Keep the angle in your left wrist as you swing —
A key to consistency is controlling the clubface. You can do that by maintaining the angle of your left wrist from address until just into the downswing. I prefer this slightly cupped position (left) so there’s a bit of inward curve between my wrist and the back of my hand. It allows me to consistently hinge my wrists and set the club at the top as well as release the club through the ball. The hinging is crucial to creating speed.
I keep that cupped position for a foot or so into the downswing. Then I start to release the clubhead before my left arm gets down to horizontal, with my left side leading.
If your left wrist is in a bad position, it’ll force you to make compensations on your downswing or risk hitting shots off line. A wrist that’s too bowed can promote a shut clubface and hooks or pulls. If it’s too cupped, you’ll tend to leave the face open and slice your shots.
Whatever wrist position you set at address, stay with it into the downswing.
MORE THOUGHTS FROM TOM:
Average golfers leave uphill putts short of the hole and roll their downhill putts way past it. To get the speed right on these putts, pick an aim point that’s a different distance than the cup. So it would be farther than the hole on uphill putts and closer on downhillers. Hit your putt as if it were to that aim point, not to the hole.
I BEND IT A LITTLE:
I keep a slight cup in my left wrist from address until the start down.
