Dustin Johnson's left wrist

[phillypete]

Whoa!!!

What is the deal with this guys wrists at the top of the backswing?

He's working with a 90* bow in the left wrist at the top and the clubface is straight up.

How isn't that a bad thing?

[Insidious2]

[quote name='phillypete' timestamp='1281825019' post='2638656']
What is the deal with this guys wrists at the top of the backswing?

He's working with a 90* bow in the left wrist at the top and the clubface is straight up.

How isn't that a bad thing?
[/quote]

It's only a bad thing if it doesn't work. It works, and so his coaches haven't changed it.

[phillypete]

[quote name='Rugger' timestamp='1281825205' post='2638661']
[quote name='phillypete' timestamp='1281825019' post='2638656']
What is the deal with this guys wrists at the top of the backswing?

He's working with a 90* bow in the left wrist at the top and the clubface is straight up.

How isn't that a bad thing?
[/quote]

It's only a bad thing if it doesn't work. It works, and so his coaches haven't changed it.
[/quote]

Ok so why isn't it a bad thing for him?

[shortstop20]

He rotates his lower body so much through the shot that he can play that way and not hook the crap out of it.

[scotchblade]

Worked good for Lee Trevino too. Shut faced at top, clockwork fade shot shape.

[JRS]

if you look at his delayed hit, "lag", foward shaft lean or whatever at impact then it should be ovbious. with a flat left wrist he'd slice it off the planet!

[grahler]

I dunno if hecan holdup underpressure with the hand work he uses it will be interesting tomorrow...

[shortstop20]

[quote name='scotchblade' timestamp='1281836474' post='2638929']
Worked good for Lee Trevino too. Shut faced at top, clockwork fade shot shape.
[/quote]

Just goes to show ya that the "system" which so many promote is a fallacy.

[quote name='JRS' timestamp='1281839025' post='2638987']
if you look at his delayed hit, "lag", foward shaft lean or whatever at impact then it should be ovbious. with a flat left wrist he'd slice it off the planet!
[/quote]

Agreed. You hear so much about how the forward shaft lean promotes a draw, it is NOT that way for everyone. It is entirely possible to have a forward leaning shaft and leave the club face wide open.So many refuse to entertain that possibility though.

[dlam]

Very interesting bent left wrist on the top of the swing.

Does anyone know if his left wrist is bent too at impact or is it FLW?

[herrsonic]

He has to compensate on the downswing, and he does so very well.
Another example is Furyk and his very unique backswing. Yet Furyk is an excellent ball striker.
There is no one swing for everyone, but there is one right swing for you if you know how to find it.

[Corey_sulliv21]

Lots of rotation through the shot and he raises the handle quite a bit through impact to offset what would be a potentially closed clubface at impact. A lot of great players had bowed wrists to some degree: Palmer, J.B. Holmes, Lehman, and others.

Many different components can work in a golf swing but all the pieces have to be compatible. You put that left wrist position on someone like...Loren Roberts, who has very little body rotation and the shots are all starting left.

[NGstaff]

[quote name='phillypete' timestamp='1281825019' post='2638656']
What is the deal with this guys wrists at the top of the backswing?

He's working with a 90* bow in the left wrist at the top and the clubface is straight up.

How isn't that a bad thing?
[/quote]

Well....he is playing professional golf. We aren't. If it works for ya....might as well keep doing it

[gxDD]

I'm a big fan o f DJ's swing. However everytime I see photos of his mechanics I'm stumped as to how it works.

[jsgolfer12]

look at every good ball striker, they bow the wrist at impact in order to square the face. DJ just does it sooner in the swing that most everyone else. david duval made it to #1 in the world with much the same position. if you look closely at hogan, he bowed the wrist as the first move from the top.

bottom line, it has to be done, DJ just does it in a place where you are not used to seeing it so therefore people find it alarming

[aliikane]

This is an old technique. I see most pros use a flat left wrist but not bowed. I was taught the left bowed wrist when I was 10 years old. I remember the lesson vividly even though it was 28 years ago. I only took a couple lessons from him. He tried to get me to bow my left wrist for more power but it was very difficult position to get in at 10 years old so I just went back to my own homemade swing. haha.

[petter7]

[quote name='shortstop20' timestamp='1281870009' post='2639308']
[quote name='scotchblade' timestamp='1281836474' post='2638929']
Worked good for Lee Trevino too. Shut faced at top, clockwork fade shot shape.
[/quote]
Just goes to show ya that the "system" which so many promote is a fallacy.
[/quote]

What system is that?

[quote name='shortstop20' timestamp='1281870009' post='2639308']
[quote name='JRS' timestamp='1281839025' post='2638987']
if you look at his delayed hit, "lag", foward shaft lean or whatever at impact then it should be ovbious. with a flat left wrist he'd slice it off the planet!
[/quote]
Agreed. You hear so much about how the forward shaft lean promotes a draw, it is NOT that way for everyone. It is entirely possible to have a forward leaning shaft and leave the club face wide open.So many refuse to entertain that possibility though.
[/quote]

Shaft lean is about hitting the ball first before the ground. Club path and face angle determines shot shape.
So, if you're going to hit the ball first and take a divot you need shaft lean. If you want to curve the ball one
way or the other you will have to effect a certain path/face angle along with that shaft lean.

[MacBooky]

[quote name='phillypete' timestamp='1281825019' post='2638656']
What is the deal with this guys wrists at the top of the backswing?

He's working with a 90* bow in the left wrist at the top and the clubface is straight up.

