The truth is, while keeping the left arm straight is not absolute imperative, it does help most players hit. Especially for the beginning player, trying to understand the swing and all of its moving parts can quickly become overwhelming. People think releasing the golf club is nothing more than letting your wrists roll over, but thats not the way you should release the club. Mar 29, 2019 to swing a driver, start by standing 3 steps behind the ball with your feet shoulder width apart. My left arm is straight for 23s of my back swing but bends slightly when it gets to the top.
One of the most common faults in the backswing stems from the belief that you must keep your left arm rigid and straight during the swing in order to create width, precision, and power. I swing, feeling like my arm bends maybe 20 and its actually bending 90. Should your left arm stay straight in your backswing. Start bending your right elbow your left elbow if youre left handed while your left elbow remains extended. I bet youve never heard this explanation for why your left arm is bending at the top of your swing before. This video is about how to keep the left arm straight in the golf swing. While holding the hinge established in step 2, swing your left arm back and across your chest, keeping intact the connection between your upper left arm. The right arm swing sequence, golf video by pete styles. Now maybe left arm we should use front arm just so we dont feel like were not. How to set your hands during a golf backswing by mike southern. Theres the full pivot action of the body, an arm swing and a hinging of the wrists. If your left arm is farther away from your side and your right shoulder is lower than your left, the exercises that follow could help you achieve a better sidebend position at the top of your golf swing. Start your forward downswing motion, release your left hand and rotate the back of your left arm around toward your back.
Most golfers, however, dont know the fundamentals that allow you to keep your left arm straight in a golf swing. Your arms collapsing is your right arm overbending. The more the left wrist cups, the more trouble we will find ourselves in during the remainder of the swing. Keep your left arm straight is a phrase heard a lot on the golf course. How to set your hands during a golf backswing golfweek.
Theres a few things we need to do during the back swing to produce a powerful blow through impact. But if you focus on keeping your elbow straight, you will introduce tension that restricts your turn and inhibits a powerful release of the club. It will also help to put your left hand just above the right elbow when you swing the arm back to 90 degrees. Its about halfway between the shoulder and elbow, on the outside of the a. The left arm should be straight at the top of the backswing. Apr 26, 2017 weve discussed the topic a few times here on the golftec scramble. Keeping your left arm straight during the swing requires the proper grip, arm swing, downswing path. Without a club, just swing back your left arm and let the elbow bend then just let it swing down and feel the arm naturally straighten out. In fact, many beginners allow the left arm to bend thinking theyll hit the ball farther.
I want to talk about the way your body moves in the golf swing, and really focus in on one area of that. Dec 30, 2014 for me, i tried bending my left arm when i was slightly past a. Keeping my left arm straight more important than longer. Because a lot of you dont turn enough in the backswing, the arm span. If you want to improve the action of the right arm in your swing, i have the perfect drill for you. Golfers of all abilities struggle with how to hit driver. This will include lifting your lead heel and more controversially, bending your lead arm. The straight left arm or the right arm for lefties is a key building block of an efficient, onplane backswing. The right way to keep your left arm straight, golf video. Dec 02, 2014 that scooping move breaks down the left wrist, and then the left elbow breaks down into the chickenwing position.
A lack of body rotation means, at the very least, that your hands wont be as high as they should be at the top of your backswing. However, good contact can be made even if the leading arm is bent at the top of the back swing. Nov 16, 2018 at this point, your left arm should be parallel to the ground, the clubshaft should bisect your right biceps and your hands should be in front of your chest. So, to keep your left arm straight, nice big rotation of the shoulders first, then let the right arm here pull the left arm up and back into a nice strike position. That scooping move breaks down the left wrist, and then the left elbow breaks down into the chickenwing position. This swing thought reminds you to keep your left arm stiff during your swing, including at the top of the backswing. Many amateur golfers release the club too early in the swing. Please see the set swing backswing lesson for more details on how to make a great turn to get to this position. Bending your arm awkwardly during the golf swing can cause mishits and poor shots. When i watch really good golfers, do i think that their arm, their left arm is straighter rather than excessively bent. A bent left arm usually causes an overlong golf backswing that, ironically, robs golfers of distance by adding an unnecessary hinge. Its also hard to get your left arm too much across your chest if your right arm is fairly straight. Ive been working very hard on a full back swing and i think it comes from that because i can feel the pressurepinch at that point fully rotated during back swing. One, which were all aware of, your body will rotate to the right and rotate to the left.
