact.

According to Scott Cowx, players may naturally lean towards a particular swing pattern, and it is crucial not to impose a specific pattern on them. The most important factor is to focus on developing consistency in their swing, regardless of their core pattern. This approach recognizes and respects the individuality of each player’s swing while emphasizing the importance of achieving a consistent and repeatable motion.

This is where Hackmotion can help. With individualized data, you can see what type of swing pattern you naturally use, and then use data to continue to refine and hone in on your swing.

Full HackMotion Seminar – 3 Tour Methods of Delivery by Scott Cowx

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