flipping hands @ impact

[hy jinx]

Hello Guys, Just recently began playing again after 15 years of not playing. Much older, less flexible now. Played to a 3 handicap back then. One main issue I have is I feel that I am flipping my hands @ impact. I suffer from loss of distance and inconsistent contact with irons. Any help appreciated.

Thanks

[dagosa]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

Hello Guys, Just recently began playing again after 15 years of not playing. Much older, less flexible now. Played to a 3 handicap back then. One main issue I have is I feel that I am flipping my hands @ impact. I suffer from loss of distance and inconsistent contact with irons. Any help appreciated.

Thanks

This isn't just you. Most high handicappers release too early. Keeping your hands ahead of the club head at impact is what separates the better golfers from the rest of us to varying degree. Flipping your hands early on balls that are teed up, may not seem as problematic as you may be hitting the ball on the upswing and not as aware of it. But you are loosing significant distance that is not attributed to old age.

A player who casts the club (maybe that's you) feels a lot of pressure in the start of the downswing (by accelerating the club very hard and convulsively). Such a sudden acceleration throws the club away with no chance to catch it up before impact. For me, keeping constant pressure with pad of the index finger on the back of the club throughout swing to follow through helps prevent early release and "flipping the hands". Maintain a flat left wrist to begin with at the top of your back swing and you have a better chance of keeping hands ahead. Google "trigger finger pressure" and all it entails. I'm a convert to this simple idea as the physics is irrefutable and feel it may be very important part of helping solve your problem.

Divots after SOLID contact with the ball is a natural part of good ball position and keeping the hands ahead of clubhead at impact. I feel you really need no conscious effort to swing down on the ball if these basics are in place.

Best of luck to you and your return to golf.

[BrianW]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

The attached link has an article that is the best I have seen to explain the correct and incorrect use of the wrists in the golf swing. I recommend you read and re-read it then work on the principles, it gives you the key to great impact whatever your age.

http://www.aroundhawaii.com/lifestyl...chieve_it.html

[ReefBoy]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

G'day mate,

Maybe it is worth while going back to your chipping practice, after all it is a mini version of impact of the full swing. This might help to groove the feel of the forward press of the hands at impact.

Good luck

Christopher

[hy jinx]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

Thanks for the replys. When I started back playing, I just felt something was amiss at the bottom. I am not getting what I should from my so called release. Firing blanks almost. I appreciate the references and plan on spending some time reviewing prior to hitting balls again. I certainly did not expect to hit the ball like I did before with my age and so forth but while I am 60 now I am also in pretty good condition and strong and therefore couldn't believe the pitiful distance I was hitting short irons. I previously hit a Ping eye 2 7 iron 160 yards "back in the day" as my grandson so elequently puts it. Now it's a struggle for 130-135. Thanks again for the info and I will report on my progress. Great Forum!

[robertgroom]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

Hi,

Sounds like exactly what happened to me. 7 iron was going about 135 high 9 Iron barley 100 very very high. But they were all going straight. Tried getting hands forward but that just made the shots even more of a lottery.

I went to see Joe Hagan (3Skills) Straight away my grip was pulled out. Its was REALY Weak. Causing right arm at address to be above left so no chance of a release. My wrists were working over time to get the club near square and hands were behind ball at impact and flipping.

So whole grip moved to the right so I could see all the FJ logo moving me into a position where I would be if hammering down onto the ball. This really helped me invisage taking a divot with each shot which I never used to do.

I would definitly recommend buying the book Nail it which is Joe Hagans. It takes away swing theory and just concentrates on impact.

Cheers

Rob

[arny660]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

Hi Robert

I was thinking of taking a few lessons with Joe. How many did you take and did it make a big difference to your game?

Thanks,

Arny

[dagosa]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

Hi,


I went to see Joe Hagan (3Skills) Straight away my grip was pulled out. Its was REALY Weak. Causing right arm at address to be above left so no chance of a release. My wrists were working over time to get the club near square and hands were behind ball at impact and flipping.

Cheers

Rob

I have always been a proponent of a stronger left hand with shorter clubs. Longer clubs add momentum to the swing which along with a farther forward placement, give the hands a chance to square up. Shorter clubs are tougher to square up for most of us, making it worthwhile to have a stronger grip as the clubs get shorter. Some of the best work around the green by many better players is done with a very strong left hand.

I prefer then to vary my left hand position only,making it stronger, as the clubs get shorter. I keep the right hand neutral, for all clubs. The stronger your left hand, the more forward your hands will be at impact. At the extreme, with all five knuckles of your left hand showing, your hands will ALWAYS be ahead of club head at impact.

