What Is a Cupped Wrist in Golf?

A cupped left wrist at the top of the backswing is one of the most common issues that robs amateur golfers of both power and control. This seemingly small detail creates a cascade of problems, most notably an open clubface that forces you to make athletic, last-second adjustments just to have a chance at hitting the ball straight. This article will break down exactly what a cupped wrist is, show you why it’s so destructive to your golf swing, and give you simple, practical drills to get your wrist into a powerful and consistent position.

What "Cupped," "Flat," and "Bowed" Really Mean

In golf instruction, you'll often hear coaches talk about the lead wrist position at the top of the swing. For a right-handed golfer, this is the left wrist, for a lefty, it's the right. There are three primary positions your wrist can be in, and understanding them is the first step to fixing your own.

Think of it as a spectrum. On one end, you have the cupped position, and on the other, the bowed position, with a flat wrist sitting neutrally in the middle.

The Cupped Wrist (Extension)

A "cupped" wrist is when the back of your lead hand bends upward, back towards the top of your forearm. This movement is technically called wrist extension. Visually, it looks like you could balance a small drink or a bottle cap in the crevice of your wrist. It's a very common position for amateurs because it can feel natural, but it almost always adds loft and opens the clubface relative to your swing path. If you struggle with a slice or high, weak shots that float to the right, a cupped wrist could be the culprit.

The Flat Wrist (Neutral)

This is often considered the "textbook" or ideal position. As the name suggests, the back of your lead hand and forearm form a straight, flat line at the top of theswing. Legendary ball-strikers like Ben Hogan were known for their perfectly flat lead wrist. This position generally helps keep the clubface square to the swing plane, making it much easier to deliver the club back to the ball without any last-minute manipulations. It promotes consistency and makes compressing the golf ball infinitely easier.

The Bowed Wrist (Flexion)

A "bowed" wrist is the opposite of a cupped one. Here, the back of the lead hand is rounded downward, and your knuckles point more toward the ground. This movement is called wrist flexion. Many of today's best players, like Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, and Collin Morikawa, employ a noticeably bowed wrist at the top. This move has the effect of "closing" or delofting the clubface. While it can be a source of incredible power and compression, it requires a powerful and fast body rotation on the downswing to get the clubface back to square. It’s an advanced move, but understanding it helps provide context for the entire spectrum.

Here’s a simple way to visualize the effect of each position:

• Cupped: Points the clubface skyward -> Opens the face
• Flat: Squares the clubface to the swing plane -> Neutral face
• Bowed: Points the clubface toward the ground -> Closes the face

For most amateur golfers, moving from a cupped position toward a flatter wrist is a monumental step toward better golf.

Why Is a Cupped Wrist So Problematic?

Okay, so your wrist is cupped. What’s the big deal? The issue isn’t just the position itself, but the chain reaction of compensations it triggers throughout your downswing.

1. The Automatic Open Clubface

This is the big one. As soon as you cup your lead wrist at the top, you are opening the clubface. Try this: hold your left hand out in front of you, palm facing away, as if shaking someone's hand (this represents a square clubface). Now, without turning your forearm, simply cup your wrist backwards. Notice how your palm automatically tilts upward and opens to the right? That's exactly what's happening at the top of your swing. You start the downswing with the clubface already wide open, putting you in a position where you have to save the shot.

2. The Primary Cause of the Slice

An open clubface is enemy number one for slicers. If you swing down at the ball with the face open to your swing path, you will impart side spin on the ball, causing it to curve weakly to the right (for a righty). You can have a perfect swing path, but if the clubface is open at impact, the ball is going to slice. By fixing your cupped wrist, you are addressing the number one cause of that dreaded banana ball.

3. A Major Loss of Power and Compression

Power in golf comes from compressing the ball, which requires hitting down on it with a square clubface and forward shaft lean (the handle is ahead of the clubhead at impact). A cupped wrist works against all of these things. It encourages you to "flip" or "scoop" at the ball in a last-ditch effort to square the face and get the ball airborne. This flipping motion adds loft, throws away your stored power, and leads to thin or fat shots. A flat wrist, on the other hand, makes it natural to maintain shaft lean and properly compress the ball for that pure, powerful feeling.

