Left arm straight - aaaargh!

[BRISTOL86]

I'm having real trouble keeping my left arm straight in the backswing and I'm sure that it's the primary cause of my terribly inconsistent ball striking.

Does anyone have any good drills for getting this nailed?

thanks!

 

[dufferman]

Draw an imaginary line with the bottom of the club from the ball straight backwards behind the ball, then continue your back swing as normal. Gets that arm extending!

 

[la_lucha]

Concentrate on a 3/4 swing instead of a full swing. There will be very little, if any difference in distance achieved from a loose full swing.

Of course you could always install a length of Iron bar under your sweater and taped to your arms, just make sure it's flat bar so your playing partners don't realise.

 

[DannyOT]

For me it really is as simple as just remembering to keep it straight. It may feel as though you're not completing a full backswing as you feel like you get more rotation with a bent left arm, however as la lucha says, it rarely makes in different to distance unless you consistently do a good swing with a bent left arm.

 

[garyinderry]

do you have a weak left hand grip ? you should see two or three knuckles.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

One possible cause is lack of flexibility, it was in my case. I was compensating for my lack of flexibility with other moves, like not keeping my left arm straight. Until I can become more flexible, my pro has me using a shorter back swing, the length of which is dictated by how far I can rotate my left shoulder. I'm now hitting the ball better and further.

One other thing to note, it isn't necessary to have your left arm completely straight, a slight bend is fine.

 

[Berger]

At the start of the year i realised i was bending my left arm in my backswing. I bought a swingyde and i have to say its been a great help for such a simple piece of kit. At first it felt strange because my backswing wasn't anywhere near as long as it usually was but the more i used it on the range the easier it became and it stuck in my memory so that i started to swing like that without using the aid. My distances have improved this year and i'm pretty sure that keeping my arm straighter is one of the reasons behind it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SWINGYDE-or...=UTF8&qid=1377770558&sr=8-1&keywords=swingyde

If you shop around you should be able to pick one up for less than £20.

 

[sawtooth]

I'm having real trouble keeping my left arm straight in the backswing and I'm sure that it's the primary cause of my terribly inconsistent ball striking.

Does anyone have any good drills for getting this nailed?

thanks!

Get a 2L coke bottle, cut both ends off and slide the tube over the left arm. Its a cheap and effective training aid. You'll be surprised how restricted your swing becomes when you are forced to keep the left arm fairly straight if you haven't been doing this before. Go easy at first because your body may need to turn more now to complete the backswing then start hitting some shots wearing it.

Don't knock it until you have given it a go.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

.........and remember there is a big difference between straight and stiff.

 

[sawtooth]

.........and remember there is a big difference between straight and stiff.

Exactly. Fairly straight but no tension is what you need.

 

[BRISTOL86]

Exactly. Fairly straight but no tension is what you need.

Thanks everyone - a lot of great advice here!

I really like the coke bottle idea, cheep and simple! Though I have very skinny arms and think it may still allow too much movement - will have to give it a try!!

 

[la_lucha]

Thanks everyone - a lot of great advice here!

I really like the coke bottle idea, cheep and simple! Though I have very skinny arms and think it may still allow too much movement - will have to give it a try!!

Try a 1litre bottle if a 2litre is too large. I wonder if Pepsi would be better than Coke?

 

[BRISTOL86]

Try a 1litre bottle if a 2litre is too large. I wonder if Pepsi would be better than Coke?

Do you think a Stella bottle would be better? I find I prefer that! Would you advise custom fitting of this?

 

[Fish]

Thanks everyone - a lot of great advice here!

I really like the coke bottle idea, cheep and simple! Though I have very skinny arms and think it may still allow too much movement - will have to give it a try!!

Use a Diet bottle then

 

[SGC001]

Thanks everyone - a lot of great advice here!

I really like the coke bottle idea, cheep and simple! Though I have very skinny arms and think it may still allow too much movement - will have to give it a try!!

Be aware the left arm would bend on a full follow through.

The coke bottle idea is ok for backswing, smaller swings and maybe punch type shots.

Edit: I think it was Leadbetter that had a training aid for the right arm to restrict bend, the left arm will usually bend because the right arm has flexed too much.

 

[Vice]

Depends on how skinny your arms are.. you may need a 500ml

 

[la_lucha]

Do you think a Stella bottle would be better? I find I prefer that! Would you advise custom fitting of this?

I see where you are coming from with the Stella bottles but I think a glass one would be a bit dangerous. Maybe try the plastic Carlsberg ones that you get at gigs and sports events. Custom fitting I would definitely recommend, I suggest you take your pro to the nearest Drinks wholesaler and try as many bottles as possible to ensure a good fit.

 

[JackBrocklehurst]

I'm having real trouble keeping my left arm straight in the backswing and I'm sure that it's the primary cause of my terribly inconsistent ball striking.

Does anyone have any good drills for getting this nailed?

thanks!

Great tip I got taught. This may not even be the case but it's free, quick and effective. Grab a club, set up in position and close your eyes. Take your backswing and stop when you think you're at the top. Then open and see where the club is. A lot of people over swing on the backswing causing it to almost be impossible to keep that left arm straight unless you're super flexible. I found I was way shorter than I needed to be and ever since I've managed to keep that left arm straight and just generate the same power from it!

Hope it helps.