All in the wrist

Backswing Basics

Many top instructors believe, despite a lot of evidence to the contrary, that you cannot hit the ball to the target unless you first make a "good" backswing. Jim McLean, in his book The Eight-Step Swing, breaks the backswing into four parts: 1) The first move back; 2) halfway back; 3) the three-quarter backswing position; and 4) backswing completed. To these four steps Jim adds 26 points to remember and another 14 "death moves" to avoid. David Leadbetter, in his book The Golf Swing, presents the swing as a series of 11 links. According to Leadbetter the backswing consists of link Nos. 2 through 5, and he adds 27 "points to note," along with 10 common errors to avoid.

Tiger Woods makes a powerful backswing. Rob Stanger

And yet, as I'm sure these top teachers would agree, many Hall of Fame golfers have had very different and, in some cases, eccentric backswings. This suggests that too much importance has been placed on perfecting the takeaway.

Your Time to Prepare

What is the purpose of the backswing, anyway? To create leverage? To store power? To satisfy some rule that says you have to make a backswing?

I think the function of the backswing is to prepare you for the forward swing. That may sound simplistic, but preparation is very important. It is the forward swing that the ball actually responds to. If you don't prepare yourself efficiently in the backswing, the forward swing will be affected.

So instead of presenting the backswing as steps or links with numerous points to remember, I'll try to keep it very simple. As I pointed out in Elements of Ball Flight, in golf we are trying to control three things: 1) The distance the ball travels; 2) the direction the ball travels; and 3) the the ball's trajectory. So let's take a look at how the backswing influences each of these elements.

1. The red line represents the location of the ball. 2. Notice how the right shoulder blade makes its way toward the target in the backswing. 3. The right shoulder blade only goes back as far as the ball is positioned in the stance, with the function of setting the axis of the forward swing on the balls position.

Distance: The central power source of the golf swing is the rotation of the body in balance. During the backswing, the body rotates in a circular motion away from the target -- or so it seems. But many great golfers say they feel the backswing as a squaring-up of their backs to the target. That would mean that the backswing is a motion going toward the target.

In our last lesson, Setting Up for Success, I indicated that the ball's position in your stance (extended vertically up through your body) is a reference for setting the axis of the forward swing. The function of the backswing, then, is just that -- to rotate the back in the direction of the target as it relates to the ball's position on the ground (otherwise known as the axis of the forward swing). Once the right shoulder blade (for right-handers) reaches this point, the backswing is complete. The pivot for the forward swing is set, and you have efficiently prepared yourself to make the forward swing.

Direction: I have mentioned in previous articles that "everything in golf evolves in reference to the path that leads to the target." It is this target line that the golf club references during the swing. During the backswing, there are three different ways the golf club can be in motion along the target line. (See photos.)

Early Wrist Set: An early set of the wrist moves the clubhead back along the target line as the grip end of the club picks up the target line in the opposite direction. This technique is effective because the grip end of the club points to the target line immediately and remains on the target line through the entire backswing. It minimizes mistakes in the backswing because it is so simple.

1. In the early wrist set, the wrist hinges the club back so that the grip end picks up the target line early in the backswing. 2. The grip end tracks the target line for the duration of the backswing.

The early wrist set was perfected by Johnny Miller, who was arguably the greatest short- to mid-iron player in the history of the game. It is favored by better players for approach shots because the hinging of the wrist creates a descending blow, ensuring crisp contact with the ball. Miller claims in his book Pure Golf that the early set of the wrist allowed him to feel the clubhead with greater clarity throughout the swing.

Mid Wrist Set: This technique is used by most modern golfers. You set the wrist midway through the backswing, roughly between knee-to-waist height. The clubhead remains on the target line until the shaft is parallel to the ground. At this midpoint, the wrists hinge and set the grip end of the club to track the target line for the duration of the backswing.

1. In the mid wrist set, the clubhead goes back along the target line to a midway area. 2. The wrists set the grip to the target line.

Tiger Woods, in his book How I Play Golf, says he sets the wrist around knee-high to create greater feel on approach shots. With the driver, on the other hand, he waits until his club is parallel to the ground (waist high) before setting his wrist to create greater power. In other words, Tiger creates a designated wrist-hinge zone for the type of shot he wants to play.

Late Wrist Set: The late wrist set keeps the clubhead traveling along the target line for almost the entire backswing. It is not until the backswing is complete that the wrist actually sets the grip end onto the target line in the transition from backswing to forward swing. This creates a bigger shoulder turn and greater extension of the golf club along the target line.

1. The clubhead stays on the target line for the entire backswing. 2. The wrists set the club in the transition to the forward swing.

You will see most power hitters use this technique when they really want to bomb one. Jack Nicklaus tried to extend the clubhead back along the target line as far as possible, creating a huge shoulder turn. Nicklaus was one of the greatest drivers of the ball, and this late wrist set is what enabled him to hit such powerful shots.

Trajectory: The height at which the ball flies can be influenced by the backswing. With the early wrist set, the shaft moves on a steeper arc, which creates a steeper descent into the ball. The late wrist set, on the other hand, moves the shaft on a wider arc, creating a more shallow path into the ball. When you hit a tee shot, you want that wider arc to sweep the ball off the tee. On your approach shots to the green, you want a steeper arc to put more backspin on the ball.

Review

As different as these three backswings may seem, there is a common factor: The golf club, either the grip end or the clubhead end, references the target line at all times. By mastering all three, you can add diversity to your game. You can hit the big drive with the late wrist set and use the early wrist set for exceptional feel on your approach shots.

© 2003 Rob Stanger

Rob Stanger is teaching professional at the Mission Hills Country Club Golf Learning Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Contact him at robstanger.com.

 

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