4. The Compensations Create Massive Inconsistency

Your brain is incredibly smart. It knows the clubface is open. On the way down, it will tell your body, "Emergency! We have to do something to close the face!" This leads to a host of common swing faults:

• Swinging "over the top" (coming down steeply from the outside) to pull the ball back left.
• Stalling your body rotation so your hands can have time to flip the club over.
• An early release or "casting" of the club.

These compensations are extremely difficult to time correctly every single time. It's why one shot might be a slice, the next a hard pull-hook, and the third a thinned miss. You're trying to perform a complex juggling act in less than a second. A flatter wrist position eliminates the need for these compensations, paving the way for a more simple, repeatable golf swing.

How to Check Your Own Wrist Position

The first step to fixing the problem is confirming you have it. Remember, feel isn't real. Your cupped wrist probably feels normal to you, and moving to a flat position will likely feel bizarrely closed and"wrong" at first. You have to trust what you can see.

The Video Check

This is the easiest and most effective method. Prop your phone up on a golf bag or cart and take a video of your swing from the "down-the-line" view (standing directly behind you, looking toward the target). When you play it back, pause the video right at the top of your backswing. Look closely at the back of your lead wrist. Is it bent back into a V-shape? Then you're cupped.

The Flat Surface Check

Here’s a great tactile drill for the range or at home. Take a ruler or a credit card and place it under your golf watch or glove, so it lays flat across the back of your wrist and forearm. Make a slow-motion backswing. If you cup your wrist, the ruler will either lift off your forearm or fall completely. The goal is to make a backswing where you feel an even pressure from the ruler across both your hand and your forearm all the way to the top.

Actionable Drills to Correct a Cupped Wrist

Now for the fun part: fixing it. These drills are designed to help you Ingrain the feeling of a flat wrist so it becomes your new normal.

Drill 1: The Takeaway Rehearsal (9 to 3 Drill)

Most errors happen early. This drill helps you set the club correctly from the start.

• Take your normal setup.
• Slowly begin your backswing until the club shaft is parallel to the ground (the 9 o’clock position). Stop here.
• Check your lead wrist. At this key point, it should be flat, and the toe of the club should be pointing directly to the sky. Many players who cup are already rotating the face open here, with the toe of the club pointing behind them.
• From here, swing through until the shaft is parallel to the ground on the other side (the 3 o’clock position).
• Repeat this back-and-forth mini-swing, keeping your wrists quiet and focusing on rotating your body. After several rehearsals, hit a 50% shot trying to replicate that exact feeling.

Drill 2: The Right Palm Down Feeling

Often, a passive left wrist is a result of an active right hand. To flatten your lead wrist, your trail wrist (right wrist for a righty) must bend back.

• At the top of your backswing, actively feel like you are pressing the palm of your right hand down toward the ground.
` `
• This motion, which supports the club, will naturally encourage your left wrist to move from extension (cupped) into a flat or even slightly flexed (bowed) position.
• Make a few slow practice swings exaggerating this feeling. Feel the pressure in the heel pad of your right hand as if it's supporting the club on a waiter’s tray. This simple thought can often reorganize the wrist structure automatically.

Drill 3: The Motorcycle Throttle Drill

For players who are extremely cupped, an exaggerated feel is sometimes needed to find a neutral position.

• Take the club to the top of your backswing.
• Once there, consciously make a move with your lead wrist as if you are revving the throttle of a motorcycle. This means turning your knuckles down toward the ground, moving from a cupped position into a bowed one.
• Hold it for a second to feel the stretch. This is an exaggeration, but it ingrains the opposite feeling of what you're used to.
• After a few rehearsals of this drill, try to make a smooth swing where you simply go to a flat position. You'll be surprised how much easier it is to find that neutral spot after feeling the opposite extreme.

Final Thoughts

Correcting a cupped lead wrist is one of the most impactful changes you can make to your golf swing. Moving towards a flatter position at the top helps square the clubface, promoting a more powerful and compressed strike, and eliminating the need for inconsistency-producing compensations on the downswing.

Sometimes, what you feel and what’s actually happening in your swing are two very different things, and getting objective feedback is essential. We designed our app, Caddie AI, to give you an expert second opinion right in your pocket. During a range session, you can snap a photo of yourself at the top of your swing and simply ask, "Is my risk cupped?" You can get an instant, clear analysis and targeted advice to help you translate these drills into real, lasting improvement, closing the gap between feel and real so you can practice smarter.