The left arm will stay at or around a 30 degree angle across the chest from the half way down position of the down swing and not move forward until after impact and not until the hands get around chest high on the follow through.
Full Answer
How straight should your left arm be during a golf swing?
During your swing, you don’t need to feel as though your left arm is rigidly locked into place, but it needs to be relatively straight. This starts with the left elbow, as it is the hinge in your arm that controls its bend throughout the golf swing.
How do you fold your arms when you swing a club?
Fold your right elbow, maintaining neutral joint alignment with your shoulder. If you add a little bit of rotation, that will allow the left arm to swing across your chest to put the club on plane at the top. It's not the left arm that's doing the work. The right arm folding is what puts the left arm where we want it to be.
How to fix your golf swing with forearm rotation?
Fix Your Golf Swing With Forearm Rotation. 1- From the Takeaway 9 o’clock position, the right forearm will begin to roll clockwise. 2- As the right forearm is rolling, the right elbow will begin to elevate. 3- At the top of the swing, TWO things should have occurred. One, the left wrist should be flat or matching the left forearm.
How to swing your arms?
Stand in front of a mirror and make small swings watching how your arms work. Keep the back of the front or left arm firmly against the chest on the down swing . Notice that your arms can rotate easier before, at and after impact.
Which arm controls the path of a golf club?
Golf Instruction. The left arm is the one that primarily controls the path that the club will travel on. For this reason we need to try to keep the path from changing during the swing to produce consistent results. That means you will need to feel as if you keep the arm straight from the set up position until impact.
What does it mean when your left arm moves back in the back swing?
Obviously this means your body must move in an athletic manner with the hips moving towards the target to start the downswing.
What is the most counter intuitive motion that most golfers ever have to make and feels powerless and uncomfortable at first?
The way the left arm moves and rotates after impact is one of the key contributors to a great golf swing. This is the most counter intuitive motion that most golfers ever have to make and feels powerless and uncomfortable at first. Most good players do not keep their left arms completely straight during the back swing.
How to get hips to move after a ball flight?
After accomplishing a ball flight that curves left next try to get your hips to move laterally from the top of the swing and then try to get the hips 20 to 40 degrees open at impact. This may take a little time but it is well worth it. This is how a good athletic motion produces extremely long consistent shots.
How to hit a ball relatively straight?
To hit a ball relatively straight the arms and body sequence and speed must match up. Once you learn to curve the ball left with proper arm rotation you will then need to change the sequence of your body motion. Most amateurs have their hips facing the ball at impact.
How long does it take to learn to hit a ball curving left?
A person who slices can learn to hit a ball curving left within 40 minutes after learning proper use of the left arm. The typical comment during the change is how unnatural or uncomfortable it is to move your left arm correctly after impact. The key is how the left arm moves very little forward in the down swing.
What is the left arm in golf?
Overview. For right-handed golfers, the left arm is one of the most important aspects of the golf swing. The left arm determines the swing arc for a shot and helps release and rotate the wrists and club on the downswing. Understanding the purpose of the left arm in the golf swing and how to properly utilize it are critical factors in shooting low ...
What arm is the best for golf?
Golf Tips: Left Arm. By David Green. Keeping the left arm relatively straight during the takeaway is important for right-handed golfers. For right-handed golfers, the left arm is one of the most important aspects of the golf swing. The left arm determines the swing arc for a shot and helps release and rotate the wrists and club on the downswing. ...
How to keep your arm straight?
One drill to practice keeping the arm relatively straight is to grip the club with the left hand, then hold the left wrist with the right hand. Begin the takeaway and extend the left arm to the top of the takeaway. Begin the downswing and physically rotate the left arm with the right hand.
How to tee up a golf ball?
Place the right hand behind the left arm, just above the left elbow. Make a couple of swings with the left arm, guiding the club with the right hand staying behind the left elbow. This should provide an idea of the work the left arm does during the swing. Once golfers become comfortable with this drill, they should be able to tee up a ball ...
Is it ok to keep your left arm straight?
Straight Left Arm. One common misconception about the left arm is that it must stay completely straight on the takeaway. While the arm should be relatively straight, it’s not advisable to lock the elbow or hyperextend the arm to keep it straight. One drill to practice keeping the arm relatively straight is to grip the club with the left hand, ...
How to keep your left arm straight in golf?
Proper Left Arm Positioning. There are several key positions worth noting — takeaway, left arm parallel to the ground, the top of your backswing, downswing, and impact — that you can focus on to keep your left arm straight through your golf swing. First, as you start your backswing, keep your left arm straight and close to your body ...
Which elbow should be straight during a golf swing?
This starts with the left elbow, as it is the hinge in your arm that controls its bend throughout the golf swing. The left elbow should be kept as straight as possible during the golf swing before hinging after impact in your follow-through.
Why is the left arm of the golf club important?
It largely determines the spacing and arc of your golf swing, it helps control the clubface and ensures power through impact. Too much bend in your left arm can throw off the timing of the rest of your body, costing you power and making it more difficult to square the club at impact and start the ball on-line.
What is the role of the left arm in golf?
Every part of the body has to be insync for a golf swing to work, but the role of the left arm in golf swing is one of the most crucial and easy to check components. This article will discuss proper positioning for your left arm in a golf swing, when to think about it, and how it should move throughout your swing. An important note, this page will discuss the importance of the left arm in the golf swing as most golfers are right-handed, but what we really mean is the lead arm in the golf swing. So if you’re a left-handed player, this article will be about your right arm.
