How To Improve Your Golf Swing Wrist Action

 The wrists are the absolute key to a good golf stroke. It is no exaggeration to say that without good golf swing wrist action, nothing else really matters. To verify this for yourself, simply picture any number of golfers (particularly older golfers), who swing with little or no body motion. While some of these golfers can barely move a ball 100 yards, others effortlessly hit drives at 250+ yards. The difference is entirely a function of proper or improper golf swing wrist action.

But what exactly is meant by proper golf swing wrist action? In a nutshell, the key idea is to hold back: hold back with the wrists going up and hold back with the wrists coming down. What this means is that when you begin your backswing, you need to do so "all in one piece" as the saying goes. The wrists should never break prematurely, allowing for a long, full windup. In other words, no wrist action should take place on the backswing until the mechanics of position force it to happen. In that way, it will be smooth and natural.

Even more important is the golf swing wrist action that occurs during the downswing. Once the club has reached the top of the backswing, the wrists should be fully cocked. This is the way they should remain for as long as possible! As the clubhead moves down, the tendency of weaker players is to unfurl the wrists early, thereby giving away the potential energy stored within them. Instead, the proper procedure is to hold back this unfurling for as long as possible, even until the wrists have passed the waist on the way down. Then, at the last possible moment, they can be unleashed with an easy yet powerful whipping action that snaps through the ball with astounding crispness. This is the kind of golf swing wrist action that makes a professional appear as relaxed as he or she is powerful.