​Videos of Wyndham Clark using a coat hanger on the driving range made the rounds earlier this week ahead of The Open, and the unusual training aid quickly caught the attention of golfers everywhere. At first glance, the drill looks almost too simple to be useful. But as professional long driver Averee Dovsek explains, the coat hanger exercise is designed to help Clark improve one of the most important parts of the golf swing: wrist position.
The Wyndham Clark coat hanger drill is a simple golf swing training exercise that helps promote better wrist angles during the backswing. While many golfers spend money on expensive training aids, Clark’s use of an everyday household item shows that effective golf instruction does not always require complicated equipment. In this case, the coat hanger acts as a guide to help the wrists stay in a stronger, more controlled position throughout the swing.
Clark, one of the top players in professional golf, has a tendency to over-hinge or cup his wrists during the backswing. When the lead wrist cups too much, it can cause the clubface to open. An open clubface often leads to inconsistent ball striking, missed shots to the right for right-handed players, and the need for extra timing through impact. It can also make the swing longer than necessary, which may reduce control and make it harder to return the clubface square at impact.
That is where the coat hanger drill can help. By placing the hanger in the proper position while gripping the club, the golfer receives immediate feedback if the wrists move into a poor position. The hanger discourages excessive wrist cupping and encourages a flatter or more stable lead wrist at the top of the backswing. When the wrists are in a better position, the clubface is more likely to remain square, making it easier to deliver the club consistently through impact.
Averee Dovsek demonstrates how Wyndham Clark uses the coat hanger to improve his backswing mechanics and maintain better clubface control. The drill is especially useful because it gives golfers a physical reminder of what the correct wrist angle should feel like. Instead of relying only on swing thoughts, players can use the hanger to feel the proper relationship between the hands, wrists and clubface.
For amateur golfers, the Wyndham Clark coat hanger exercise can be a helpful way to understand why wrist angles matter so much. Many recreational players struggle with an open clubface without realizing that the issue starts early in the backswing. If the lead wrist cups too much, the clubface can rotate open, forcing the player to make compensations on the downswing. Those compensations often lead to slices, weak fades, inconsistent contact or a loss of power.
The goal of the drill is not to create a rigid, robotic swing. Instead, it helps golfers develop awareness and control. A proper wrist position can make the swing more repeatable and improve the chances of striking the ball solidly. When the clubface stays more neutral during the backswing, players typically have a better opportunity to square the face at impact and produce a more penetrating, reliable ball flight.
One reason this golf drill has gained attention is its accessibility. Almost anyone can find a coat hanger at home and use it to practice the feeling of better wrist structure. Golfers can rehearse slow backswings, check the position at the top, and learn how the hands should move without needing to hit a ball. Once the feeling becomes more natural, they can take the same motion to the driving range and begin applying it to real shots.
Wyndham Clark’s coat hanger drill is a reminder that some of the best golf swing tips are also the simplest. Whether you are preparing for competitive golf or just trying to improve your weekend game, better wrist angles can lead to better clubface control, cleaner contact and more consistent results. By using a coat hanger as a feedback tool, golfers can train their wrists to stay in a stronger position and reduce the chances of leaving the clubface open during the swing.
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This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Golfweek video instruction: Wyndham Clark’s coat hanger exercise.