
One of the most popular adages says that keeping your right (trail) elbow against your side is the proper way to swing the club. There’s even a common drill that teaches golfers this very fact. You put a towel (or headcover) underneath your trail elbow and try to keep it pinned to your body until you make contact with the ball.
How to tuck the right elbow for golf?
You want to tuck the right elbow close to the body in order to let the club head move behind the hands and into a power position moving to impact on an inside path. On the contrary, the trail arm rotating internally and the right elbow flying away from the body on the way down is a huge reason why players get too steep and struggle to create power.
What is the function of the elbows in the golf swing?
The natural function of the elbow and arms in the golf swing is a straightening and folding that mirrors one another from backswing to follow through. There’s not much instruction or advice given on the function or position of the elbows in the golf swing.
Where do your elbows point when you hit a golf ball?
If you have ever seen Ben Hogan and Moe Norman set up to hit a ball, they share one commonality. Their elbows are pointing directly at the corresponding hip. From the straight on position it looks like the inside of their elbows are rolled open and staring straight at the sky.
How can I make my right elbow stay inside my shoulder?
Well, if you want to be a better golfer, make sure your right elbow always stays inside your right shoulder, even on your driver swing or chip shots. You can practice chipping with the Putting Perfecter which will force your arms to stay inside you shoulders.

Should elbows touch body when putting?
So when the question is what, how should my elbows bend during the putting stroke, basically they shouldn't. They should start in one position and they should stay in that same position through the whole stroke.
Where should your elbows be when putting?
Interlace your fingers, clasping your hands in front of you. Then, get into your putting posture, and place your hands over your belly button, your elbows bent outward at 45 degrees. Keeping your lower body quiet, engage your core muscles and use them to rock your arms and shoulders back and forth.
Why is it important to lock your elbows during the putt?
The “pulling in” of the elbows during the finish This allows the putter head to naturally release back to square at impact and it keeps the putter head's rate of rotation through impact constant.
Can you anchor your elbow when putting?
An important point: Under Rule 14-1B, golfers are allowed to tuck their forearms or elbows against the body while putting. This will not be considered anchoring.
Do you putt with your shoulders?
0:482:56Rock your shoulders, don't rotate while you putt - Easy golf tip!YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow when you putt you should try not to rotate your shoulders but to rock your shoulders. ThroughMoreNow when you putt you should try not to rotate your shoulders but to rock your shoulders. Through the good posture.
When putting where should you look?
It is easier to execute a free flowing stroke when looking at the hole rather than with your eyes down. The idea is that you should look at the hole, not the ball, from the moment you set your putter down until you complete your putting stroke.
Why does Dustin Johnson grab his arm before putting?
By holding his right arm against his body, he's effectively pinning his arm against his body, so it stays tucked close to his torso. That allows the arms to swing the putter more inside on the backswing and start the ball on line as it comes through. “I've been working hard getting more comfortable over it,” DJ said.
Why do pro golfers touch their putter?
Golfers take off their glove when they are putting because they want to have a better feel. The golf glove is used to help give players a better grip and more control when they are swinging a club at a fast speed.
Should I switch to arm lock putter?
If the answer to that question is 'no', Arm Lock putting might just be the best thing that will ever happen to your golf game. There are no guarantees of course, but from our perspective, it's definitely worth a shot. You could start sinking more putts and having more fun on the golf course.
What is the anchoring rule in golf?
The club is anchored “directly” when the player intentionally holds the club or a gripping hand in contact with any part of his body, except that the player may hold the club or a gripping hand against a hand or forearm.
Why was the long putter banned?
The argument against anchored putters is based on the assumption that affixing the club to one's body is an illegitimate way of gaining control of the putting stroke. The swinging motion consistent in all facets of golf is diminished.
What is a good putting stroke?
1:393:55How to Make a Good Putting Stroke - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAlright the other way that a lot of people are told is to just use just the wrist. Right lookMoreAlright the other way that a lot of people are told is to just use just the wrist. Right look something like this just wrist. See.
What position did Jack Nicklaus put his forearm in?
Nicklaus had wide elbows and a very steady head! This is a fine position for the type of “push” putter Nicklaus was, where the rear forearm “ pushed” or powered the stroke while the lead arm went along for the ride. But most people do not do this when placed in this position.
How to stop a flexed forearm from creeping into a putting stroke?
There are two ways to eliminate this from creeping into your putting stroke. Use a mirror and audit your down-the-line position. Have a friend place a club shaft along your forearms at your address position. If it is parallel to your ball’s target line then you are fine. If not, you will know which forearm is not flexed enough.
How many inches are the elbows of a right handed golfer?
The graphic above shows a right-handed golfer whose elbows are separated by 12 inches. The “pockets” on the inside of each elbow are not quite facing the sky, but they are close. This is the most relaxed, but controllable position golfers can have within their putting setup.
What happens when a putter moves through impact?
As the putter moves through impact, several things are happening at once: the putter path is flattening out, the putter is hopefully moving at a constant rate of acceleration and the face is beginning to rotate back to square (90 degrees to your arc).
What degree is the trailing forearm?
Photo 1 shows a trailing forearm that is flexed at 162.5 degrees (too straight), and shoulders that are opened two degrees. This goes to show you that as your rear elbow flex diminishes, the shoulders will open. However, if your lead forearm is too straight, then the shoulders will likely be too closed.
How does a putter head feel after impact?
Just after impact, golfers should feel the putter head staying reasonably low to the ground (don’t force it!) as in the graphic below. This allows the putter head to naturally release back to square at impact and it keeps the putter head’s rate of rotation through impact constant.
What is the flaw in golf putter?
