| It's all here: The crossover of the hands, wrists and | | | | Good players understand the principle of centrifugal |
| forearms through and beyond impact is one of the | | | | force and they maximise the efficiency with which |
| movements (perhaps the key movement) that | | | | they rotate their body to create it. More importantly, |
| defines good ball-strikers and their mechanics. | | | | they translate this force into clubhead speed thanks |
| The upper arms are passive as the right hand and | | | | to this vital component of the swing-hand action. |
| forearm 'snap' over the left a sure sign of a full, | | | | Modern teaching has increasingly focused on the role |
| committed release of energy through the ball. | | | | of the bigger muscles in the body, which misses the |
| The great Henry Cotton always stressed the | | | | point entirely as far as the weekend golfer is |
| importance of 'educating the hands', and for me he | | | | concerned. |
| nailed the essence of the swing. Down the ages, the | | | | Golf is a speed game, not a power game. And you |
| game's greatest players have all made the same | | | | do not create speed with the big muscles, you |
| basic mechanical movement (i.e. a body turn coupled | | | | create speed with the smaller muscles in the hands |
| with a wrist hinge); they play with a hand action that | | | | and forearms. So, with that in mind, let me introduce |
| both conducts and multiplies the energy created by | | | | you to a series of drills to help you improve your |
| the body all the way down through the shaft and | | | | hand action. |
| into the clubhead. It's no coincidence that the | | | | With practice, they will enhance your ability to create |
| greatest names in golf have all shared a wonderful | | | | a naturally correct swing that maximises speed. |
| hand action. | | | | As your only point of contact with the club, the |
| Ben Hogan illustrating golf swing mechanics perhaps | | | | hands play what I believe to be the most important |
| better than any other golfer the value of hand/wrist | | | | role of all in the basic development of the swing. |
| and forearm rotation in maximising the 'whip' through | | | | This is something modern teaching has tended to |
| the ball. | | | | overlook; We hear so much these days about the |
| Britain's greatest ever golfer, Nick Faldo, is often | | | | 'Big Muscles' in the body controlling the action and |
| cited as a 'mechanical' player who relies on the 'big' | | | | generating power, but all of that, for me, misses one |
| muscles in the swing; truth is, Faldo's hand action has | | | | crucial point. |
| always been his greatest asset. | | | | |