Arched Left Wrist
 

Yoda suggested that I bring my problem to this forum.

My fatal flaw when I apply TGM principles in search of a better move is that my left wrist arches, opening the clubface and producing a weak glancing blow to the ball.

I have played reasonably well for years coiling and releasing my big muscles with soft arms and passive hands. At the top, my left wrist was slightly cupped and when I fired through with my right shoulder and lat, the wrist would flatten through impact then turn over as my body released.

Now when I consciously push PP1 against the left thumb, the left wrist arches as the right wrist bends. The only way I have found to stop this is to set up with a strong (turned) left hand grip. But then I get into a blocked position with the left hand and arm wanting to come up rather than down and around.

I cannot for the life of me get a feel that gets the left wrist flat level and vertical through impact while pushing with the right hand and elbow.

RG,

You sure you want to switch to a hitting stroke???

Sounds like Centrifigal Force has been a friend to you.

:D

Bagger

Re: Arched Left Wrist
 

A few thoughts on your post:

It seems that you understand that an arched left wrist is not helpful--your're right about that.

The second paragraph in which you describe how you played for years tells me that you used a Swinger's procedure rather than a Hitters procedure. Beyond that, you used the pivot to control the hands and arms.

Now you are in the Hitters Emergency Room which tells me that you have decided to be a Hitter using intentional muscle force to thrust the hands as opposed to centrifugal force (Swingers procedure).

All of the above compels me to offer you these observations-

The Hands control the pivot in Swinging as well as Hitting.

You may be changing a lot of components at one time leading to overload.

If you are determined to give up your years of experience as a Swinger, I suggest you use the training procedure outlined in Chapter 12. Start with the Basic Motion, using the right elbow bending and straightening to move the wrists set in impact alignments. These motions use no pivot and are about 2 feet back -up-in and 2 feet down-out-forward.

I recommend perfecting this motion without a club, then with a club and finally with a club and ball, adjusting ball position as needed for impact.

Hold every follow through to verify that your wrist alignments have not changed during the stroke.

When you are successful , change your attention to the feelings you are experiencing in you left wrist, right wrist, pressure points, etc. This is how you transform the mechanics to your personalized retrieval system, that is your "feel".

Now, you will be on your way because you understand the "feel" of proper left wrist alignments.

Hope this helps


Proceed to

I suspect that I have been a hitter because I have been very very very right side oriented - going at and through the ball with an aggressive right shoulder assembly move. I kept my left arm short and out of the way. No pull in my old swing, I pushed and tried to spring the shaft right from the top of the backswing move.

Maybe I was a switter.

Hi again,

I looked at your original post again and saw that you wrote that you were successful in keeping a flat left wrist when you turned your left wrist. That sounds like 10-2-D, a Strong Double Action Grip which puts the left wrist cock on the same plane as the right wrist bend.

This grip is compatible with a Cut Shot Procedure.

The feel of a Cut Shot could be compatible with your description in the oringal post. It requires vertical hinging for straight ball flight. Any roll incorporated in the Hinge Action will influence the flight to the left.

Any comments on my suggestions in my first reply?

Best regards,

I have a few thousand chips and several hundred pitch shots under my belt and done a couple hours of dowel work concentrating on the PP's. I figured that I would be farther along by now.

10-2-D describes the grip I got into to cure the arched wrist. I can hit it with this grip but I do not feel the powerful position that I had hoped TGM would bring me.

10-2-B is the grip with which I have been playing for many years, except that I kept the left thumb and forefinger glued together in the past, now the thumb is aft of the shaft and separate.

But when I push on that left thumb with the heel/palm of the right hand, the left wrist arches. Since I like to set the right wrist late, that puts me in a very weak position at the top and inhibits a strong thrust with the right arm and shoulder.

I tried to create the arched left wrist by pushing on the heel/palm of the right hand. This thought came to mind. I hope it's applicable to our conversation.

The "below plane" stretch of Extensor Action adds structure to the Wedge assembly and mass to the lever system. Could it be that you are leaking Extensor Action in the downswing?

Best regards,

That is an excellent thought. My old soft arms swing may be creeping in somewhere.

But I'm not sure what good extensor action feels like.

The YB description doesn't do much for me. I'll do some research on this forum .

Thanks.

you must've had one hell of a weak grip to ARCH the left wrist and the clubface be OPEN.

Maybe your "strong" isn't as strong as you think. I have a very neutral grip and if i arch my left wrist it CLOSES the clubface

Arching the Left Wrist is a motion perpendicular to the back of the left hand. At address with a weak left hand grip in which the Left Wrist is vertical, arching the Left Wrist opens the clubface. If you are closing the clubface, you are doing more than just arching the Left Wrist, you are also rolling it, which not only closes the face but also hoods(delofts) it.