right wrist
 

if i understand this, the right wrist is always level. any where in the swing. is this right?

Level Right Wrist
 

Basically, yes. From Address to Follow Through, the Right Wrist is always Level.
Cock the Left Wrist by bending your Right Elbow.

The true test of understanding the flying wedges is understanding the above statement - cock the left wrist by bending your right elbow.

This is a key item to put in the incubator and a 'fundamental' part of understanding TGM.

level straight vrs Level bent
 

Ed---agreed on level but......

when my right arm out in front of me

.......if i get my right wrist level--meaining being able to
place a ruler down my forearm over the top of my outer thumb
without alot of space visable in the edge of the ruler....

OK

..but, as soon as i bend the wrist back to an impact fix
position, it anatomically is not level any longer.........
In order to get close to visually level bent, I have to
use actually use strain, and doing that it will become
cocked much easier in the backswing, as things will want to revers themselves, unless forced to do so otherwise, which puts unwanted tension in the grip/swing

please put eggs into my incubator

The right wrist should bend only (back towards the right forearm in the plane of the right forearm flying wedge). In what you describe, that bending only should have no effect at all on the 'level' of the wrist. If it does, chances are your right hand grip is too much in the fingers, or you are actually 'uncocked' and not level.

Keep in mind that 'level' is very nearly 'uncocked' and that the important area to focus on is impact fix alignments. The bending/arching motion of the right wrist you describe shouldn't put any stress on the wrist joints (a sign that you are not level, but probably uncocked).

Everything comes back to impact alignments, and your bodies ability to 'support' the forces of impact via the alignments of the flying wedges.

per 4-B-1 "The Wrist is LEVEL when the wrist-bone and the edge of the hand (to the first knuckle of the first finger) form a straight line."

So the ruler should go from the wrist to the first knuckle of your first finger, not the thumb.

Cocked Right Wrist Illusion
 

A Level and Bent Right Wrist may seem like a Cocked Right Wrist sometimes because of the viewing angle.

I have two photos here that have identical Wrist Alignments, i.e. a Level and Bent Right Wrist. Due to the camera angle the bottom photo seems to be Cocked, but it isn't.

Nice hands leo...Yours?

PERPENDICULAR

4-B-0 GENERAL The Perpendicular Wrist Conditions and Motions are LEVEL (-1), COCKED (-2) and UNCOCKED (-3). These three terms are always used in reference to the “Thumb Edge” of the hand only.
INSERT PHOTOS 4-B-1, 4-B-2, AND 4-B-3

4-B-1 LEVEL The Wrist is LEVEL when the wrist-bone and the edge of the hand (to the first knuckle of the first finger) form a straight line.

4-B-2 COCKED The Wrist is COCKED when the edge of the hand forms as sharp an angle as possible with the wrist bone. The Wrist is Cocked at any point beyond LEVEL toward maximum cocked condition.

4-B-3 UNCOCKED The Wrist is UNCOCKED when the edge of the hand forms as wide an angle as possible with the wrist bone. The Wrist is UNCOCKED at any point from LEVEL to maximum UNCOCKED condition. The wrist is UNCOCKED at any time it is moving away from an COCKED condition. It moves per 4-D-0 and 2-P.


Which is it ?

always used in reference to the “Thumb Edge” of the hand only.

or...

to the first knuckle of the first finger) form a straight line

or...

Wait for 7th edition?

that is confusing...hadn't noticed that before. The way I interpret it is "Thumb Edge" vs. "Pinky Edge", not necessarily using the edge of the thumb as the indicator for level/cocked/uncocked.

Is the model in those two photos alive?

Is that a joke?
It's me by the way. Taken about a year ago.

Tongzilla's definition of Level
 

My hands indeed :p.

This is my interpretation of what Level should really be. What I'm about to write is not stated explicitly in the book, so you don't put too much faith in it for those Machine Heads out there!

Grip the club in the cup of your right hand, just as you would normally do. Make sure your Right Forearm and Clubshaft (good proxy for the sweetspot plane) forms a straight line. This position gives the Clubshaft maximum support through Impact. Now note the alignment of your right wrist -- that's how I define Level. I think it's a good definition for practical purposes. And it should come pretty darn close to what Diane's hands in the book look like.

so, best indicator
 

best visual check point is the clubshaft and right forearm to stay parallel to each other, especially in "wedge" formation or impact fix position
and not really worry about the level right wrist....

pretty hard to have a cocked right wrist AND shaft/ forearm
parallel to each other, would have to grip the shaft between the index finger and the next finger in order to come close...

Thumb Edge is just a reference point.
 

I agree Bam Bam Homer is just making sure we have the correct reference point the "Thumb Edge". If you were to take another reference point like the "Pinky Edge" the terms Level/Cocked/Uncocked wouldnt apply the same.

If you look at the left hand in picture 4-B-2 it shows a cocked position when related to the "Thumb Edge" but a level position when related to the "Pinky Edge". (For me the right hands in all of these pictures are distorted due to the camera angle just like Tongzilla's pictures).

In 4-B-1 he is defining the level position using the wristbone and the edge of the hand. Good job we have these pictures in the book because the wrist is made from 8 bones so which would you choose? I think he may mean the arm radius bone or maybe the scaphoid bone of the wrist? What do you think?

ok which do you use the thumb or the first finger, to get level? even though the book says first finger i was with the understanding it meant thumb.

Jerry . . . LEVEL would be if you could support a book from your forearm to thumb edge. A check would be if Level your fangers would be pointing slightly downward . . . just not all the way that's Uncocked. If you hold your arm straight out with open palm fangers together and relax your wrist, you'll be pretty much Level. Note how the fangers point down at an angle and not straight out.

If that don't work . . . put on that old pair of golf shoes you got with the flaps and real spikes. Sit in a chair. Place your right wrist on the ground. Stomp it as hard as you can with them spiked brogans.

Right On
 

Bucket,
I was down in my garage looking for my old spikes- but couldn't find them- so I'm back reading the posts for the next best alternative. Great topic and a common one in regards to traveling the road to understanding the Golfing Machine- so I loved all the questions and all the feedback was equally good. Just an additional quick comment that may add to the thread- the purpose for level is that it is the alignment that allows the greatest support for impact and applying force. If you push on a wall with your right hand, you'll probably find "level".

Anotherwords, if you line up 1) the #3 pressure point, 2) the #1 pressure point, and 3) the right forearm, you'll find what level is and why it's important- the integration of the physics and geometry or more precisely - the geometry is a result of the required physics. By "lining up" in this context I mean turn your right palm facing your face and line up the three items above and you'll have "level" and the greatest support for impact. You can always apply it to your golf swing later, after understanding the concept.

Certainly, another issue that's alot easier to nail down in person but still very do able over the internet.

Mike O.

That's nailed what I was trying to say in post #12. Great minds think alike :o .