A strong short game can quickly erase flaws off the tee and in the fairway. Accuracy from close to the green also can leave you with an easy putt and keep your score low. The upper left arm serves as a guide for right-handed players in the short game. It should stay close to the body and easily swing back and forth, leading the hands through the shot.
Steady Swing
The upper left arm should act like a pendulum in the short game, swinging back and forth to ensure proper balance and timing. It triggers the backswing and helps push the weight to the right leg. As it comes through for the downswing, the hips rotate and the weight shifts to the left leg. The hands follow through for the shot.
Stay Connected
Famed golf instructor Jimmy Ballard always focused on the upper left arm when teaching the short game. Ballard preached the "left side connection" and believed in positioning the upper left arm right on the chest during the swing. The left side connection allows the entire body to come into play when making a shot in the short game. If the upper left arm is held away from the chest, the arms and wrists seize control of the shot and accuracy is compromised. The upper left arm should not release from the chest until halfway through the shot's follow-through.
Up in the Air
Hitting a shot in the short game often requires loft. You want to hit the ball up in the air and have it drop close to the pin to set up the shortest putt. Hitting a line drive from a short distance is asking for trouble, as the ball usually shoots across the green and winds up well off the other side. The upper left arm drops down on the loft shot, and the action helps both hands get the club face under the ball. You often see big divots on high shots in the short game, and the left arm primarily is responsible for driving the club into the ground under the ball.
Chips Shots
Chips shots are important in the short game, and the upper left arm plays a key role. Chips shots are taken close to the pin, so the lower body and a full swing do not come into play. The upper left arm rotates back only slightly and gently pulls the club through. The upper left arm also helps keep the lower arm straight on the chip shot, which aids in accuracy. Good chip shots require a deft touch, which starts with the upper left arm.
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