In a properly-executed swing, the left arm will stay fairly straight, and this is desirable. A bent left arm robs power from the shot, and will return the clubface to the ball inconsistently. 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.
Full Answer
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 your lead arm be straight in a golf swing?
As amateur golfers, one of the most common pieces of advice you’ll likely receive from other players – especially when you’re new to the game – is that in order to make a good swing, you must keep your lead arm straight at all costs.
How do you bend your right arm at address in golf?
Just a quick shake of your right arm could go a long way toward allowing you to stay relaxed not only at address, but also throughout the rest of the golf swing. Just like with any other part of your golf game, the process of learning how to bend your right arm at address should start on the driving range.
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 to swing a golf club?
What is the difference between your right and left arm on a golf club?
What arm is the power in a down swing?
Which arm is used to guide a golf club through impact?
What happens if you bend your left arm?
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Should your arm be straight when golfing?
So, what is the correct way to do it? 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.
How do you keep your arm straight when hitting a golf ball?
2:517:29The Trick To Keeping The Left Arm Straight In The Golf Swing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRight arm pushes away so right arm feels. Straight chest up towards the sky on the way. Back andMoreRight arm pushes away so right arm feels. Straight chest up towards the sky on the way. Back and that would be the first piece if we look at that my lead arm should be pretty darn.
Why does my left arm bend in the golf swing?
1:506:55Does Your Lead Arm Bend In Your Golf Swing? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd what that will also do then is mean they'll get that kind of casty look to the downswing. NowMoreAnd what that will also do then is mean they'll get that kind of casty look to the downswing. Now why does it happen. Now there's a few reasons the simplest. Reason is the grip. So if the grip becomes
How should your arms be when hitting a golf ball?
5:198:03Easy way to hit the ball solid! How to use your arms in the golf swing!YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI hold the club in my left hand and I put my right hand on my wrist so as I swing back I'm pushingMoreI hold the club in my left hand and I put my right hand on my wrist so as I swing back I'm pushing that pushing that arm away so I'm not so I know if I'm flexing my arms.
Does your lead arm have to stay straight in 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.
Do you bend your wrist in a golf swing?
0:523:59Cure Your Slice – Wrist Bends Throughout the Swing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThough best golfers start with their left wrist pretty flat in the backswing early on if anything itMoreThough best golfers start with their left wrist pretty flat in the backswing early on if anything it starts to flex downward or they start to bend their wrists like you're flexing.
How do you swing straight in golf?
How Do I Hit a Golf Ball Straight Every Time?Grip the club. ... Place your non-lead hand on the club. ... Align your club head and ball with the target. ... Set your feet. ... Start your backswing, keeping your clubhead inside of the ball as you draw back. ... Hit through the ball.How Do I Hit a Golf Ball Straight Every Time? | Golfweekhttps://golftips.golfweek.usatoday.com › hit-golf-ball-strai...https://golftips.golfweek.usatoday.com › hit-golf-ball-strai...
Should right arm be straight at impact?
The final stage is impact and the followthrough. In a perfect world, both arms should be connected, forming a triangle with the golf ball. Additionally, the right arm should be just in front of your hip. The right arm should not straighten before impact.Unlock your Ballstriking: The Right Arm in the Golf Swinghttps://theleftrough.com › right-arm-in-golf-swinghttps://theleftrough.com › right-arm-in-golf-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.What Position Should My Left Arm Be As I Address The Golf Ball?https://golf-info-guide.com › golf-questions-answers › wh...https://golf-info-guide.com › golf-questions-answers › wh...
Do Not Let Your Arms Interfere with Your Golf Swing
You have read in many of my past newsletters the concept of letting the arms just go along for the ride during the golf swing. What this means is that you want your arms to be relaxed and free of any tension throughout the entire swing motion – they should simply transfer the power generated by the rotation of your torso.
Extend Your Arms In Your Golf Address Position Video – by Pete Styles
EXTEND YOUR ARMS IN YOUR GOLF ADDRESS POSITION VIDEO - BY PETE STYLES >> So, if we're now clear on the importance of how the arms should be at the setup and at the impact position, we know that they should be coming down to the impact position. The front arm should... – VOTED #1 GOLF SITE!
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 many degrees should your arm be bent when you wrestle?
As we always say…. You don’t arm wrestle with a straight right arm and at impact your right arm should feel exactly the same way, bent at almost 45 degrees.
