Hands correctly rolling through impact

[kfowler]

I've been working with my instructor on getting my hands rolling correctly through impact. From years of an over the top swing, my hands have a tendency to stay open at impact and never turn over. My question is, is this something you can really consciously do?

I believe my issue stems from more of having too much grip pressure. I would think that if you keep you head behind the ball and your grip pressure relaxed, centrifugal force should naturally make you hands roll correctly at impact. It's not something you consciously do. I know when I consciously focus on my head position and grip pressure, my hands seem to correctly roll at impact.

What's your thoughts.

[TigerCent]

Make sure you keep the back of your left wrist flat. Then simply imagine yourself shaking hands with the target with your right hand. The ket is keeping that wrist flat or you will just hit snap hooks. Good luck!

[JetFan1983]

Technically, you're not supposed to be thinking about your hands at all during the swing. If your grip is fundamentally sound, the hands will take care of themselves. So I would say you are definitely on the correct track towards better ballstriking.

[JetFan1983]

This may be related to the topic, but a good drill I like to use is placing a big square sized couch pillow on the floor to the direct right of the hitting zone (for righties). You basically start this drill from a position where your hands are extended out already over the pillow (because if you started at address, the clubhead would hit the pillow). You take your backswing and then your downswing. The key is to not release the clubhead too early, or else the club will smack the pillow. This trains you to have the proper lag on the downswing, as the correct lag has the clubhead pass over the plllow and still be able to strike the hitting zone.

OK, I'm really bad at describing this drill, I hope that made sense. When coupled with the correct grip, this drill should help you trap the ball better at impact, giving you better contact and more power.

[William Le Wolf]

Try hitting 100 balls with just your left arm (if your right handed) then gently add your right arm to the swing.

And if you have balance problems hit another 100 balls with your feet together.

See how that goes.

[jeffhale08]

You should actually not roll the wrists until just after impact. Impact should be square with, as mentioned earlier, the back of the left hand (for righties) facing the target. When practicing at the range, always roll the ball to where the logo is facing straight back in line with your target. Try and hit through that line, the ball, an intermediate target and your final target. A good way to practice or learn a solid, square grip, is to grip a yardstick. There is just about no way to not grip a yardstick with a square grip. Also, for all slicers, try a Medicus dual hinge 5iron. Good training aid.

[MiniMoe]

Keeping the back of the left hand flat and shaking hands with the flag with your right is a correct thought and feeling. I achieve this by not controlling the swing with the wrists, but the forearms. I don't allow the forearms to roll over until well after impact. If the truth be told, my entire swing is controlled by the triangle that is formed between my arms and club. My wrists do not control the swing... my swing controls my wrists... my swing is controlled by my two forearms working together without breaking down. Make any sense?

[TigerCent]

Just something i found from golf digest tiger tips, kind of gets at what i was saying and gives some nice swing thoughts.

Tiger Tips: Extend for power and accuracy
Turn your head to the target
New look: My head doesn't stay down well past impact.

Edited By Pete McDaniel and Mark Soltau
Photos By Dom Furore
August 2007
One of my main keys to hitting the ball farther and straighter is full extension down the target line. Reminding myself to "shake hands with the target" gets me in the right position. Examples from other sports--baseball batters, hockey players and bowlers, to name a few--also help me visualize extension.

Some players flip the right hand through impact to try to get more clubhead speed. That kind of flash speed would have negative consequences for me, mainly inconsistent distance control and accuracy. Instead of extending down the line, these players flip the handle, the left wrist breaking down and the right hand crossing over the left.

I want the club to release naturally. I've even amended my "shake hands" visual: I'm learning to look at the target as I'm shaking hands. I tend to hook the ball when my head hangs back, so to keep everything moving together I try to get my head and eyes turning through with the club. My friend Annika Sorenstam does this, and it seems to work for me.