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

 

 

Ball Focus: Inside-Left

I wrote about this briefly and anecdotally in another blog post, but I decided it needed a post of its own; it's that important. At least for me. I don't begrudge the many teachers out there who think the ball should appear blurry or the focus should be only on the target. But if you're focused on the target and then launch the ball into the woods 45 yards to the right of the target, focusing on the target does you little good.

We know that lagging the shoulders behind the hips is important to swing inside-out (the so-called X Factor). And we also know that the head should stay behind the ball through impact (or not move past its initial position created at setup for the woods and driver). We know, too, that the ball should start to the right and curve left to REALLY hit a draw (i.e., not a pull hook or straight hook).

I believe that focusing on the inside-edge or inside-left quadrant of the ball throughout the swing will assist in achieving all of these goals. First, it telegraphs to the body that you want to hit the ball on that spot, which encourages an inside-out swing. This means that one MUST keep the back to the target longer to avoid coming over-the-top by hitting the outside-right quadrant of the ball.

Second, focusing on that spot will tell the body to keep the head (and therefore upper body) from swaying ahead of the ball on the downswing. Keeping the head back allows the arms to come through, make impact, and then pull the golfer up to a nice, balanced finish. Get the feel that once you get over the right leg in the backswing that the head stays there while the lower body weight shifts to the left. Understand, however, that keeping the head back can cause the club face to close earlier.

Wherever your eyes are looking, your hands and the clubhead will want to go. If your eyes are looking at the back of the ball at address, then you are probably trying to square the clubface to the back of the ball at impact. Address and impact are two very different alignments in golf. Focus your eyes on the inside quadrant of the ball at address and your hands will strive to reach your new focal point. By making this small change, you will be well on your way to improving your downswing and obtaining much more manageable misses.

[From Classic Swing Golf School]

Other golfers need to focus on the ball. If this is you, try to hit the inside edge of the ball at impact.

A good thought for you might be to keep your back to your target and swing your arms down to the inside. Just try to avoid starting your down with your shoulders and upper body as this will throw the club down on a steep and outside path.

[From Golf World: Better shots through inside path | ScrippsNews]

When your head moves forward during the downswing, your whole swing plane moves ahead. That means you will tend to lose the ball to the right or leave the clubface open through impact.

One day, Lee Trevino was playing with the amateur golfer. Trevino gave only one advice to this golfer. He told him to keep his head back.

This amateur golfer was hitting a strong draw on that day.

[From Impact Position: Keep Your Head Back | Golf Tips & Lessons]

[Bobby] Jones was quoted: "Stay behind the ball is a splendid maxim. Should your head ever get ahead of the ball, at any point in the swing, a poor shot will no doubt result."

In Harvey Penick's, The Little Red Book, published in 1992, page 75 is entitled "Stay Behind the Ball" "All great golfers move their head slightly backward before and during impact, but never forward. A golfer must stay behind the ball. I mean set up with your head behind the ball and keep your head behind the ball. If you move your head forward during your downswing or through impact, you will hit a wee, ugly shot, probably a pulled slice."

[From Keep Your Head Back and Behind the Ball Through Impact! Six Top Golf Pros Agree]

Leaning back through impact can cause the face to shut quickly. For a power draw, Brett [Wetterich] releases the club straight down the line with the toe up.

[From Swing sequence: Brett Wetterich: 'hit it from the inside | Golf Digest | Find Articles]

 

Use Chalk During Practice

If you're like me and have a net in your garage for practice when the mood strikes you (or when it's freezing outside), here's a little trick that will determine your likely club face direction and even clue you to the path upon which you're swinging and thus determine whether the ball likely would have faded or drew (not all of us can afford one of those fancy-shmanzy OptiShot style simulators).

Take some chalk (I recommend colored chalk designed for kids to use outdoors) and rub it all over the face of your club (you can also use masking tape or other materials designed for this purpose). Now hit a ball into your net. You should see a nice impact spot somewhere on the club face. If it's in the middle…you've just pulled of a great shot (if the path of the club head was correct - see D-Plane). Pay attention to the blur of the arc down at the bottom of your swing for the other piece of information; if you're swinging inside-out (like you should be most of the time) then you needn't worry over this variable. However, the position of impact on the club face can clue you to the path you're swinging on as well.

More likely, you'll see an impact spot near the toe. Slicers (most golfers who swing outside-in for various reasons--i.e., chicken winging, coming out of posture, etc.) will tend to hit towards the toe, because that's a typical condition of an open club face and outside-in motion. Toe impacts tend to worsen a slice, because the club head will open slightly at impact. Hookers (golfers, not streetwalkers) will tend to hit towards the heel, due to the club face closing through impact and the inside-out motion. Heel impacts serve to close the face even more. Sometimes, the club face is so closed that a shank occurs, and the ball will shoot low and right or run along the ground straight (making you think you topped the ball)!

Where you address the ball on the club face can also affect the mark. It's technically correct to address the ball more towards the toe if you prefer to rest the club on the ground behind the ball (i.e., instead of hovering it), as centrifugal force will pull the club slightly away from your body on the downswing. If you suddenly see your practice shots go low and dramatically right, you're probably shanking off the heel. Use chalk to verify this and then adjust your address position accordingly: Address the ball towards the toe and see what happens to the mark. Note: This assumes you address the ball with the arms naturally hanging; if you vary the extension of your arms towards the ball then this is a variable that will negate learning where you typically impact the club face; work to ensure you address the ball with the same posture and arm position each time!

You may discover that the difference in the club and stroke imparts varying impact points on the club face, depending on the manner in which you stroke the ball. For example, I need to address irons more off the toe to get closer to the center, while woods require me to address closer to the heel (even hovering the club). The reason, I believe, is that irons (shorter clubs) require more of a downward blow, while woods and drivers utilize more of a sweeping action.

However, if you start seeing your ball marks move from the toe towards the heel, it's a GOOD THING. It means that you're learning to keep your extension, swing inside-out, and close the club face…ingredients needed for the draw. As a matter of fact, making changes to achieve an opposite result in golf is usually a good drill (e.g., if you sliced during a round, stop at the range and hit balls until you're hooking it).

Since the club is pulling in towards you, the ball is struck with a glancing blow and on the toe of the club resulting in a slice that doesn't go very far. Does this sound familiar? It is a very common fault, so here is a three-part drill to get you on your way to correcting the problem.

[From Get hip to drive the ball farther - Tips at GolfInstruction.com]

Most golfers think the shank and its violent, clanky offline flight are caused by an open clubface. However that is almost NEVER the case. In fact for most golfers the face is actually closed when the ball makes contact with the neck or hosel. The ball first contacts the rounded, angled portion of the inside of the neck and starts flying offline before any true contact with the flat clubface can be made.

[From Stop Shanking the Golf Ball – Herman Williams Golf Instruction]

Third, check your clubface. If the golf ball leaves an imprint on the inside part of your clubface (near the hosel), then you have most likely hit the ball from inside-out. If the imprint is on the outside of the clubface (near the toe), then you have most likely hit the ball from outside-in.

[From Golf Tips – How to Swing That Golf Ball From Inside Out! | ProgolferDigest]