straight left arm

[time_vans]

is there any pros or low handicappers who have trouble with this. reason i ask is i am new to golf and my left arm seems to want to bend early into my back swing.i understand the principles behind a wide take away but wondered if there is video footage of pros who bend the left arm. can still drive around 240plus with my swing. does a persons 'natural' swing count for anything i am relating it to darts ....loads of different actions but same result???

 

[John_Findlay]

Calvin Peete never seemed to have a problem!

 

[golfcitydweller]

i`ve always worked on keeppin my left arm as straight as poss up to the half way ,which helps keep the club fully extended ...check out ur local pro and ask his advice...
everyone has a different theory on it

 

[MVP]

straight left arm helps get consistency, but you shouldnt straighten it so much you feel tensions. cos tension restricts other important muscles working properly and you'll lose power!

 

[ianmc]

never really been one for the straight left arm it builds up rigidity which in turn leads to tension..did try it for a while a couple of years back but found it a bad swing thought to have.the only swing thought i now have is tempo and rhythm.you may see the pro's keeping there left arm dead straight on the top but most of them are very athletic and it usually comes naturally to them but the majority of us are not as supple as they are.i try to keep my left arm free from tension as it allows my arm to stay connected to my body as i start my backswing which to turn helps me get the club on a much better plane halfway up allowing my swing to flow getting me to reach the top in better shape.dont know what other people think thats just my view.ian mc

 

[brendy]

Apologies on the size of this pic (its actually my avatar on this forum but they arnt working right at the moment)

This is with a 7ish iron, I can keep my left arm straight all the way round, even with a stone or two extra!!! Its all about the turn which helps.

 

[MVP]

Apologies on the size of this pic (its actually my avatar on this forum but they arnt working right at the moment)

This is with a 7ish iron, I can keep my left arm straight all the way round, even with a stone or two extra!!! Its all about the turn which helps.

Good point i should of picked up on this myself.
Taking the club back isnt all about bending your arms around your body. Youv got to make a good shoulder turn to get your self coiled up. Swinging with the arms is inconsistent and very underpowered. A good example of this is ernie els. If you see a swing sequence of ernie. At the nine o clock position his wrists are fully hinged 90degrees and from there on he just turns his shoulders.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWTlPYw5wVk


The guy in the vid Says look at ernies arm swing . Ignore that what he means is the position of his arms. Concentrate more on the nine o clock position. With his straight arm, And watch him finish the turn with his shoulders!

That my friends is how Ernie keeps a straight arm without tension. Obviously everyones bodies work different. Probably less athletic than els so it would be more difficult to do at first!

Once again good point Brendy!!

 

[The23rdman]

Straight doesn't mean rigid or locked at the elbow. Think of it as being comfortably straight.

A great feeling to work on is to push down with the left hand as well as back to start the BS. This establishes a wide arc and will help to keep you on plane. Think of it as the same kind of motion you'd need to set a childs swing in motion if it's empty.

You kinda need to push down initially but because the swing is connected to a chain it wont actually go down, but will just take up the slack and move forward.

this is a great technique for correcting overactive hands and whipping the club inside too soon as well.

Deam

 

[Gasp]

I swing with the big muscles in my torso rather than the arms. I try to make a good shoulder turn keeping my arms in front of me. Keeping my left arm straight prevents my arms from getting ahead of my body at the top, and also prevents overswinging the club.

 

[MVP]

I swing with the big muscles in my torso rather than the arms. I try to make a good shoulder turn keeping my arms in front of me. Keeping my left arm straight prevents my arms from getting ahead of my body at the top, and also prevents overswinging the club.

True
!!

 

[MVP]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1a_T1SKqzM&feature=related

quite a lot of the concepts such as wweight distribution , extension through impact, power from the ground up all relate to golf

 

[Dave3498]

If your left arm is bending early in the backswing Tim, then it's probably because you are not making a good shouder turn. Practise swinging back slowly until your arm starts to bend, then carry on turning your torso with your left arm in that position. You will make a pretty wide swing that way, and probably get reasonable distance if the rest of your action is correct.

 

[time_vans]

many thanks guys when my back gets better i wil definately be trying to copy ernie els' swing looks so good in slo mo nice 'action shot' brendy hope i swing like you soon.

 

[MVP]

Quick question people.
Does any one think i give good advice in general or do i talk Nonsense.
Now im open for all levels of answers including abuse but thats why im asking i want to know!
Please do give me your opininons.
If you dont wish to public post them then please do pm me.

 

[time_vans]

Quick question people.
Does any one think i give good advice in general or do i talk Nonsense.
Now im open for all levels of answers including abuse but thats why im asking i want to know!
Please do give eme your opininons.
If you dont wish to public post them then please do pm me.

spot on every time mvp....but then what do i know

 

[RGuk]

tim....i've been trying to straighten out my left arm for years....never cracked it.
what i do know is that you can play to a good level without getting too hung up on this....what is more pertinent is what happens to the arms on the downswing.
if the arms straighten out on the way down (you won't see this in the right arm until very late) and through impact you are in good shape, than you've lost very little.
ernie displays one of the best techniques in the game, he has minimal weight transfer on shorter irons (zero-pivot theory) and has a remarkable ability to make a great turn, keep his head still, bring the shoulder under the chin and maintain a bolt straight left arm. coupled to this, he has wonderful "L" angles in his swing half way down to the ball the half way through to the end of his swing. the position of his left arm at the top of the swing is incredible (anyone seen the titleist poster?), almost contortionist difficult to copy!!
one of the best books I ever read on golf technique (old fashioned book) was written by a guy who had the worst left arm I've ever seen, bent terribly!! I asked my pro about this, he replied - "i've seen him in action, he may look crap on video and doesn't exactly hit it miles, but one of the straightest hitters and consistent non-tour pros i've ever seen".

Can't say better than that. I'd like to improve my arm to improve my lag and improve my club-head speed, but it may never happen; still hasn't stopped me playing well under 80 on form.

Dave

 

[Dormie]

Nice vid MVP, what a swing Ernie has!
I just went to the garage to get a club after watching that to compare my left arm at the top of my swing; sadly I'm bugger all like his, oh well, maybe I'll get Carbon rod implants to keep my left arm straight, now that should improve my game......