Cupped Wrist at Address

[Sacman]

I cup my left wrist at address. At a lesson that I had the instructor told me to set up with it straighter. I tried to do this for a couple months. I found that I didn't make near as good of contact. Has anyone ever heard of doing this with their grip?

[Patch]

Hard to say. I am assuming you are right handed. It is my belief that the left wrist should not be cupped at the top of the swing. I am right handed, and I try to maintain a some what straight left wrist at the top of my swing. That is because I want my club face in a correct position (for me) at the top. If I have it in the correct position at the top, it should still be in the correct position at impact with the ball.

Now if I cupped my left wrist at address, I would have to compensate some where on the up swing to the top ffor a straighter left wrist. If I did not compensate on the way up, I would have to compensate on the down swing since I am pretty sure the force of the down swing would straighten my wrist out, which would change the face angle  of the club from where it was at address. Compensations in the golf swing are just extra things that need to be done. I don't like extra things in my golf swing.

My guess is since you start out with a cupped left wrist at address, you are adding an extra move to your swing to get into a good impact position. 10 handicappers have a decent impact position.

[HawkNballs]

From what I've read and seen...

You can have a little cupping if you have a strong grip.

Flat wrist with neutral grip.

A little bowed wrist with a weak grip.

I try to bow my wrists at the top because I don't have great wrist flexibility.  I have a strong grip and can barely get a flat left wrist at the top while trying to bow.

[Sacman]

First off I'm a huge Hawks fan HawkNBalls. Love the picture I need some golf balls like that pronto.

I don't bow my left wrist at the top of my swing. I do have a bit more a strong grip. The bow at address is more to reduce shaft lean. I get the leading edge to dig to much if I don't reduce shaft lean.

[Hammer 4]

If you wear a wrist watch on your left wrist, try this. Slip a credit card, or the like under your watch so one end touches the top of your hand. Make a slowish swing, if the card presses into your hand, you know it's cupped, if you feel no pressure from the card, your wrist is straight, or slightly bowed.

[Sacman]

The problem I have isn't that my wrist is cupped at the top of my swing. It's that I cup it at address. I feel like I strike the ball better when it is cupped. Even tiger cups his wrist so I don't see the problem.

[Hammer 4]

The problem I have isn't that my wrist is cupped at the top of my swing. It's that I cup it at address. I feel like I strike the ball better when it is cupped. Even tiger cups his wrist so I don't see the problem.

So, I misunderstood you. Impact is where it counts. I use to have a strong grip, but my wrist was flat, I had to weaken my grip to stop from hitting bad hooks.

[vangator]

If it works, go for it. Sounds to me like an exaggerated forward press. It's all about the strike zone. Ask Jim Furyk.

[mvmac]

I cup my left wrist at address. At a lesson that I had the instructor told me to set up with it straighter. I tried to do this for a couple months. I found that I didn't make near as good of contact. Has anyone ever heard of doing this with their grip?

You should have some cup in the wrist. You might have had too much. IMO if you grip it properly, the wrist flexion takes care of itself (for the most part).

[arturo28mx]

I just finished reading a book by Hank Haney and he says at address the left wrist should be slightly cupped. At the top of the backswing it should be flat.

That's the way I always do it and it works for me.

[Sacman]

Now that hammer makes a ton of sense. I have been fighting a pull lately. I think cupping my wrist at address helps me on my downswing. The leading edge doesn't dig into the ground as much and I get a better strike on the ball. I have found that I need to strengthen my grip the longer the club. I think that may be a different thread though.

[Sacman]

I cup my left wrist at address. At a lesson that I had the instructor told me to set up with it straighter. I tried to do this for a couple months. I found that I didn't make near as good of contact. Has anyone ever heard of doing this with their grip?

You should have some cup in the wrist. You might have had too much. IMO if you grip it properly, the wrist flexion takes care of itself (for the most part).

The pics that you posted on this were exactly what I have been trying to do. I.E. the pic on the left.  I did have more of a forward press with the weaker grip and flatish wrist. Like the pic on the right. I wouldn't hit the ball as crisply as I would have liked. Sometimes even hitting the dreaded S word. I would lose a lot of distance as well.

[acerimusdux]

Yeah, nothing wrong with cupping at address in my view. What to do with your hands is going to depend on the rest of your swing, but by all means do whatever gives you the best contact. You know who else cupped quite a bit at address? This guy:

[Jaygolf]

Anyone here still using strong grip/cupped at address? Went to the range a few days ago and was slicing every single ball with my neautral grip. I implemented the strong grip where I can almost see 4 knuckles on my left hand on top of the grip (right handed golfer) and immediatley saw a difference. Either draw or straight with a miss being an over draw. Want to contiue working on this but want to make sure I am on the right path so looking to chat with other folks that experienced the same. Thx

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Jaygolf said:

Anyone here still using strong grip/cupped at address? Went to the range a few days ago and was slicing every single ball with my neautral grip. I implemented the strong grip where I can almost see 4 knuckles on my left hand on top of the grip (right handed golfer) and immediatley saw a difference. Either draw or straight with a miss being an over draw. Want to contiue working on this but want to make sure I am on the right path so looking to chat with other folks that experienced the same. Thx

Yes, but that's probably more strong than you want.

[Jaygolf]

2 minutes ago, iacas said:

Yes, but that's probably more strong than you want.

I figured but I am going to mess around with it for the next few weeks. I recently watched a bunch of videos from Mike Malaska and he is a big proponent with the strong grip/4 knuckles showing. Just always continuing to learn how the wrist and hands work in the swing

[Vinsk]

2 hours ago, Jaygolf said:

I figured but I am going to mess around with it for the next few weeks. I recently watched a bunch of videos from Mike Malaska and he is a big proponent with the strong grip/4 knuckles showing. Just always continuing to learn how the wrist and hands work in the swing

Tread lightly. 🙂