A few days ago, I posted a tip titled "Good Wrist Action vs. Bad Wrist Action" that generated a lot of good comments back and forth among fellow Surgites. However, some students were still trying to figure out what I really meant when I said, "Good Wrist Action Is No Wrist Action."
As is so often the case, Surgite Steve Smith provided some really good insights that I would like to share with you today. Steve says that he doesn't actively try to prevent wrist cock in his transition. Rather, he properly activates his hand and arm muscles and then doesn't relax them at any point to create more lag. He correctly figures that if he sets the right muscle firmness at address, and doesn't change that firmness as he swings, then things will pretty much take care of themselves.
He then goes on to speculate that he could perhaps squeeze out 1-2 extra yards if only he let his arms and hands relax a bit and allow a little flex to occur. But, he believes that doing that would compromise his control and accuracy. Once gain, Steve, you are right on target!
What's my Secret #1? "Golf is a game of angles; the fewer the better!" And perhaps the most critical angle to maintain is the wrist angle so that's why I stress that you must maintain a flat wrist all the way through your swing.
Steve's final point on the importance of no wrist action is that he doesn't think the amount of lag one creates contributes a lot to how far you can hit the ball. Rather, for him (and for me) it's about the timing of the release on the lag that creates the necessary power. Achieving a powerful Surge Swing is done through the controlled rotation of the hand and arms through the entire swing. There are a number of great drills to help you learn the feel of the swing, and one of the simplest, and most effective, is The Book Drill. Take a book or a clip board and place it between your palms as you address the ball. Then try to keep the clip board perpendicular to the ground at all points during your swing. If you do it correctly, you'll see that your left wrist has to remain flat in the back swing while the right one will cup a little. Cup too much, though, and your club will be laid off and a whole host of bad things will begin to cascade through your swing! Then at impact, the right wrist takes over and remains flat all the way up to the T-Finish.
Keep it vertical,
The Surge!
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