The Flat Left Wrist in Golf

Compress the ball with the club’s true loft
At Augusta Golf Instruction, we have been asked many times what my hands should be doing at impact. At times, golfers develop misconceptions of what it should look like at impact and how it feels.
Obviously, the most important part of the golf swing is the moment of impact.
And though there are a lot of different swings that can produce solid impact, it’s undeniable that there’s only one kind of impact that can produce a particular kind of ball flight. The ball flight we teach at AGI is a compressing, boring and penetrating flight based on an individual’s abilities.
The important thing to remember is that with a neutral grip we like to see, the back of your left hand represents the clubface. If the back of your hand is facing the target at impact, that’s where the ball will go.
Some of you may ask why this is important, but in reality if you do not have control of the clubface at impact, then you are really playing “Russian roulette” with your ball flight.
Now here is the kicker, good players not only have the back of the left hand aimed at the target, they also keep the wrist flat and leading the clubhead, like it is in the picture above. That way, you’re trapping the ball between the clubface and the ground and preserving the true loft of the club — one of the keys to a powerful hit.
For some of you the wrist will cup making the shaft lean backwards toward the rear leg. if the wrist cups, you are adding some loft through impact and giving up that ball-turf compression causing a scooping motion.
We understand this is a foreign concept to some and an uncomfortable feeling for others, but AGI can help you perfect your efforts in learning the proper way to swing through impact. Practice hitting balls focusing just on your left hand — not on your backswing, weight shift or anything else — and you’ll start to feel the connection between your hand’s position and the trajectory and direction of your shots. It may feel awkward and strange to start, but after a while you increase your awareness of the club head and a distinct improvement in the sound of your shots.
AGI: play better golf.