This is a very weak and a very inconsistent position at the top of the back swing. Use your dominant arm to hammer the ball golf digest. If you allow the right arm to drift too far from the body, the club will get away from a. When you bend the left arm in the backstroke, you add a powerful lever. Meandmygolf explain if you should keep the left arm straight in the golf swing and a drill to help keeping the arm straight did you know at me and my golf online we have a vault dedicated to your. Let your left arm bend on the backswing deer run golf club.
Keep turning your hips as you swing through impact and strike the ball. But with that straight left arm and supposedly half back swing, the ball goes a nic. Many times our amateur clients have been told they collapse at. Myth three you cant allow your left arm to bend in the. What should the left arm do in the golf back swing video lesson by pga pros pete styles and matt fryer. Move left knee towards ball this swing thought has you concentrating on moving the left knee towards the ball during the backswing, or in other words to move it slightly down and to the right. Side bend the key to a great downswing swingstation. Bryson dechambeau gave me a lesson, shared a swing secret.
By far the biggest flaw people have in their golf swing is trying to. The left arm trick makes it easy to swing your club on plane both back and. How to get the body to pull the left arm down in the golf. Let the club rotate over as your arms extend out to the target.
In fact, many amateurs do the opposite of what they should do. Because the root cause is a rear arm that over bends, and the rear arm will bend on any swing longer than chest high, many players will find that feeling the right arm is straight during the. Swing the broom like a golf club through the point of contact. This assumes the ball is located in the middle of your stance. At the set swing position your left arm should be parallel to the ground. As you do this, focus on keeping your front elbow left elbow for a righthanded player as straight as possible and push it up and away from your body. One common phrase heard around driving ranges and golf courses is keep your left arm straight. The issue is clearly accuracy which i hope to solve. When i ask amateurs if they should keep their left arm straight as they swing back or not, most of them may say left arm should be straight. The result of keeping your left arm rigid and tense is.
The left arm plays an important role in keeping the golf club in the proper position during the back swing and down through impact. Allow the left arm to push the club into the back swing and keep your right arm tight to your body to keep the swing straight. How to keep your arms in front of your chest on a golf backswing. So straight he led the pga tour in driving accuracy for 10 consecutive years, hitting. The backswing should essentially be a fluid loading motion. But does it help you continue reading bending the left arm in the golf swing. How many times have you been told to keep your left arm straight. Wrap a belt or strap loosely around your stomach so that you can slide your right arm through it. If your arms dont remain in front of your chest during the backswing it likely means that youre not rotating your body sufficiently.
There are three components to the way your body moves. When you do that and how you do that, is just increasing a tremendous number of variables into the swing that are completely unnecessary. I have noticed that if i try to lengthen my back swing, my left arm bends at the top of my back swing. When you bend the left arm in the backstroke, you add a powerful lever, the left triceps to help start the club down. Unlike your front arm, your back arm right arm for a righthanded player ought to be bent at the top of your swing. Lots of tour pros look like they keep their left arm straight, so you may think you have to do the same. The biggest culprit is what we call the chicken wing affect where your left arm gets in a bend swinging through the ball. Jun 02, 2016 the more the left wrist cups, the more trouble we will find ourselves in during the remainder of the swing. We have all heard it before, you have to keep your left arm straight in the backswing. How to load the club during the back swing james parker golf. How to keep the left arm straight in the golf swing. Bending the left arm in the golf swing site for golfers. Move left knee towards ball illustrated golf swing thought. How to perform late release in the golf swing golfweek.