Another interesting flaw that I’ve seen develop during testing (mostly with average golfers) was those golfers’ tendency to “widen” or “spread” their elbows farther apart as the club moved from address to the top position. Biomechanically, that move keeps the putter head from rotating open on the way back, and tends to push the putter on a more straight-back-and-straight-through path.
How to keep elbows from flying?
A good drill is to swing to the top and focus on maintaining your elbow spacing. The Swing Align swing trainer with its flexible connection belt will keep your elbows from flying too far apart and away from your body during the transition from backswing to downswing. With your trail arm in a good position the lower body can initiate downswing ...
What is the proper position for a trail arm?
Having the right elbow in the proper position at the top allows the trail arm to move externally and under the lead arm resulting in a shallowing of the club shaft.
What happens if you move your trail arm away from the body?
Having the trail arm move away from the body during the downswing can lead to a multitude of negative consequences the worst of which is a steep shaft angle that puts you in the death position with an over-the-top delivery back to the ball leading to a chunk, slice or dead pull. All of the things you want to avoid!
What is the moment of truth?
The moment of truth (otherwise known as impact) is a great time to look at where the trail arm is relative to the body. The trail arm getting just in front of the hip without any space to be seen between the arm and body is instrumental for having proper ball first contact. When the right elbow gets away from the body and straightens too early ...
What is the trail arm in golf?
The trail arm plays a massive role in one's ability to deliver the club head consistently into impact. Here are the top three areas of the swing that it influences. The first move off the ball is one of the most important parts of the golf swing. Hogan called it one of his “crossroads” where things could easily go one way or another.
Why do you tuck your right elbow in golf?
You want to tuck the right elbow close to the body in order to let the club head move behind ...
Why do you use your right elbow on a downswing?
It allows the club to shallow and move behind the hands, which in turns promotes more rotation of the body. This makes it much easier for the hands to lead the club into impact and provide a powerful ...
flopster
I have tried many methods for putting, and none of them worked very well. I tend to have 42+ putts per round.
joekelly
Speaking to Erik's #1 item: the intended start line. Firstly, you must have a confident line in your mind as dictated by the contours of the surface. In other words you must be able to visualize the ball leaving the clubface and rolling according to gravity towards and into the hole.
Posts
Also this from my post in the 2022 goals thread: Sh*t, I'm 2.5 months late. I did figure out how to get LVP videos off my Amazon tablet but it is tedious. I think I'll just film with iPhone, and use LVP as a digital mirror device. The story I make up...
How to flip a triangle putter?
You have to flip the triangle! Work on keeping your hands relatively centered in front of your body, and use your wrists and elbows to swing the putter back ( above, bottom photo ). Instead of pushing the arms toward the target ( top photo ), let the putter use gravity to fall into the back of the ball.
How to teach putting stroke?
If you asked a lot of golfers how to teach the putting stroke, they might say that when holding the club, the arms and shoulders create a triangle shape that points down at the ball. The goal is keeping that triangle shape intact during the stroke. I get the visual, but I think it's upside down. The best putters make a stroke where the putterhead creates the triangle's base and the grip end is the point. Can you picture that? This principle is why anchoring a putter against your chest is now against the rules. It makes putting way easier. Fortunately, you can use my triangle visual without anchoring. It will make your stroke so good, it will seem like cheating. But it isn't. — With Matthew Rudy
How to hit a putt with enough speed?
You'll quickly discover that you don't have to add force with your hand to hit a putt with enough speed to get the ball rolling a long way. After several reps, switch to your lead hand and do the same drill. Then finally, practice two-handed putts on the green, feeling that same free-fall sensation.
How to get a better sense of gravity?
To get a better sense of how gravity, not your arm swing, should let the putter fall into the ball, set up on a green next to the collar and the ball a foot into the fringe.
Can you use a putter without anchoring?
Fortunately, you can use my triangle visual without anchoring. It will make your stroke so good, it will seem like cheating. But it isn't.
What is the function of elbows in golf?
Focusing on the elbows in your set up can be the basis of a very compact technique resulting in very consistent ball striking. Two of the purest ball strikers in history, Ben Hogan and Moe Norman, both swore by the position of their elbows, especially in their set up. The natural function of the elbow and arms in the golf swing is a straightening and folding that mirrors one another from backswing to follow through. There’s not much instruction or advice given on the function or position of the elbows in the golf swing.
What does it look like when your elbows are straight on?
From the straight on position it looks like the inside of their elbows are rolled open and staring straight at the sky. This was a key set up position for both players as it allowed their right arm to fold correctly and keep it nice and compact to their body. In some cases it seemed as though their elbow was touching their right hip on takeaway.
How to keep elbows tight during golf?
If you struggle with both arms getting disconnected with the body, use a golf towel. Wrap the towel around your chest and under both armpits.
How to make your arm aligned?
To help create proper arm alignment, it starts with the elbows. If your arms are in perfect alignment, you should be able to drill an imaginary hole through your elbow joints and see directly into the horizon. Many players have one arm higher than the other which is a result of the shoulders being open or closed.
Why do some golfers have one arm higher than the other?
Many players have one arm higher than the other which is a result of the shoulders being open or closed. If you were to see the sky through this imaginary hole, then your shoulders are likely tilted too much. These positions create a variety of poor shots and inconsistency.
What is Vijay Singh's flaw?
His major flaw when hitting a golf shot, was to have his right hand come off the club slightly at impact resulting in a loss of control with his driver.
Is there any instruction on the elbows in golf?
There’s not much instruction or advice given on the function or position of the elbows in the golf swing. Much instruction ignores the overall position of the elbows and advice on this can only be found in the most scientific golf books. However, there are some quick tips and positions to look for when it comes to the proper use ...
