The bent left arm and drills to fix it
- Top of Swing Drill. Adopt your golf set up without a club, with your arms hanging completely relaxed and left arm straight (not rigid or hyperextended).
- Triceps Awareness. The picture on the left is an example of activating the triceps muscle to keep myself from touching the chair.
- Straight Through Structure. Make a loop with your belt and slide your left arm into it, including your shoulder. Adopt your golf posture and let the belt hang limp.
What happens if your left arm is bent on the golf swing?
Without this, players with a bent left arm will tend to pick the club up with their arms, without rotating their body as well, which will lead to inconsistent and less powerful ball striking. It’s clear PGA superstar Rory McIlroy has a slight degree of elbow bend during his golf swing.
Should I straighten my left arm when swinging?
If you are swinging and your left arm is bent, then forcibly keeping your left arm straight is unlikely to fix your problems — you have much bigger problems that are best fixed by different drills, such as the underhand stick toss drill or the two ball drill.
How do you swing a golf club with one arm?
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 much should your left arm bend in the golf backswing?
Most professional players start with a straight left arm at address, which bends to around five degrees at top of their backswing. Their left arm continues to flex slightly in the downswing and will have around eight degrees of bend at impact.
How do you straighten your left arm in golf?
0:027:29The Trick To Keeping The Left Arm Straight In The Golf Swing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd start with a split hand grip. So the right hand's down towards the end of the grip. And start toMoreAnd start with a split hand grip. So the right hand's down towards the end of the grip. And start to make some swings where you go back to left arm parallel.
Do any pro golfers bend their left arm?
Peete's tee shots were a lot straighter than his left arm, that's for sure. Peete was one of the top players of his era – he won 12 times, including the Players Championship in 1985 — despite a left arm left permanently bent by a childhood tree-climbing accident.
Can you bend your lead arm in golf swing?
6:3711:55BEND THE LEAD ARM FOR LONGER DRIVES | ME AND MY GOLFYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou're going to straighten that out but by bending the arm it'll lengthen your swing. So those ofMoreYou're going to straighten that out but by bending the arm it'll lengthen your swing. So those of you who are a little tighten your thoracic spine.
How do pro golfers keep their left arm so straight?
The reason players are encouraged to keep their left arm as straight as possible through their golf swing is to create as much width as possible during the takeaway and backswing. You should try and make the biggest arc possible with your club, as this will generate the most speed and consistency in your golf swing.
How do you keep your left arm straight at impact?
5:018:04How to Keep Your LEFT ARM STRAIGHT - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipJoint. That's going to sit on top of my left thumb. So that's where my right thumb's going to be andMoreJoint. That's going to sit on top of my left thumb. So that's where my right thumb's going to be and that's the pressure that allows me to push down on the shaft. So that as i swing.
Should left arm be straight at address?
When you address the golf ball your left arm should be straight. You do not want to lock it tightly and tensely, but you do want to achieve a fully extended position with your left arm. Your address position is basically the position that you are wanting to get back into when you strike the ball.
How do I keep my wrist straight in the golf swing?
10:1513:09Drills to Flatten The Left Wrist - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipContact. I want my right hand facing down. And then from there I want to release my right hand andMoreContact. I want my right hand facing down. And then from there I want to release my right hand and get the wrist perfectly flat. At about a 45 degree angle in front.
Should arms hang straight down golf?
your arms should hang straight down from your shoulder sockets at address, and. all golf clubs are built on an angle.
How to swing golf without a club?
Adopt your golf set up without a club, with your arms hanging completely relaxed and left arm straight (not rigid or hyperextended). Close your left hand into a fist and then extend your left thumb. With your right hand, reach across your chest and grip your left thumb as if gripping a golf club. Now, swing to the top and feel how the pushing of your right arm keeps the left arm structured. Also notice where your shoulder turn stops and your left arm is straight. This is the true top of your golf swing. To swing beyond this point will require a breaking down of your lead arm or loss of posture and spine angle.
How to make a golf belt?
