Knuckles Down for Penetrating Ball Flight
A Legacy Post by Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research Dr. T. J. Tomasi (1940-2023)
What the clubface is doing at impact determines the quality of the strike – in fact, where it’s pointing determines 75-85% of the initial starting direction of your golf ball. In addition to directional control, good players decrease clubface loft at impact to create laser-like penetration, while poor players add loft, producing out-of-control wobblers that blow all over the lot. Studies show that a tour player’s 6-iron with 30 degrees of loft built in at the factory has approximately 25 degrees of dynamic loft at impact, whereas the average player starting with the same 30 degrees of loft ends up with approximately 34 degrees of dynamic loft at impact.
How can you hit laser irons by de-lofting? It’s what you do with the palm of your trial hand that determines penetration. If your palm is up facing towards the sky halfway into your downswing, you’re forced to aggressively manipulate the face to square it and deloft it at impact. Now, this can be done, but when you have only a fourth of a second until impact, it’s all too easy to “hold on” and leave the face open, producing a high, weak slice.
The usual amateur fix – swinging your arms faster on the next shot – only makes the slice worse because you’re not squaring the face; you’re simply making the club go faster with an open face.
To change the quality of your ball flight from powder-puff to piercing, turn the knuckles of your top hand to the ground through impact. You should start this early in the downswing because it’s best when it’s done slowly/smoothly. Exactly when to begin turning your knuckles down is discovered through practice.
It’s like turning a doorknob as your top knuckles turn down while you keep the cup in your trail wrist. Here’s Ian Poulter ‘turning the knob.’
Bent-Wrist Drill
The tough part in learning to turn down your knuckles is keeping your trail wrist hinged while you turn the knob. To get the feel, hit short shots, keeping your trail wrist cup as you finish waist high. But don’t worry about distance; if you normally hit a seven iron 150 yards, with this drill, it will only fly about 90 yards.
Once you learn to keep the wrist cocked, practice your new move with knuckles down and a full finish.
At first, use a waist-high finish. Doing the Wrist Cup drill [especially from the rough where resistance is maxed out] is a great learning tool in prep for turning the knob.
Learn more!
Want more tips? If you want to take your game to the next level, contact our team at Keiser University’s College of Golf & Sport Management today. With our dedication and experience, we can elevate your game to new heights together. Give us a call today at 888-355-4465.
