Rotating wrists on backswing?

Hey all,

Just starting out in golf, and be trying to find out more information about this specific action during my backswing, but not finding a lot of answers.

Essentially, I've been working my drive by recording myself, and checking my swing against people on the forums and youtube, and I'm working on having a consistent drive mechanism. I've only been to the range a handful of times, but people there are really helpful, and one of the things a guy said to me is that during the swing, my wrists should rotate over, in order to square the clubface, and change from a high flying slice to a straighter drive.

Now thinking that as an action to do in my swing doesn't feel very natural, throws off my rhythm and adds one more thing to think about. Instead, I found that at the top of my backswing, if I rotate my wrists about 45 degrees clockwise, I find my wrists naturally rotate more during my swing, to the point where its naturally going to be a square face at impact, and I can hit dead straight. Its a concious action during my backswing, but I find that to be a lot less confusing that doing thinking extra stuff during the downswing.

Now it works for me, but is this something that is generally done? I found that when my club was (more or less) perpendicular to both forearms at the height of its backswing, I'd hit with an open face, and so it'd go consistently high and about 25 degress to the right. This change has allowed me to hit straight, low, and I feel like I'm getting that nice flight path. The old man next to me complimented me on the ball after I tried this the first time, but maybe that was just pity after seeing me slice so many balls off to the right!

''Instead, I found that at the top of my backswing, if I rotate my wrists about 45 degrees clockwise, I find my wrists naturally rotate more during my swing, to the point where its naturally going to be a square face at impact, and I can hit dead straight. Its a conscious action during my backswing, but I find that to be a lot less confusing that doing thinking extra stuff during the downswing''

Arm rotation is usually a "natural thing" and combined with a good grip will allow you to swing and square the club face without thinking about it during the downswing.It is never a good idea to have a conscious action right at the end of your backswing.You can do this naturally without having to adjust at the top of your swing if you work at it a bit.

Thanks rocketman, I probably phrased that poorly. Rather than pausing at the top of the backswing, and then rotating my wrists, its more like thinking about it during the backswing, so the motion goes to an already rotated position, and I can then move smoothly into the downswing, without any pause.

I come from a tennis background, so I've been likening it to preparing for a topspin shot. If your preparation and pre-swing motions are correct, when you hit through the ball, your arm naturally uncurls and if your grip is right, you'll hit the ball right. I guess I'm trying to apply the same principles to the golf drive.

I originally did have a grip where I sort of rotated my club a little anti clockwise, so it was square at address, but was told that it was best to let the clubhead sit neutral at rest (ie, slightly open), and work my grip around that, and let my arm naturally rotate through the swing. Guess my arm needs a little help to act as naturally as it should?

"If your preparation and pre-swing motions are correct, when you hit through the ball, your arm naturally uncurls and if your grip is right, you'll hit the ball right. I guess I'm trying to apply the same principles to the golf drive."

I fully agree with this statement and I too am from a tennis background.However In my swing my arm rotation will vary and feel different from time to time so I will have to make small adjustments to my grip and setup to accommodate how my arms are rotating at the time.I believe that this is normal and I have learned to kind of go with it instead of fight it.Being new to golf be prepared that things will change on you and what was working for you now will possibly go bad later on.This is just part of the game and you will learn to fix things again and get everything "Back on track again"

It sounds likes you are a good student of the game and this is always a great thing.

"I originally did have a grip where I sort of rotated my club a little anti clockwise, so it was square at address, but was told that it was best to let the clubhead sit neutral at rest (ie, slightly open), and work my grip around that, and let my arm naturally rotate through the swing."

That sounds like bad advice to give to a slicer.  BTW, irons should sit square at rest.  Metalwoods may sit square, or they may have a built in open or closed face angle.

Rotating your wrists was always a bad thing to do as far as I know, you have to then have perfect timing to bring the club back to square. I'm no instructor so maybe I'm only half right or completely wrong but I always thought you should always maintain the face angle during the backswing because thats why we have a flat back of left hand/wrist in line with the forearm.

Timing such a thing would be VERY inconsistent. Its better to learn the right grip and a few basic fundamentals than to try and time something that even Bruce Lee would have a terrible time of....

Master Lee could've kicked Chuck Norris' ass too....and we ALL know how bad assed Chuck is.

Chuck doesnt sleep....he waits