Straight Through Structure. Make a loop with your belt and slide your left arm into it, including your shoulder. Adopt your golf posture and let the belt hang limp. Reach across and grip in your right hand, wrapping the belt around your index finger and pinching with your thumb.
Why is my lead arm hanging straight?
Your lead arm is now hanging straight. Locking your arm at the elbow is a hyperextended condition . Before even beginning to work on your left arm, first consult with your instructor to verify the arm is bent to a degree that is actually causing a problem. Different degrees of straight can be seen even among golf’s professional players.
How does a lower handicap player benefit from these drills?
Lower handicap players can also benefit from these drills by sensing extensor action during the downstroke. Better players sometimes need to feel more width through the ball, and an earlier straightening of the right arm. The same drills apply.
How to give a belt structure?
Make a backswing and keep the belt stretched tight. You will find that the only way to give the belt structure is with a constant pushing from the right triceps. Begin working with a club, swinging to the top with your new right arm sensations. This is extensor action, and the structure that you seek.
Which elbow is bent at the top?
The left elbow is quite bent at the top, and stays so until just before impact. Have a look: Perry, Cabrera, and Watson all bend their left arm on the backswing.
What is the left arm straight tip?
I much prefer to phrase the “left arm straight” tip as “swing so that your left arm stays relatively straight throughout the swing ” — especially at the takeaway and at impact. This phrasing emphasizes the turn, the release, the lag, and so on, rather than focusing on your left elbow. Who wants to focus on the elbow anyway? You need to focus on the ball — that’s what you’re trying to hit!
What is Jordan's swing?
Jordan’s is a swing that the Occasional Golfer can imitate with success. He initiates the swing with a nice starter move, maintains excellent balance throughout, and his left elbow stays supple enough that it does not unduly strain his lower back as he initiates the downswing.
Is it necessary to keep your left elbow rigid?
Indeed, keeping the left elbow rigid throughout the swing is not necessary to hit great golf shots and may in fact be hurting you a lot more than it is helping.
Can you keep your left arm straight?
If you are swinging and your left arm is bent, then forcibly keeping your left arm straight is unlikely to fix your problems — you have much bigger problems that are best fixed by different drills, such as the underhand stick toss drill or the two ball drill.
Why is it important to keep your left arm straight in golf?
How important is keeping a straight left arm in golf? The reason players are encouraged to keep their left arm as straight as possible through their golf swing is to create as much width as possible during the takeaway and backswing.
How many degrees should a golfer's left arm be?
Golfers should try and keep their left arm as straight as possible without it being rigid, or locked, but some bend is fine. Most professional players start with a straight left arm at address, which bends to around five degrees at top of their backswing. Their left arm continues to flex slightly in the downswing and will have around eight degrees ...
What causes a player to turn their body and shoulders too far inside the swing plane?
Complete locking of the left arm causes many players to turn their whole body and shoulders too far inside the swing plane. The only way they can then get any height in their arms at the top of the backswing is to lift them up, which in turn can create some poor movements – such as an over-the-top slice – during the downswing.
What is the biggest killer of golf swings?
As the common saying goes, tension is the biggest killer of every golf swing. Below is a video demonstrating a great drill to release tension in your arms, wrists and hands while maintaining a straight left arm throughout your swing.
What happens if you lock your lead arm?
The arms and shoulders need to be relaxed to get the club going fast. But at address, if you lock up your lead arm then your body gets really tight … and can lead to some really poor (backswing) and downswing motions. If we don’t (keep the arm straight) it actually acts as another lever, if you bend your arm.
Should you bend your left arm in golf?
It (your left arm) is allowed to bend. It shouldn’t be ram-rod straight unless you have ultimate, super flexibility. But if there’s a little bit of bend in it, then it’s generally OK.
Does Rick Shiels golf have to be straight?
Rick Shiels from Rick Shiels Golf: It doesn’t have to be perfectly straight, it’s not absolutely crucial. The more we can keep it straight, the better but there’s many golfers out there who keep it as straight as they can (but still have it a little bent at the top).
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.
