Read more: Rory Left Broken-Hearted Once Again After Gut-Wrenching Irish Open Finish
It certainly gets the golf nerds buzzing to see a top talent like Rory McIlroy experimenting with not just one but two different training aids on the range. Based on the videos taken by the DP World Tour team, the first aid Rory is utilizing is called the G-Snap. Created by highly respected coach George Gankas, the G-Snap helps players promote a flatter, less cupped lead wrist position during the backswing.
For Rory, who has a tendency to excessively cup his wrist, the G-Snap provides the necessary wrist flexion while maintaining a square clubface. As I detailed after his heartbreaking U.S. Open loss, a cupped wrist can sometimes cause Rory to get the clubface open at the top, resulting in missed shots left. The G-Snap aims to correct this flaw.
After getting comfortable with the wrist flex provided by the G-Snap, Rory then moves on to the ball-between-arms drill. Likely trying to further instill the proper wrist and body motion through the stroke, this drill restricts any extra wrist rotation. It will be fascinating to watch how these technical adjustments might help Rory in his quest for the BMW PGA Championship title this week at Wentworth.
The G-Snap effectively puts just the right amount of flex in Rory's lead wrist on the backswing. As he mentioned working on with Harmon, this creates more clubface "strength" or squareness off the tee. Rory is careful not to overdo the wrist flexion, as is evident in his controlled demonstrations.
After hitting a few balls using the G-Snap, Rory progresses to the ball-between-arms drill. This serves as another way to reinforce the proper motion, specifically by preventing any excess wrist roll through impact. With the G-Snap already putting his wrist in the correct position back, the ball between the arms allows Rory to freely rotate his body into the shot.
As someone who has worked with Rory for years, I could sense his satisfaction when he told coach Bannon the new moves have enabled him to fully release without pulling shots left. These minor adjustments exemplify how the game's best continuously tinker to remedy flaws. It will be fascinating to observe Rory's form and performance at Wentworth this week.
References: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/rory-mcilroy-training-aid-golf-swing-range-g-snap-explained