I started recently bending slightly my left arm so that i could increase my backswing and gain distance. Club head speeds with a slight left arm bend increased by mph depending on the swing. Bent left arm instruction and playing tips the sand. Unfortunately, this normally has exactly the opposite effect. Typically golfers who cup the left wrist the most will bend and fold their lead arm the most, separate their arms from their chest and body, and finally open the face of the club to the path they are swinging on photo 2, and swing the. This is a great tip to free up your driving and create more power. At that point, the clubs butt end the end of the grip points directly along the target line. This advice can help righthanded golfers create power in their swings.
Dec 29, 2017 eliminate your slice by unlocking the secret of the left wrist. In a properlyexecuted swing, the left arm will stay fairly straight, and this is desirable. You can hear in my voice there is a bit of tension in that position. Yes, but you do not have to keep your left arm straight during the entire swing. Well, as i stated above, a lot of movement and change in the radius is not a good thing for consistency or power. I have tried on many occasions to hit the golf ball using a straight left arm. As golfers swing back they create an angle between the club shaft and the left arm for righthanded golfers. Instead of bending, your back knee will turn or twist slightly in the direction away from the ball. But with that straight left arm and supposedly half back swing. The setup is part of it, because if youre going to make it your goal to keep that structure in your left arm and elbow through the swing, it cant start bent and relaxed. If youre righthanded and youve noticed that your left arm in your golf swing is doing a little too much, pga professional joseph hallett recommends practicing a simple drill to help you get your swing back on track.
How to keep your left arm straight in the backswing. Some golfers swear by it, while some are skeptical of its importance and others simply cannot complete a swing with a straight left arm. A driver golf swing tip for your backswing free golf. Halfway through the followthrough the left arm should finally bend as you fold both arms to a finish position. Myth three you cant allow your left arm to bend in the golf swing video by pete styles myth number three in our five series video is going to be this concept of the left arm. Keeping the left arm straight during this portion of the swing presents difficult for some golfers, but working with a couple basic drills can help correct the problem and lead to more consistent, solid ballstriking. Now, swing to the top and feel how the pushing of your right arm keeps the left arm structured. Your lower body should begin rotating first, then your torso will follow. Keep left arm straight illustrated golf swing thought swing key. Swinging the club too far around your body or picking it up too steeply forces you to compensate somehow on the downswing to get on a path for solid contact.
While it may feel powerful, attempting to keep your left arm as straight as possible as you sweep the club straight back away from the ball on a wide arc will actually limit the amount of power you can create in the swing. Youll hit the ball farther more consistently if you make contact in the sweet spot, even with a slower or shorter swing. And when my left arm is completely straight, i feel as if i am only at half swing. Vardons secret analysis of harry vardon golf swing, bending left arm in golf for distance, bending the left arm golf, bent left arm golf, apr, 20. If your elbows bend too much, it results in overswinging the golf club.
For more golf tips and drills please make sure to check out for more golf lessons and. How to keep your arms in front of your chest on a golf. If you keep your arms in front of your chest on the. Correct arm rotation is key to a good golf swing video by pete styles. To put your golf club in position for a powerful, repeatable downswing, you need link your arm swing and body turn on the backswing. Is a bent left arm like calvin peete a good move to have in golf. Keep left arm straight illustrated golf swing thought. From what ive seen, there are three main issues people have off the tee. How to not let your left arm break down in a golf swing golfweek.
It starts to get bad when you bend it so much that it creates an addition hinge, or movement, in your golf swing that isnt providing any power. If you keeping seeing a bent left arm and would like to know simply. This angle between the club and left arm is what is released during the downswing. Nov 27, 2017 we get questions about the left arm or right arm for you lefties during the swing. All necessary to apply power to the ball through impact. Simultaneously lower and straighten your right leg and left arm down close to the floor. The driver has a longer shaft than the wedge and a flatter lie. Keep your left arm straight is not a cause, but rather an effect, of a good golf swing. Meandmygolf explain if you should keep the left arm straight in the golf swing and a drill to help keeping the arm straight did you know at me.