[kbp]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

IMO, the "flip" is often the result of the body stalling out before/during impact. The hands and arms, rather than the body, are forced to advance the club and club head to and/or /through the ball. The arms might be able to continue past the body for a bit but they end up blocked by the stalled body and they stall. At that point, all that’s left is for the hands to "flip" the club head ahead to get to the ball. Conveniently, all this stalling results in an early release which contributes to "flipping" the clubhead right past the hands.

[jbrunk]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

IMO, the "flip" is often the result of the body stalling out before/during impact. The hands and arms, rather than the body, are forced to advance the club and club head to and/or /through the ball. The arms might be able to continue past the body for a bit but they end up blocked by the stalled body and they stall. At that point, all that’s left is for the hands to "flip" the club head ahead to get to the ball. Conveniently, all this stalling results in an early release which contributes to "flipping" the clubhead right past the hands.

This is it.

[robertgroom]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

Arny,

I have so far had two lessons with Joe in the past month. I havn't played many rounds but have been practicing loads. My ball striking has definitely improved massively.

One thing I will say is although his method is so simple and easy to understand, if you have been playing for a while then you will find it a little harder to let go of previous swing thoughts and also overcome x amount of years of the wrong muscle memory thats ingrained into you. Thats what I found anyway. But once you loosen up and let go it really works.

Best lessons I have had by far.

[BrianW]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

I think the action of wrist flipping is an instinctive one, our brain does not take naturally to the concept of hitting down into the back of the ball to make it fly upwards. In just about every other case we need an upward force on an object to get it in the air. If I watch novice golfers at the range they almost without exception flip their wrists at the ball, it takes some degree of determination to overcome this action.

The resolution is not always made clear to the student in lessons either. I can remember haveing starter/ Intermediate / advanced lessons but cannot remember any specific instruction on the correct use of the wrists through impact other than being told to rotate my forearms. It took me many years of self education to understand the impact position and how to create good ball compression.

Looking back through many of the instructional books I have, the only one that clarifies the subject is 'Ben Hogans Five Lessons' which is still a great piece of work.

[dagosa]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

The resolution is not always made clear to the student in lessons either. I can remember haveing starter/ Intermediate / advanced lessons but cannot remember any specific instruction on the correct use of the wrists through impact other than being told to rotate my forearms. It took me many years of self education to understand the impact position and how to create good ball compression.

Looking back through many of the instructional books I have, the only one that clarifies the subject is 'Ben Hogans Five Lessons' which is still a great piece of work.

I hear you...and how many instructors hold a club up to a student and show them the forward tilt of the shaft when the sole is placed flat on the ground..the hands MUST be forward at impact. Without it, nothing else you work on matters until that concept is mastered. That's the way the "tool" is made and if you don't make contact that way, good shots will happen only by mistake. I seldom hear these words or the like repeated over and over from instructor to student. Minimal attempt to swing down on the ball is necessary if the hands are ahead and the game is much easier with fewer frustrating moments.

[keiko]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

Early release is certainly one fault but also and most likely what is happening is you are gripping the club too firm to allow a natural hinging and unhinging of the wrists.
One of the hardest things to do as a better player is to keep constant grip pressure throughout the swing. By constant I mean around a 4 or 5 max because as you start your downswing, your hands will naturally firm up without you having to do anything.
It's when one grips the club too tightly that you inhibit your tempo and the workings of the hands, wrists and arms that are needed to release at the proper time.
Don't re invent the wheel just loosen up what you are doing.

Thanks for the replys. When I started back playing, I just felt something was amiss at the bottom. I am not getting what I should from my so called release. Firing blanks almost. I appreciate the references and plan on spending some time reviewing prior to hitting balls again. I certainly did not expect to hit the ball like I did before with my age and so forth but while I am 60 now I am also in pretty good condition and strong and therefore couldn't believe the pitiful distance I was hitting short irons. I previously hit a Ping eye 2 7 iron 160 yards "back in the day" as my grandson so elequently puts it. Now it's a struggle for 130-135. Thanks again for the info and I will report on my progress. Great Forum!

[chessbum]

Re: flipping hands @ impact

An interesting drill that I heard Anika Sorenstam uses and one that her coach taught her is to hit pennys (the old 1 cent piece, US) off the deck (the ground).

You won't be able to hit them if you are flipping, for sure.

Give it a try. 100 pennys is still cheaper than going to the range :-)

I've tried it, it's a nice little drill for the flipper.