What arm does the follow through do?
It also teaches you to make a full swing instead of decelerating at impact. During the follow through your left arm will remain straight after hitting the ball, but will bend as you rotate through to face your target and your arms come up to your finishing position.
How to swing backswing golf?
First, as you start your backswing, keep your left arm straight and close to your body until it approaches parallel to the ground and your wrists start to hinge. You’ll want to make sure that your arms and body are “connected” and your body is driving your turn away from the ball, not your arms. Remember that golf is a rotational game ...
How to push your arm away from a golf ball?
A good thought is to push your left arm away from the ball by rotating your shoulders and trunk with your left shoulder working down and under your chin. If you are using a Swing Align device the front of the rod will move down first (not out and around).
What happens when you push your left arm in golf?
Pushing with the left arm in the golf swing causes the right arm to fold. Looked at from down the line, if you take your left arm and push it across your body, where does the club end up? The photo to the left shows a common position; the club is very deep and back inside. The right arm is folded and the golfer is up out of the box.
What arm do you push in golf?
Pushing with the left arm in the golf swing. Pushing with the left arm in the golf swing is one of the most common problems we see when teaching people rotation in the golf. In other words, many golfers take the club back primarily by pushing with their left arm across the center line - the sternum - during the the golf backswing.
How to take the club back in golf?
Many golfers take the club back by pushing the left arm across the chest. Pushing with the left provides little rotation or shoulder turn, so the big muscles are left out of the golf swing. When you push from the left, the right arm folds and the club goes deep. The right arm should dominate the backswing. Try practicing with your right arm only: ...
How to do a backswing on golf club?
Letting the right arm perform the backswing. Go ahead and try it. Hold the club in your right arm only. Fold your arm, get it into neutral joint alignment, rotate it a little bit and turn to the top. As you can see in the photo to the left, you're pretty much exactly where you want to be at the top.
How to swing a golf club on plane?
Fold your right elbow, maintaining neutral joint alignment with your shoulder. If you add a little bit of rotation, that will allow the left arm to swing across your chest to put the club on plane at the top. It's not the left arm that's doing the work.
What is the right arm folding?
The right arm folding is what puts the left arm where we want it to be. The left arm may do a little bit, but most people aren't going to feel that it's playing any active role whatsoever. It's the right side that takes the club back and puts it in position.
Which arm stays in front of chest?
The left arm stays in front of the chest in the backswing. The role of the left arm in the backswing is...pretty much nothing. Your left arm stays right in front of your chest. You'll pull your right shoulder blade back, and the left arm will elevate a little bit. That's it.
What should the left wrist be on a golf swing?
3- At the top of the swing, TWO things should have occurred. One, the left wrist should be flat or matching the left forearm. two, the shaft should be pointed left at the top. This will be a new feeling for most.
Why do golfers rotate their forearms?
The reason forearm rotation is key to the golf swing, is that it helps golfers rotate, helps get the club on plane and it basically simplifies and fixes a lot of compensations that are needed if you do not have forearm rotation.
What is the takeaway in golf?
The takeaway is usually inside, then they lift their arms to the top and from there they throw the club over the top attempting to hit the ball. Every once in a while they find success with this move, but not often. What the majority of amateur golfers and some advanced golfers are missing is forearm rotation.
How to keep your left arm straight in golf?
Keeping your left arm straight during the swing requires the proper grip, arm swing, downswing path and body turn. Learn these fundamentals and you will consistently be able to create a powerful swing.
How to get a golf club to swing down?
Downswing. Start your downswing by moving your lower body to the target. This will help you bring the club down along a proper inside-out path. Turn your hips toward the target and keep your left arm extended as you continue swinging down to impact. Turn your hips through the impact position and hold onto your wrist hinge until just before ...
How to swing a golf club backwards?
Swing the club back with your shoulders and begin hinging your wrists. Keep your left arm extended as you turn your shoulders and hinge your wrists. Stop your backswing when your left shoulder is under your chin and your arms are slightly higher than your shoulders .
How to follow through on golf swing?
Follow Through. Keep turning your hips as you swing through impact and strike the ball. Let the club rotate over as your arms extend out to the target. Halfway through the follow-through the left arm should finally bend as you fold both arms to a finish position. Your shoulders and hips should face the target at your finish.
What arm should be straight at the top of the backswing?
By John Wagner. The left arm should be straight at the top of the backswing. One common phrase heard around driving ranges and golf courses is "keep your left arm straight.". This advice can help right-handed golfers create power in their swings.
Where should the V point on a golf club?
The "v" formed by your left thumb and index finger should point toward your right shoulder. Grip the club in the fingers of your right hand with the right pinky finger overlapping the index and middle finger of the left hand. This grip will give you leverage to hinge your wrists while keeping your left arm straight.
What is the right arm for golf?
As Tattersall says, your trail arm — which is your right arm for right-handed golfers, or left arm for left-handers — can and does a variety of different things on the backswing. “The right arm can fan a little bit, it can rotate, and it can lift. All those things happen in most people’s backswing,” Tattersall says.
Why is the trail arm important?
Your trail arm has an incredibly important role in the golf swing, one with the ability to both help — and hurt — the outcome of the shot you’re about to hit. When something goes wrong in a golfer’s downswing, it generally does so in one of two ways: Either the arms both work too far behind you at the start of the downswing ...