In the last couple of articles I discussed the role of the hands and wrists in your golf swing. The one article was about the cocking of the wrist in your back-swing. The most recent was on the release of the wrists at the hitting area (down-swing). Both articles explained how these movements are a natural happening, not a conscious action. In this article I would like to discuss how we set our hands up for this to happen. An action the pros call “Tolling the Bell”.
Over cocking the wrist and prematurely releasing the wrists have one common problem, loss of power. The action called the delayed hit, the late un-cocking of the wrists is one of the keys both to longer drives and longer shots with all your clubs. Why? Because it is the key to preventing premature release of power by un-cocking the wrists too early on the down-swing.
There is one common thing in your golf swing that will allow your wrists to move through your golf swing naturally and control your release in the down-swing. What is this common thing? It is your left arm (right arm for the left-handed). You have all heard to keep your left arm as straight as possible, but what does this have to do with your wrists? Let’s me explain.
In your back-swing a straight left arm will control your shoulder turn, which means it will control your wrist cock, if you allow your wrists to move naturally. Pulling down with a straight left arm, what the pros call “tolling the bell” is not only great help, but necessary for a good swing.
If you have a tendency to release your wrists to early on the down-swing, I want you to try thinking of something. It might be helpful, try thinking about pulling the butt end of the club (grip) down toward the ball, not snapping the club head towards the ball.
You need to guard against breaking (snapping) your wrists, if they are felt lagging behind the club. The wrists should and will unlock naturally when they reach the hitting area just below the hip height. You needn’t think about it and you must not consciously snap your wrists through the hitting area.
On the back-swing, simply think about swinging your left arm straight back and up away from the ball as you make your shoulder turn.
On the down-swing, for longer drives and shots, you simply swing your left arm down in a circle under your chin, better known as “tolling the bell”.