Dr. Yessis Sports Training Blog

Golf pros bring out some excellent points in regard to positioning of the hands if you have an effective turn of the clubface to make square contact with the ball. Turning of the clubface however, has little to do with the hands; this act is accomplished by arm rotation.

Some pros teach that the club rotation is due only to the left forearm. This however, is inaccurate mainly because one arm cannot function by itself when both hands grip the club. It can happen if one arm is completely passive, but this does not occur in the golf swing.

More accurate and easier to accomplish is to use both the left and right arms to produce a smoother action. Using only the left or right forearm means one must overpower the other which then makes it more difficult to control the clubface. In addition, in order to have a powerful wrist break which precedes the arm turn, both wrists should be actively involved.

It is also necessary to understand that the arms are the key movers in the rotation of the clubface. The forearms can rotate to a certain extent by themselves, but when the arm is straight the action is mostly in the shoulder joint so that the entire arm rotates, not just the forearm. This gives you more control and greater accuracy.

The only time you should have only the forearms in motion (rotating with supination and pronation) is if you have well bent arms through impact, something that is not recommended. In this case your chances for accurate contact and a well-placed hit, are diminished greatly.

Another reason for having straight arms when you rotate the arms to bring the clubhead square to the ball, is to have a fuller follow-through. If you rely on only forearm rotation your follow-through will be shortened which in turn may cause a decrease in the power generated during the downswing.

See Explosive Golf for more information on the arm and hand actions that occur prior to, during and after contact. In addition, you can see pictures taken from live digital film of the hand position during different parts of the downswing.