What does Ben Hogan mean by "If the average golfer went out and did the opposite of everything they thought to
As Ben Hogan said, “If the average golfer went out and did the opposite of everything they thought to be true they would hit it much better.”. It’s a counterintuitive and contradictory game.
Is teaching golf an art?
Teaching golf is an interesting art. For a relationship between coach and student to become a successful one many things have to go right. It’s a lot more complex than most could ever imagine. One of the most important aspects of fixing a student’s golf swing is understanding their concepts.
Is it dangerous to have straight arms?
One of the most common concepts I hear and see is “make sure you keep your arms straight!”. But this can actually be quite a dangerous concept: Straight arms can often lead to loss of power, over-active wrists and an over-active body. Straight arms are almost never seen in any other sport.
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.
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.
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.
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 ...
How to improve backswing rotation in golf?
Loosen up the elbow and your swing will flow much better. Let Right Arm Bend at Setup to Improve Backswing Rotation. The golf swing is all about rotation. If you focus on only one fundamental throughout your entire swing, it should be rotating both back and through the shot completely.
How does a good body turn help in golf?
Even if you make a number of other errors during your swing, you can make up for them quite nicely as long as you rotate. Power in the golf swing is created through rotation, and a good body turn will make it much easier to make solid contact with the ball.
How important is it to set up over the golf ball?
Once the golf swing starts in motion, there is very little time to make adjustments, so you need to have everything in the correct place before things get started .
What happens when you have your arm locked out straight?
Should you have your arm locked out straight, you will be putting tension and pressure into that side of your body – which is going to severely inhibit your ability to rotate.
What is the backswing in golf?
The backswing is where many amateur golfers go wrong from a rotation stand point. Rather than turning their back to the target, many players simply lift their arms up and away from the ball. Without turning back, you wont have any room to turn forward into the shot, and your swing will always lack power.
What arm folds more on the backswing?
From here, the right arm can fold more naturally on the backswing, promoting proper rotation of the arms to get the club on plane. This easy bending of the right arm is a key element of a Compact swing. If your right arm tends to get far away from the body going back, try relaxing it during your setup while allowing the elbow to droop a little.
Why soften your right arm at address?
The whole point of softening your right arm at address was to enable you to make a bigger turn, so it is important that you execute this turn correctly. After all, the bent right arm is going to do you no good at all if you fail to rotate your shoulders fully in the backswing.
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.
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.
How to get your right hand to face the ground?
This means that you can get your right hand to face the ground when the right arm becomes horizontal after impact which is a very good thing. Then go to the range, hit balls without letting the arm come off the chest even on the follow through. This will be very difficult at first.
The Perfect Right Arm Drill
If you want to improve the action of the right arm in your swing, I have the perfect drill for you. (You can find it right around the 1:20 mark of the video above).
Shallowing the Club in Transition
This is a little bit of a tangent, but I also want to point out the great examples of shallowing the club in transition that you can see in the video! Take a look at Graeme McDowell at the 5:40 mark… and Lee Westwood at around the 6:34 mark. You can really see how they flatten the club in transition.
How to swing a golf club?
On your back swing your left arm acts as a pushing arm and your right arm acts as the hinge that keeps the swing straight. You keep your left arm straight to get the maximum arc out of your swing. The more arc you get from your swing, the more power you will have. 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.
What is the difference between your right and left arm on a golf club?
On address, both arms are extended straight. Your right hand is at the bottom part of your grip on the club, and your left hand is at the top part of the grip. If the ball is too close you will be forced to bend your arms.
What arm is the power in a down swing?
On your down swing the right arm becomes the power and the left arm becomes the guide. Continue to keep your left arm straight to maintain the maximum arc, and continue to keep the radius of your right arm as close to your body as possible. Your right arm will actually be pulling your club through the swing and your left arm will be guiding the club to the ball.
Which arm is used to guide a golf club through impact?
As you bring the club through the ball, the right arm has gone from pulling the club through the swing to pushing the club through impact. The left arm remains straight and is still used as a guide.
What happens if you bend your left arm?
If you allow your left arm to bend, you will wind up pulling the club closer to your body and reducing the speed you can generate. If you allow the right arm to drift too far from the body, the club will get away from a straight swing path and this could lead to a slice or a hook.