The chicken wing is a common problem that can be fixed with the help. Your left arm should lag behind your torso, which indicates its being pulled down. The right arm s role in the back swing is underrated and often misunderstood. When you start focusing on these big core body movements, the club starts going exactly where you want it to instead of you trying to move it there with your arms and hands, which is what everybody does. Stop swinging your arms and thatll keep your left arm from bending almost immediately. Turn your shoulders until your left arm your right arm if you play left handed is parallel to your target line and your hands are about waist high. Releasing the club too early in the downswing can cause a loss of distance, poor contact and lack of accuracy. My swing is short because i have limited upper body flexibility and i always wanted to keep my left arm straight.
Also notice where your shoulder turn stops and your left arm is straight. Jan 16, 2010 while it may feel powerful, attempting to keep your left arm as straight as possible as you sweep the club straight back away from the ball on a wide arc will actually limit the amount of power you can create in the swing. For me, i had no idea how much straighter it needed to be. When it comes to the back leg and foot, there is significantly less movement than the front during the backswing. Eliminate your slice by unlocking the secret of the left wrist. How to not let your left arm break down in a golf swing. The simple role of the left elbow in the golf swing video by pete styles there is plenty about the golf swing that is confusing. Then, swing the driver back down and straighten your arms as it approaches the ball. Learn how wrist bends affect your golf swing the golftec. This is in contrast to letting your left elbow bend, which some golfers tend to do as they proceed to the later stages of the backswing. Dec 02, 20 in this case, however, i think the term bent left arm is synonymous with all golfers suffering from a breakdown of the lead arm during their swing. The result of keeping your left arm rigid and tense is twofold.
This causes their elbows to jut out, creating what suttie refers to as a chicken wing impact. But many golfers arent aware of the importance wrist bends play in the golf swing, which is why our latest lesson series video dives into. To swing beyond this point will require a breaking down of your lead arm or loss of posture and spine angle. I took 6 swings with a straight left arm and 6 swings with a bent left arm. Jim shows you how to generate power in a bent lead arm in order to hit those drives further. If you go to the top of your swing and you let this left arm bend, well now, at some point coming into impact its going to get back to straight. In this case, however, i think the term bent left arm is synonymous with all golfers suffering from a breakdown of the lead arm during their swing. May 11, 2018 i have a new kind of left arm pain for a few weeks now. Joseph calls it the left arm only drill, where you use only your left arm in the golf swing. Or in other words he lets his left arm bend on the backswing. Secret of the right arm in the golf swing the ballstriking.
Your left arm should still be connected to the left side of your chest. So practice just swinging with your right arm only, taking the arm back and just bending it to an angle of 90 degrees. Your shoulders and hips should face the target at your finish. Jason day my best driving tips me and my golf duration. Once in position, sweep the clubs head back in an arc until its behind your head.
Since the front knee is bending, the back knee will need to stay straight in order to get the correct tilt and twist to your swing. So, if you like pain and a slower club head speed, make big shoulder turns with a straight left arm. Swing the club back until your left arm is horizontal. Keep your left arm straight is perhaps the most famous infamous. I see some guys on the range that bend their arms at the top of their back swing and are incredible ball strikers.
But, if i go from the top and my right arm is very bent here and i. Spieth, perry, watson, cabrera all allow a bit of bend in their left elbow at the top. Keeping my left arm straight more important than longer back. Then, bend your knees and lean forward from the hips. The bent left arm is very commonly seen in young golfers who lack proper equipment, coordination or are attempting to swing much too far back. Jim suttie, the 2000 pga teacher of the year, notes that some righthanded golfers collapse and bend their arms while swinging.
The bigger the shoulder turn with a straight left arm, the greater the pain in the back and shoulders. This video is about how to stop hitting behind the ball in golf. A bent left arm robs power from the shot, and will return the clubface to the ball inconsistently. Extend your arms away from your chest as you reach the top of the backswing. The simple role of the left elbow in the golf swing video. Golf drills to keep your left arm straight sportsrec. Tony finau slowmo golf swing 2018 genesis open youtube. So is it a must then to keep your leading arm straight throughout the entire back swing. Should your left arm be straight in your backswing with meandmygolf pga professionals piers ward and andy proudman. Martin hall of school of golf shares a tip on how to keep your left arm straight. Butch harmon hooks and slices golf features into the.