Wrist Hinge In The Golf Swing Explained
Golf Monthly Top 50 Coaches John Howells and Katie Dawkins discuss wrist hinge in the golf swing and how it can help golfers generate more power

Like many golfers, you might be thinking... what is wrist hinge in the golf swing? This fundamental concept not only helps you to generate speed and power, but also create a brilliant angle of attack.
In this video, by Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins, and this article, by Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach John Howells, we explore wrist hinge in the golf swing and give you all the information you need...
What is wrist hinge in the golf swing?
The wrists work as a link between the lead-arm lever and the club. You almost want them to be a conduit for storing up speed in the backswing and then releasing it in the downswing, as it's the wrist hinge that allows for increased clubhead speed in a full swing. Sometimes golfers underuse the wrists in the backswing; sometimes they overuse them.
A good checkpoint is when the left arm is parallel to the ground. The angle between left arm and shaft should ideally be 90-100˚ (as demonstrated in the image above), an appropriate amount of wrist set to deliver some speed and power into the ball.
If the angle is too acute from using the wrists too much, things normally get thrown out in the downswing. This results in a cast, with the clubhead passing the hands too quickly through impact.
What does each wrist do in the golf swing?
The lead wrist (above) is mainly for wrist cock or ‘radial deviation’ as it’s known. This allows the left thumb to move up towards the left forearm, almost like putting a thumb up towards your nose if your hand were in front of you.
It’s where that angle starts to be created. The trail wrist (below) is basically bending back on itself. The knuckles on the right hand move back towards the forearm, or outside of the elbow, so the palm is almost looking down at the ground. The two wrist actions are slightly different because of the formation of the grip, but they combine to create a lovely, powerful position in the backswing.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
The wrists should then unleash that stored energy into a straight-line position post-impact to generate the right amount of pressure and a downward strike. The angles stored in the backswing have been released out in the downswing.
I’ve had more success in teaching where I want players to get to post-impact than in drawing attention to the impact position. You are almost guaranteeing impact would have been correct if your left arm and shaft are in this position just after the ball has gone.
Katie is an Advanced PGA professional with over 20 years of coaching experience. She helps golfers of every age and ability to be the best versions of themselves. In January 2022 she was named as one of Golf Monthly's Top 50 Coaches.
Katie coaches the individual and uses her vast experience in technique, psychology and golf fitness to fix problems in a logical manner that is effective - she makes golf simple. Katie is based in the South of England, on the edge of the New Forest. An experienced club coach, she developed GardenGOLF during lockdown and as well as coaching at Iford Golf Centre, The Caversham- Home of Reading Golf Club and Salisbury & South Wilts Golf Club.
She freelances, operating via pop-up clinics and travelling to clients homes to help them use their space to improve.
She has coached tour pros on both LET tour and the Challenge Tour as well as introduced many a beginner to the game.
Katie has been writing instructional content for magazines for 20 years. Her creative approach to writing is fuelled by her sideline as an artist.
Katie's Current What's In The Bag
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 9degrees.
Fairway: TaylorMade Qi10 5wood
Hybrid: TaylorMade 4 & 5
Irons: TaylorMade 770 6-AW
Wedges: TaylorMade Tour Grind 4 54 & 58
Putter: TaylorMade Tour X 33"
Favourite Shoes: FootJoy HyperFlex with Tour Flex Pro Softspikes on the course.
-
Valspar Championship Tee Times - Round Four
There’s a three-way tie for the lead ahead of the final round of the Valspar Championship, with Viktor Hovland looking for his first win since 2023
By Mike Hall Published
-
Who Is Jacob Bridgeman's Caddie?
The PGA Tour pro is one of the rising stars of the game, and assisting him in the early years of his pro career has been caddie GW Cable
By Mike Hall Published
-
I Attended An Exclusive Tee To Green Masterclass With A Top Golf Coach... Now I'm Sharing His 6 Transformative Tips With You
Few golfers get the chance to spend an entire day with a top golf coach, which is why I can't keep his six expert tips to myself. Get ready to play better golf!
By Barry Plummer Published
-
5 Things The Biggest Hitters Do To Generate Power In Their Golf Swing (And How You Can Copy Them)
Generating more power is a great way to improve your handicap and shoot lower scores. So, we analysed the biggest hitters in golf to help you hit it further...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Vijay Singh's Secret To Playing Better Golf Has Been In Our Archive Since 1992... And 33 Years Later It Could Still Radically Improve Your Swing
I scoured through the Golf Monthly archives to find expert golf swing tips from the best players in the world. This gem from Vijay Singh did not disappoint...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
I'm Confident These 5 Tips Will Transform Your Golf Game In Time For The 2025 Season... Because They Come Straight From The French Open Champion!
Golf tips from a two-time DP World tour winner don't come around everyday, but Dan Bradbury's expert advice will help you to shoot better scores in 2025...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Short Putts... Dead-Weight Or Firm? Our Experts Debate This Common Conundrum
Standing over a short putt with the match on the line is enough to make even the best putter feel a little uneasy. But, is it best to hit dead-weight or firm?
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Bunker Play... The Lowry Way! 3 Simple Tips To Sharpen Up Your Short Game From The Sand
Shane Lowry is a short game wizard, consistently producing magical shots around the green, so we asked Top 50 Coach Tom Motley To Analyse His Majestic Technique
By Barry Plummer Published
-
12 Practical Winter Golf Hacks To Help You Shoot Lower Scores In 2025
Getting ready for the 2025 golf season this winter couldn't be easier thanks to these expert winter golf hacks from Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Adam Harnett...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
'I Grew Up Missing Every Green On The Planet... So It Became A Necessity To Become Good At Chipping' – 5 Expert Short Game Tips From The 2018 Masters Champion
Patrick Reed is renowned for being one of the best short game players of his era, with his silky touch around the green helping him to win a first Green Jacket
By Garrett Johnston Published