Straight Arms Across Chest at Setup

Arms straight, elbows together

There's another very important, fundamental aspect to the golf setup, and this time it has to do with the arms and elbows.

When establishing the address position, one must absolutely ensure that the arms are straight. I don't mean tense and ram-rod straight, but the elbows should not be bent to any extent, and both elbows should be located relatively close together, pointed down towards each respective hip, and the hands and club in the middle of the torso.

The upper arms should be lying tighty along the sides of the chest (especially the left arm), and this feeling will vary depending on the thickness of the golfer's chest and upper arms. This is the feeling of "connection" that should be maintained throughout the swing, where the arms are moved by the torso turn--not the other way around.

Some instructors have stated that the upper arms should rest across the top of the chest (and I use to believe this), but I now believe this is incorrect--at least for me. I get much better results by pinching the upper arms into the side of the chest and leaving them there for as long and as much as possible.

Elbows close

Getting into this position establishes the triangle at address and ensures the arms maintain the width and radius established at address. Keeping the elbows straight and close together also keeps the arms always in front of the body during the swing!

When done properly it's as if the arms and club are moved by the torso during the swing! If the arms ever begin moving independently, they will start sliding on the torso...or worse, coming off the torso altogether.

Establish these arm positions away from the ball and then use foot/stance adjustments to "move the crane" to the ball; in a sense, the arm-club unit then acts as a measuring stick to attain the correct distance.

To make it work, take your address position and place a soft ball about the size of a volleyball in the gap between your elbows. Take some small, relaxed swings, taking care to keep the ball in place. Try to keep your arms relaxed and only take half-swings or less.

Westchester Magazine | Golfing and Swinging Tips for Slice-Free Golf

We do not want loose arms or elbows that crook and point outward, left and right. These lead to a loose and sloppy swing.

The arms should be very nearly straight, though by no means locked. The elbows, especially, should be pointed down, toward the ground, not out to the sides.

You will notice, if you put the elbows in this position, that the very act of doing it brings the arms and the elbows closer together.

The Golf Stance Part 3: The Arms and The Open Position

At address, the arms should be held close together in front of the body, and the back of each elbow should point at each related hip. One should avoid allowing the elbows to point sideways away from the body, so that the antecubital fossa (hollow in the front of the elbow) of each elbow faces towards the opposite elbow's antecubital fossa.

Address setup

The final step in our setup is to simply march over to the golf ball. From the setup position with the clubhead resting on the ground at the center of the stance, simply shuffle over to the ball while maintaining setup posture. Basically we create the setup while standing a few inches too far away from the ball, then slide the clubhead up behind the ball as the feet take a small step forward. We literally use the club as a yardstick to measure the body distance from the ball.

Golf Setup Lesson – Foundation for a Golf Swing

 

 

Keeping the Right Foot Planted

The right foot may be something about which you've never thought. It simply comes up on the toes during the downswing to accommodate the weight shift, right?

Well, studying the feet of some professional golfers during their downswings might just pay off. Look at golfers like Rory McIlroy, Kenny Perry, Ben Hogan, and Jason Dufner. As it turns out, some of the best ball strikers in history worked to keep the right foot planted for as long as possible during the downswing. In other words, the back foot may roll inward slightly towards the inside of the toes during impact, but the foot should only come up on the tip toes at the very end by being forced up by the finish. You should never TRY to come up on the toes through impact; if this is a habit you ingrained early, you'll be doing a good thing to try to reverse it. Why?

Set up like you're going to hit a ball and begin coming up on the toes of the right foot during the downswing (through impact). Notice what happens with the hips. They open up sooner. Keeping the right foot planted longer through impact keeps the hips from spinning open agressively too early and prevents the angle of the pelvis from improperly changing. The primary and secondary spine angles are retained during the turn-through.

It's important to couple this with the proper shoulder plane rotation. Done properly, the knees will finish very close together; otherwise, you will notice a larger gap between the knees at the finish.

MY RIGHT FOOT STAYS DOWN

This is more evident when I hit my irons, but I keep my right foot on the ground for a long time during the downswing. It helps my stability and lets me create more leverage to deliver a lot of energy into the ball. Plus, if you get up on the toes of your right foot too quickly, you can bet the club is not staying in front of you. Think about keeping your back heel grounded for as long as possible as you swing down. You'll be surprised how well you start striking the ball.

Golf Instruction: Jason Dufner: Duf's Moves To Hit It Solid: Golf Digest

One of the parts of the swing I like to see is when a golfer has a right foot that is flat at impact or close to it. Granted, with longer clubs this is less necessary and more difficult to accomplish, but if you can get somewhat close then that's pretty good.

3Jack Golf Blog: The Flat Right Foot

In the next sequence, it is clear to see that my right heel is still very low to the ground, but the entire foot has rolled up off the rope and in toward the left foot.

If you're a "hip spinner" as I discussed in the Hip Spinners video, doing this will create a sense of being "anchored" to the ground and provide a refreshing sense of stability at impact.

Role of the Right Foot in the Downswing - RotarySwing.com

The right foot is actually a reaction to a good swing. If you stay down, the foot will SLOWLY rotate without coming up too quickly. The other option is the foot comes up and out too quickly and you will most likely hit a slice or block.

The Right Foot on the Golf Swing