Connect with us

Instruction

The bent left arm and drills to fix it

Published

on

In this article, I will be addressing the breakdown of the left arm (for right-handed golfers) at the top of swing. I generally use the terms lead or trail arm when writing an instruction piece. 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 bent left arm is very commonly seen in young golfers who lack proper equipment, coordination or are attempting to swing much too far back. Once given lighter, age-appropriate clubs and quick example of where to stop the backswing the issue goes away.

The fix for more mature golfers is in what we will identify as extensor action. This term can be found in Mr. Homer Kelly’s book “The Golfing Machine”, chapter 6-B-1-D.

The concept is that the left arm maintains its structure from the constant pushing of the right arm. It is important to realize that golfers are simply trying to keep the left arm structured, NOT rigid or locked. What’s the difference? Adopt your golf set up, but without a club. Let your arms hang relaxed from your shoulder sockets. 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. Here are a couple of simple drills that will help you once you are certain the left arm is bent to a degree that is causing a breakdown of your hitting structure.

Top of Swing Drill

thumb drill 600

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.

Triceps Awareness

muscle comp 600 2

The picture on the left is an example of activating the triceps muscle to keep myself from touching the chair. This triceps condition will give structure to my left arm when performing a golf swing. The picture on the right picture is an example of my biceps being contracting, which would cause my left arm to bend at the top of my swing.

Straight Through Structure

belt 600

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. 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. 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. Simply shift your focus on maintaining right arm structure from the top of swing, all of the way into your finish. Next, hit some shots with right arm only to begin coordinating contact with your improved alignments.

Your Reaction?
  • 70
  • LEGIT6
  • WOW13
  • LOL4
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP5
  • OB1
  • SHANK6

Michael Howes is a G.S.E.B. authorized instructor of "The Golfing Machine" - Director of Instruction "Carter Plantation Golf Course" Springfield, La. - Director of Instruction "Rob Noel Golf Academy at Carter Plantation. - Golf Channel Academy Instructor - SPi Instructor of the SeeMore Putter Institute - Featured Writer GolfWRX Teaching philosophy: "We will work together on adding the all-important elements of power and consistency to your game while maintaining the individualism and art of your swing." Work on your swing from anywhere in the world - NO software needed. www.howesgolf.com www.youtube.com/cedarstreetgolf

9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. Denis

    Dec 4, 2013 at 1:53 pm

    I like the article a lot, thank you. I will try those ideas to at least learn more about my swing.

    What I am a bit skeptical about is this part – “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.” Am I correct thinking the author suggests that this should be the end of the backswing?

    If yes, than I find it is not that simple.
    I agree that when I move past that point, I do always break my lead arm to a some extent. However and despite that, I swing more consistently this way than if I try to stop the backswing right before the breaking point. I think it is better (my subjective opinion, of course) to swing as far back as it feels natural but not allow significant breaking of the arm (which hopefully the drills of the article will help me with). What do you think?

  2. carlspackler

    Dec 3, 2013 at 1:22 am

    calvin peete fell out of a tree, his arm was actually straight for him, bent to us.

  3. Tom Stickney

    Dec 3, 2013 at 12:17 am

    Homer mentioned ext action several times in 12-3-0, so it must be important! Couldn’t agree more. Most players forget about the role of the trailing arm and its control of the lead arm back and through.

    • Michael Howes

      Feb 2, 2014 at 1:05 pm

      Yes Sir, I agree with you. Trail Arm and it’s effect on Lead arm is an important relationship to understand. Even if you are a golfer who’s Lead arm is NOT an issue, you can only benefit from isolating and understanding the movements. Thx for posting!

  4. mark

    Dec 3, 2013 at 12:14 am

    Of course, keeping the ‘left arm’ straight doesn’t need to apply to all players. I suppose that possibly the majority of golfers should keep the triangle intact, but it certainly isn’t necessary to play tour-quality golf (see Ed Furgol, Calvin Peete, and others for example), nor power golf (see WLDC winners Joe Miller and Ryan Winther).

    I made the switch to a bent left arm to relieve stress on an injured back and have been playing my best golf ever.

  5. jeev

    Dec 2, 2013 at 11:13 pm

    I will be sure to pass this article along to Kenny Perry.

    • Michael Howes

      Feb 2, 2014 at 12:54 pm

      I was going to include a picture of Kenny Perry & Lorena Ochoa with bent left arms, as well as the many with straight Left arm.
      As stated at the beginning of the article “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. Here are a couple of simple drills that will help you once you are certain the left arm is bent to a degree that is causing a breakdown of your hitting structure”

  6. Tom

    Dec 2, 2013 at 4:36 pm

    I can use well over seventy five percent of this articles instruction to help me. Well done Mr. Howes.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

Published

on

Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW1
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK2

Continue Reading

Instruction

How a towel can fix your golf swing

Published

on

This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

Your Reaction?
  • 11
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW2
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP2
  • OB0
  • SHANK8

Continue Reading

Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

Published

on

You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK2

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending