Stop flipping your wrists

Blocking the ball right and hooking left are quite common faults, especially amongst mid to low handicap players. We affectionately refer to these golfers as ‘flippers’, due to the overactivity of the wrists through impact. Being a bit of a flipper myself, I know just how destructive this can be, especially with the longer clubs.

Today’s exercise will help you control your clubface through impact by pacifying your wrists, resulting in straighter more controlled shots.

Step 1 - Place your ball on a low tee and swing to the top of your backswing, making sure that you pivot centrally over the golf ball.

Step 2 - Make 2 slow-motion practice movements down to a point around a couple of feet past impact position. Focus on clearing your body to the left and have a very passive hand action. This will create a forward lean of the shaft at impact making it very difficult for your wrists to flip.

Step 3 - Now strike the ball on the third attempt, making sure to make a complete follow-through.

When you first try this drill, you will be prone to leaving the ball out to the right, but with a little practice, you will begin to feel your body rotation controlling the clubface closure rather than your wrists. This will result in a much more controlled face closure and straighter shots.

Please note that if you currently slice the ball, then this drill is not for you!