When to start hinging wrists

[JbOntario]

As you know at the beginning of the swing the club head stays low to the ground and then at a certain point you start to hinge the wrists to bring the club up in the air and follow the right plane, is doing this at the right time simply a matter of practice and experience and developing a feel for when it should be done? I have been able to do it at the right time and swing on plane with the few clubs I've been practicing with, but it took some experimenting to figure out the correct timing and i still have to think about it and watch my club to see when it's around the right spot for when i should be starting to lift it up by hinging the wrist.

I guess my question is should it be more natural and am I doing it wrong if I have to think about it, or do all players have to go through this and they develop a feel for all their clubs for when they should start to hinge the wrist and lift up the club?

Edited January 8, 2016 by JbOntario

[SavvySwede]

17 minutes ago, JbOntario said:

I guess my question is should it be more natural and am I doing it wrong if I have to think about it, or do all players have to go through this and they develop a feel for all their clubs for when they should start to hinge the wrist and lift up the club?

Lots of topic on this already if you search around. I don't tend to think about it much. I know where I want to be at the top of my swing and the club just gets there somehow. But I've been playing for a while though and I have experimented in the past. Earlier or later wrist hinge will just becomes part of your personal style eventually.

 

 

 

[dkolo]

19 minutes ago, JbOntario said:

As you know at the beginning of the swing the club head stays low to the ground and then at a certain point you start to hinge the wrists to bring the club up in the air and follow the right plane, is doing this at the right time simply a matter of practice and experience and developing a feel for when it should be done? I have been able to do it at the right time and swing on plane with the few clubs I've been practicing with, but it took some experimenting to figure out the correct timing and i still have to think about it and watch my club to see when it's around the right spot for when i should be starting to lift it up by hinging the wrist.

I guess my question is should it be more natural and am I doing it wrong if I have to think about it, or do all players have to go through this and they develop a feel for all their clubs for when they should start to hinge the wrist and lift up the club?

It's not something that's really standardized. I've done drills where I've preset my wrists fully hinged before starting the backswing while working on something and hit the ball fine. I think I tend to hinge them earlier rather than later but it's sort of a thing that, in my lay opinion, comes together naturally. Some people use a feeling of hinging as a trigger for their swing, others never think about it. Really, as long as you're getting the club on plane, it's up to you, I would say. But that's just this schmuck's opinion. 

[Dave325]

I was experimenting with this just recently. I used to hinge early at the start of my backswing. However, I now moved to a late hinge that seems to have improved my swing plane for Key #4. My hits are a bit more accurate and straighter with that change. But as stated above, it is probably a personal thing and is something you need to experiment with.

[Mr. Desmond]

I was taught immediately but gradually.

[mvmac]

5 hours ago, JbOntario said:

I guess my question is should it be more natural and am I doing it wrong if I have to think about it, or do all players have to go through this and they develop a feel for all their clubs for when they should start to hinge the wrist and lift up the club?

There are great players that hinge early, gradually and late, so there isn't one way to do it. I would only focus on it if it's a priority in your swing, if how you're hinging it is causing you problems with the rest of your swing. Sometimes the fix has more to do with the hand path and pivot.

[vangator]

Just so they're hinged at the top.  Whatever feels right and natural.  I tend to hinge rather late because I'm focusing on a straighter takeaway.

I have a friend that is taking lessons and his pro obviously is telling him to hinge immediately and a lot.  This could just be a drill to get him to focus, but I don't like his takeaway.  Plus, it isn't helping.

[iacas]

In general, I'd prefer earlier hinging over later hinging. For two reasons:

• People who hinge late tend to "over-hinge." Their wrists start hinging late and continue on with momentum past where they should hinge.
• People who hinge late often roll early. It's tough to hinge early and roll at the same time.

[Dave325]

8 minutes ago, iacas said:

In general, I'd prefer earlier hinging over later hinging. For two reasons:

• People who hinge late tend to "over-hinge." Their wrists start hinging late and continue on with momentum past where they should hinge.
• People who hinge late often roll early. It's tough to hinge early and roll at the same time.

At what point in the takeaway would you start to hinge?

[iacas]

8 minutes ago, Dave325 said:

At what point in the takeaway would you start to hinge?

When it's right for you.

There's no one answer.

[SavvySwede]

29 minutes ago, iacas said:

In general, I'd prefer earlier hinging over later hinging. For two reasons:

• People who hinge late tend to "over-hinge." Their wrists start hinging late and continue on with momentum past where they should hinge.
• People who hinge late often roll early. It's tough to hinge early and roll at the same time.

I see you've changed your mind.

 

 

[iacas]

7 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

I see you've changed your mind.

At the end of the day, I prefer wrists that hinge at the right time for that particular golfer.

[DaveP043]

On 1/9/2016 at 9:48 PM, iacas said:

In general, I'd prefer earlier hinging over later hinging. For two reasons:

• People who hinge late tend to "over-hinge." Their wrists start hinging late and continue on with momentum past where they should hinge.
• People who hinge late often roll early. It's tough to hinge early and roll at the same time.

When I was taking my first (and only) golf lesson, after playing for 15 years or so, this was me.  When I learned to hinger earlier, I had better control of the club at the top of the backswing (is this A4?).  Even now, 20-some years later, I still spend a little of my practice time reinforcing an "early set" for my wrist angle.  But as @iacas says, everyone is different.  The right time is the one that produces best for you.

[Zeph]

Welcome to the forum, JbOntario! 

I didn't think much about it myself, but when I had my swing reviewed with evolvr and by Erik, Mike and others on this forum, I was asked to try hinging the wrists earlier on the backswing. I hinged too late, and as far as I remember, it probably caused me to have a bit too long backswing since I didn't stop until the wrists were fully hinged.

I'll work at it if an instructor tells me too.

I don't know if you've been reading this forum before or just found it now, but you can try posting a video in the Members Swings category. You might get some feedback on the subject, as well as other things. I don't know how you analyze your swing, but it can be difficult to do it on your own, even with a camera. There's a saying that goes "feel isn't real", which means that what you feel is happening might not be what is actually happening. A camera will help you identify this, but even then, other eyes are useful.

[Mr. Desmond]

For me, I've found that if I do not hinge immediately but gradually, I will start rolling the wrists and my front arm will detach from my chest  too early - I will lose connection ... but that's just me.