Wednesday, January 18, 2012

What is the Correct Position of Left Arm in Golf?


Keeping your left arm straight when golfing right-handed keeps your club at the proper angle throughout the swing, allowing you to hit straight shots. Your left arm also adds power to your swing by creating club head lag on the downswing. Many golfers have difficulty maintaining proper form with the left arm, resulting in a loss of power and difficulty in hitting consistent shots.
Proper left Arm Motion
During the swing, your left arm should remain straight throughout the backswing and well past impact. Your left wrist also should stay flat throughout the swing, and the back of your hand should be facing the target at impact. In addition, the left arm should mirror the angle you have at the setup of the swing when you bring the club into the impact area.
The Chicken Wing Arm
Instead of keeping the left arm straight, many amateurs collapse their left arm as they begin their downswing. The torso slows down as the downswing starts, causing the left arm to collapse to be in line with the tempo of the rest of the body. Often, this chicken wing arm results in poor contact with very little power and accuracy.
Left Arm Drills
A great drill to keep your left arm straight throughout the swing is to practice hitting shots with only your left hand on the club. This makes it much more difficult for the left arm to get ahead of your body and collapse if you are going to make a solid swing. Ingraining this feeling will allow you to keep the left arm straight when you return to your normal swing.
Adding Power and Control
To gain some power, it is important to create lag in your swing, where the club head remains farther back than the hands until it whips through the hitting zone. "Golf Digest" teaching professional Randy Smith suggests swinging a broom to ingrain the proper tempo and feel for developing lag in the swing. The goal is to create a whoosh sound from the broom head cutting through the air as it comes through the hitting area. In addition, the natural weight of the broom will help you get a feel for the proper tempo with your swing.

 
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