How isn't that a bad thing?
[/quote]

He has found a downswing-sequence in which it is not much of an issue. I wouldn't turn it into a model though.
99% of golfers that play with their left wrist bowed like that will run into injury at some time in their life. Dustin is probably insanely strong and get's away with it.

[HitEmTrue]

[quote name='MacBooky' timestamp='1284454182' post='2695602']
99% of golfers that play with their left wrist bowed like that will run into injury at some time in their life. Dustin is probably insanely strong and get's away with it.
[/quote]

What kind of injury? The bowed wrist plagues me...haven't been able to shake it.

[MacBooky]

[quote name='HitEmTrue' timestamp='1284477613' post='2696000']


What kind of injury? The bowed wrist plagues me...haven't been able to shake it.
[/quote]

Well, the wrist is not really build to carry load that way ..... I might lead to ligament issues (same way as flipping can, just the other wrist)

People differ and so do their chances of injury, however in the end, no one gets away with doing stuff we're not meant to do (Tiger's knee-snap f.i.)

Try and bow your wrist on purpose like that and put mild pressure on it with your right hand ... you will feel what i mean

[ssp]

Some old school teachers would say that his club position at the top is slightly open. More modern thoughts are that it is slightly closed. ????

 

My old pro taught this method of club position.

 

Thought a picture might help.

 

[iteachgolf]

Nobody would say that is open. At least nobody I'd take seriously. Dustin gets away with it due to shaft lean and pure athletic ability. Best athlete in golf, at least that I've ever seen

[spider]

SSP How is that face open? The club face is parallel to the sky practically. Not sure if open is what you really meant? Old skool new skool closed is closed?

[dap]

Dustin is not open.He has not over rotated his flying wedge.What he has done by bowing his left wrist is delofted his clubface.

I will bet by impact his left wrist is nowhere near that much bowed,otherwise he wouldn't get the ball in the air.

[ssp]

[quote name='spider' timestamp='1284486210' post='2696278']
SSP How is that face open? The club face is parallel to the sky practically. Not sure if open is what you really meant? Old skool new skool closed is closed?
[/quote]


There used to be a school of thought that clubface parallel to sky/ground was square. It was not a widely popular theory. To get to this position required that you subinate your take-away versus pronate. The position they were looking for was that you could 'hold a tray' with your right hand at the top of the swing (this would have the club face parallel to ground/sky). I am not at all saying this is the right way.... just an old theory that I was taught. Try it on the range sometime ... it is not as far off as you might think. FYI - I do not use this approach .... but I will try it again on my next range session to bring back old memories.

Ask Hifade.... he knows this instructor and approach. We both worked for the guy back in the old days. Johnny Krutilla.

[spider]

[quote name='ssp' timestamp='1284487262' post='2696316']



There used to be a school of thought that clubface parallel to sky/ground was square. It was not a widely popular theory. To get to this position required that you subinate your take-away versus pronate. The position they were looking for was that you could 'hold a tray' with your right hand at the top of the swing (this would have the club face parallel to ground/sky). I am not at all saying this is the right way.... just an old theory that I was taught. Try it on the range sometime ... it is not as far off as you might think. FYI - I do not use this approach .... but I will try it again on my next range session to bring back old memories.

Ask Hifade.... he knows this instructor and approach. We both worked for the guy back in the old days. Johnny Krutilla.
[/quote]

there ya go fair enough. I read your first remark to mean that bowed (DJ) was open compared to cupped being closed. Saying it is not closed but square is different and is what I thought you meant to say. Thanks for clarification.

[925golf]

Some old school teachers would say that his club position at the top is slightly open. More modern thoughts are that it is slightly closed. ????

 

My old pro taught this method of club position.

 

Thought a picture might help.

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxGeYpCGIIo

 

 

The guy is 6 feet 5 inches , with massive forearm strength and back muscles .

 

As per the definitions of some on this board he is a slinger/flipper of the club .

 

Notice how his hips have completely stopped rotating as he fires his right side and uses his hands and wrist to generate tremendous club head speed through impact .

 

His impact seems more "wristy" than any other player on the tour and like Bubba Watson keeps coming on top of the leader board,

 

no matter what the rotary swingers say" (flippers/slingers/hitters?)

[iteachgolf]

I don't see wristy anything. He keeps his wedges a long time post impact.

[925golf]

[quote name='iteachgolf' timestamp='1284488273' post='2696347']
I don't see wristy anything. He keeps his wedges a long time post impact.
[/quote]

Can you see his core stall at impact ?

[iteachgolf]

[quote name='925golf' timestamp='1284488465' post='2696352']


Can you see his core stall at impact ?
[/quote]
I see him break his pivot fast and early than most. Look at his actual wrist alignments. No flip at all, if anything best example of anyone on tour keeping right wrist bent and FLW well post impact

[925golf]

[quote name='iteachgolf' timestamp='1284488711' post='2696363']

I see him break his pivot fast and early than most. Look at his actual wrist alignments. No flip at all, if anything best example of anyone on tour keeping right wrist bent and FLW well post impact
[/quote]

A flipper who straightens his right wrist before impact is a real novice ,
a tour flipper was supposed to be someone whose core has stalled or his hips have stopped moving through impact .

IMO in the three levers of hips , hands and wrist ,
Dustin totally rotates the hips first and then with the hips fully rotated, uses his hands and wrist to really whack that ball .

Also his follow trough and short finish seem to suggest that the wrists are pretty active here .