Wrists, Arms, and Shoulders

Wrists and Forearm Motion Wrists: Shown below is deviation of the wrists. Radial deviation is cocking the wrist

(moving the thumb toward the forearm); ulnar deviation is an uncocked wrist (moving the thumb away from the forearm).

Shown below is the extension (dorsi flexion) and flexion of the wrists. Flexion of

the wrist is a bowing or arching of the wrist; extending is bending or cupping the wrist.

Forearms: Shown below is pronation and supination of the forearm. Supination of the

forearm is turning the palm up; pronation of the forearm is turning the palm down.

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The Golf Swing Release: Left wrist ulnar deviation and flexion is combined with slight supination of the forearm. Supination must be accompanied by flexion to keep the club on-plane. Example Ben Hogan

Ben Hogan had a weak grip so he needed to supinate far more than someone like Tom Gainey to get the clubface square to the arc early. Hogan needed far more left wrist flexion to keep the club on-plane compared to Gainey. Therefore, he exhibited more palmer flexion (PF) than Gainey. Hogan's PF is an "effect" of his supination.

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Hogan supinated the left forearm early, squared the clubface well before impact and hit with his right hand in a way that slowed clubface closure rate. So Hogan obviously used his tremendous lag along with movements toward right wrist flexion, supination and ulnar deviation to slow the rate of closure once the clubface was close to square. Notice I did not say they were in that position at impact. That would define a flip. From a good lag position, he would be extended (holding right wrist cupped angle) and moving to less extended. As to the depiction in Five Lessons of continuous supination and flexion of the left wrist, the sequence of pictures seem to show a rolling release or continuous supination and retention of left wrist flexion through impact. Is this what Hogan did? It would have been impossible for Hogan to continuously supinate his left forearm from prior to impact into the follow through and wind up in the position shown below. This shows that if you continuously supinate the left arm in the follow-through, the left shoulder must externally rotate and the arm will flex or bend accordingly. Hogans left shoulder and arm dont do that.

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Hogan may have been wide open at the top of his backswing but he closed his clubface much earlier in the downswing (through supination of left forearm) and used right wrist flexion, supination and ulnar deviation (seen from target line view) to impede any more clubface rotation thereafter. Some have coined this method a closed to open release pattern. I think it is appropriate in Hogans case.

Left Shoulder: The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. The "canceling out" phenomenom is "canceling out" left forearm supination with left shoulder internal rotation. The humerus is held steady in internal rotation with the left elbow facing the target. Hogan used flexion, UD and supination along with holding internal rotation of the left shoulder. External rotation of the left shoulder will produce a flip or flip/roll release pattern to square the clubface.

Right Shoulder: Keep the right shoulder in external rotation as you approach impact.

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