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Which is more important - keeping lead arm straight or trail elbow close/tucked to body?

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jackod

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Which is more important - keeping lead arm straight or trail elbow close/tucked to body? I am a righty so I think about keeping my left arm straight and my right arm/elbow tight to my body.

But it is difficult to do both. The straighter I keep my left arm, the more the length of the left arm due to straightness pulls right arm along (off my body) too. Try it and see - the straighter you keep your lead arm it also pulls your trail arm along and away from your body.

Which is more important? Keep left arm straight and allow right arm to drift from the body? Or keep right arm tight to the body and sacrifice some straightness of the left arm?

Thank you!
 
I try to do both. On the backswing my thought is more to keep the leading arm straight, and on the downswing trying to keep the right elbow tucked. Especially off the tee with the driver, trying to keep the right elbow tucked for me promotes more of an inside out path and minimize a slice.
 
A "straight left arm" for most people engages the triceps which is an extensor muscles. This makes t difficult to engage the flexor muscles in the forearm and wrist of the left hand during the downswing to square up the clubface to the swing plane while retaining clubhead lag.
It is best to employ the biceps to extend the left arm during the swing. Centrifugal force will straighten out the left arm during the second part of the downswing and the biceps can assist the flexors in the forearm/wrist to square up the clubface.
The right elbow needs to be close to the left elbow during the downswing to create and hold clubhead lag. Once the hands pass the right elbow we lose lag immediately. So it is important to get the right elbow in front and inside the right hip early in the downswing.
 
jackod said:
Which is more important - keeping lead arm straight or trail elbow close/tucked to body? I am a righty so I think about keeping my left arm straight and my right arm/elbow tight to my body.

But it is difficult to do both. The straighter I keep my left arm, the more the length of the left arm due to straightness pulls right arm along (off my body) too. Try it and see - the straighter you keep your lead arm it also pulls your trail arm along and away from your body.

Which is more important? Keep left arm straight and allow right arm to drift from the body? Or keep right arm tight to the body and sacrifice some straightness of the left arm?

Thank you!
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The left arm should be comfortably straight without any tension. You shouldn't be forcing your right elbow into positions that might not fit the way it naturally folds in the backswing and unfolds in the downswing.

Mike Adams has theorised on different tests/measurements to determine which swing plane might suit golfers.



Then check out his video below about different ways that golfers bend their trail elbow which , in turn, might affect their release patterns.



It might be worth finding a general pattern that suits you first before predetermining body biomechanics that will break down in the future if your body starts rejecting it.

Imho , I don't fully agree with all of Mike Adams beliefs but the swing plane video does seem to make some sense. Him and Terry Rowles are writing a new book about all of this which they think will revolutionise golf instruction - so keep an eye out in case your interested in learning more.
 
My main swing thought is Straight left arm. When I fail to do this my swing gets all wonky.
 
Neither? They can both lead to problems or not be a big deal at all. Depends on how it works for you. I know some good players who bend their left a bit without issue. They tend to have it straight again by the time they reach parallel, but it definitely bends. I'm a little the other direction. I can't keep my right elbow in on anything more than about a 3/4 swing because my shoulder just won't do that. So if I want to swing more full than that it comes away from my body. I manage it fine.

Probably just depends which one leads to more consistency for you or bigger misses/more problems.

Edit: ton of type&Swype autocrap.
 
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I’m up early because of the time change. It’s too early to have Mike Adam’s further fry my brain.
 
Straight left with flexibility. Give me the accuracy I need.
 
Just like everything else in a golf swing I think the correct answer is ‘it depends’. It depends on your flexibility, it depends on where your biggest misses are, it depends on your rotation, etc…

It depends.
 
"Straight leading arm" means, to me, that it has the same shape through the backswing that it had at address. The tucked trailing arm is an more of an effect, in my opinion, rather than a position to be sought after.
 
Lead arm straight. When you come to down swing push you left side of butt forward just a little. This pushes my right shoulder down and keeps me from coming over the top. May not work for everybody, but does okay for me.
 
Do both. Straight or straightish left arm on the back swing, then your right arm tucked close to the body on the down swing. Otherwise you create the over-the-top move & cut across the ball to get your fun filled slice or fade.
 
 
The answer is very simple if we just have a basic knowledge and understanding of human genetics. How humans are wired / structured to perform . What the human body is capable of doing and what it is NOT capable of doing ? AND - it is certainly NOT capable of doing many if the things we are taught in swing instruction.
More than 40% of the brain is dedicated to it’s * dominant hands ( the humans external brains ) especially it’s dominant right hand : left if a leftie. . Yes - those same hands that perform thousands of daily task of which you never even think about .
As to the topic here- the hands and arms are loosely attached to its shoulders which are the most flexible joints in the body . Their is a large Scapula bone located on their tops and a large Trapezius muscle behind it which controls it’s movement. If it’s DOMINANT RIGHT HAND AND THUMB is allowed to perform in a CCW motion as it is designed at the very start of the DS the Scapula bone will push out toward the ball and guess what happens - the hands and entire lever system you so beautifully form at the top will have no choice , but to follow out and about . Game over .
It is imperative to learn to force / teach the dominant hand to perform opposite and foreign it’s genetic design or the above will ALWAYS occur. That is why the * dominant right hand / thumb must be kept in a CW/ palm upward position . Holding the right thumb back in this CW manner pulls back on the Scapula bone so the HABDS and arms can enter impact from inside . you can easily prove this to yourself without a shaft in your hand . Elbow drops down to your right hip area where it must be .
Good luck .
 
Lead arm straight with some flex. Some can get away with a bit of flex, but others with too much flex then problems appear to crop up.
 
I'm still in search of the magic grip and grip pressure. I believe that heavily influences the backswing and transition. My finding is that if I get out of position at the top my trail hand tries to save the swing. Almost all golfers I play with have the fault of trail hand dominance. highly visible even on putts.
 
My lead arm straight is what I try to focus on. It causes a lot of problem for me when it starts bending which is more often than I would like
 
Acesteve said:
I'm still in search of the magic grip and grip pressure. I believe that heavily influences the backswing and transition. My finding is that if I get out of position at the top my trail hand tries to save the swing. Almost all golfers I play with have the fault of trail hand dominance. highly visible even on putts.
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Acesteve - their is no such thing as the *** magic grip . *** . Their as as many different * grips * ( UGH ! ) on tour as their are players. It is a shame it was ever called a * grip * . I never use that evil word in my teaching . Rubber composite grips are put on the shaft for one purpose ONLY - to be ** HELD . *** . Do we apply pressure on a baseball to throw it , a rock , a basketball , any object ? Gripping causes muscles to tighten which inhibits speed and free - hunches / wrist.
Grip , release and especially * hit * are three words that should forever be banned from golf swing instruction.
 
Acesteve said:
I'm still in search of the magic grip and grip pressure. I believe that heavily influences the backswing and transition. My finding is that if I get out of position at the top my trail hand tries to save the swing. Almost all golfers I play with have the fault of trail hand dominance. highly visible even on putts.
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There likely is an optimum grip for everyone game. I know grip pressure is supposed to be light, but I believe there is a point where it can be too light, and, if so, a loss of control can follow. Obviously, I don't know this to be true, but I've read opinions by better players who state it. There are also opinions that loose wrists are very important and that's a more difficult thing to achieve. As an 8, you know a lot more about this I ever will, but the grip is an interesting point to bring up and maybe overlooked by those of us who suffer from club face control.

In the end, one person's description is not going to apply to everyone.
 
For me, it’s keeping the trail elbow tucked. If it goes flying out, I’m screwed!
 
Luchnia said:
Lead arm straight with some flex. Some can get away with a bit of flex, but others with too much flex then problems appear to crop up.
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JonMA1 said:
There likely is an optimum grip for everyone game. I know grip pressure is supposed to be light, but I believe there is a point where it can be too light, and, if so, a loss of control can follow. Obviously, I don't know this to be true, but I've read opinions by better players who state it. There are also opinions that loose wrists are very important and that's a more difficult thing to achieve. As an 8, you know a lot more about this I ever will, but the grip is an interesting point to bring up and maybe overlooked by those of us who suffer from club face control.

In the end, one person's description is not going to apply to everyone.
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JonMai1 - not so important, but I am now a 6 . The highest I have been in 30 years, thanks to knee replacement and loss of practice and playing for 6 months .
In reference to your last sentence - are all normal humans born with the same joints and extremities in the same place? Do we all throw , baseballs , footballs , rocks , basketballs the same way ? Obviously, some can throw it farther and more accurately, but still the same method.
What do we use to throw and direct a baseball, football , rocks , darts or any object—- our dominant hand . If this is correct, and it is then WHY is swinging and controlling a golf club any different ? What else in the human body is better suited to direct the face into the intended area of the golf ball ? It doesn’t matter much how it is *** HELD ! *** Example - Paul Azinger held the grip With his hands rotated CW ( AKA- strong grip ) , yet he hit cut / fade shots his entire career . He controlled the shaft with his dominant right hand !
 
JonMA1 said:
There likely is an optimum grip for everyone game. I know grip pressure is supposed to be light, but I believe there is a point where it can be too light, and, if so, a loss of control can follow. Obviously, I don't know this to be true, but I've read opinions by better players who state it. There are also opinions that loose wrists are very important and that's a more difficult thing to achieve. As an 8, you know a lot more about this I ever will, but the grip is an interesting point to bring up and maybe overlooked by those of us who suffer from club face control.

In the end, one person's description is not going to apply to everyone.
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Even though many state that they grip the grip lightly that is probably not as accurate as we think. I think there was some test done on hand and finger pressure during the actual swing and it was found the grip pressure was much more than originally thought. It is probably important not to create a lot of tension though. Just another area of the golf swing that is individualized.

I have played around with this some during the year and if I grip the club with a light grip and attempt to swing it, it is all over the place. I have to have a very firm grip through my swing. Other sports are like this as well and probably also depends on power and speed applied. There are different grip pressures applied on the baseball bat, the baseball, tennis racquet, and so on.
 
Lane said:
JonMai1 - not so important, but I am now a 6 . The highest I have been in 30 years, thanks to knee replacement and loss of practice and playing for 6 months .
In reference to your last sentence - are all normal humans born with the same joints and extremities in the same place? Do we all throw , baseballs , footballs , rocks , basketballs the same way ? Obviously, some can throw it farther and more accurately, but still the same method.
What do we use to throw and direct a baseball, football , rocks , darts or any object—- our dominant hand . If this is correct, and it is then WHY is swinging and controlling a golf club any different ? What else in the human body is better suited to direct the face into the intended area of the golf ball ? It doesn’t matter much how it is *** HELD ! *** Example - Paul Azinger held the grip With his hands rotated CW ( AKA- strong grip ) , yet he hit cut / fade shots his entire career . He controlled the shaft with his dominant right hand !
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Not sure why you include me in your post when you are responding to JonMa1 as your response is not relevant to my post. My post was in response to the original topic of the thread.
 
Luchnia said:
Not sure why you include me in your post when you are responding to JonMa1 as your response is not relevant to my post. My post was in response to the original topic of the thread.
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I apologize - I certainly did not intend to . I am through corresponding with you .
Have a great day.
 
Recent things have shown my elbow could be in another zipcode and I could still hit the ball fairly well if my lead arm and wrist are good. It's whatever works for your body and swing.
 
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