How important do you guys think having a straight front arm is?.

[halifax_golfer]

Just wondering what you guys think..... kind of another poll for me b4 I start this golf season, I want to kind of start with some proper thoughts. .

I'm wondering how important you guys rate having a straight front arm is?... I cant get the club really even close to parrellel keeping my front arm straight. Last year my shoulder made a crack when I had been trying to keep my arm straight (I'm actually going to get to talk to a golf specific physiotheripist tommorow about this crack (same as people crack there knuckles) )

but really, as long as my arm is straight at impact, isn't that all that's really important (I might loose some distance control if my elbow bends at the top 1/4 of my swing?).

Just looking for some opinions again. .

Sorry for all the posts all of a sudden.... But I'll be posting again for the next five months so get used to it.

Have a great day all. .

fr.
Chris.

P.S. hit some nice golf shots for me. .

[Amos]

comfort over concept///
with alot of medicus and swing gloves I believe that swinging within hits that mark.

[Eracer]

I don't think it's that important, as long as you can control (and more importantly - REPEAT) the amount of bend. I happen to think that it's important to be relaxed throughout the swing. The hard part is not to get too relaxed. My best swings come when I shorten my backswing and focus more on swinging through the ball. If that means that my left arm is staying more striaght, then that's what happens. I try not to overswing, and that naturally limits my left arm bend. I also try not to worry about my left arm a whole lot. Focus more on connection. Practice swinging with a glove under your left armpit. You will find your own backswing limits.

[warbirdlover]

The person (former college golfer and held/holds the amateur record at Blackwolf Run) who taught me my swing "emphasized" how important it was (straight not "stiff"). Keep relaxed. Huge increase in distance once I got it down. I won't swing any other way.... Watch some good pros swings and you'll see how it should be done.

[zaphod]

warbirdlover, spoken like a true martial arts athlete. When that forward side arm is rigid it cause muscle tensing which impedes speed. A relaxed straightish arm is ok. The danger is not to falsely increase the distance of your back swing by further wrapping the club around your head. Daly does this but he has an incredible sense of timing. Let your shoulders tell you when you are at your limit.

I try not to copy the size of the shoulder turn and resulting tension of the Pros as I have the flexibility of a kiln dried 2x4. I'd splinter if I turned like Tiger. Not a pretty site.

[warbirdlover]

I don't take a full backswing because it screws up my "straight" arm. I make more consistent contact on the sweet spot and don't lose (actually gained) any distance. I can't take that full turn either anymore. You know, old age and arthritus and all those other excuses we get to use...

[zaphod]

I've made the same adjustments with similar results. Another 5-10 years though I'm going to need a 50" driver. Then again technology in clubs and balls may save me with even Corey Pavin averaging 400 yards.

Youth is wasted on the young Selfish aren't I.

[Augster]

You need a straight left arm. The less moving parts to your swing, the easier it is to time.

If you feel you aren't turning far enough back, turn your right foot out a little or your left foot in a little. This will increase your backswing while keeping the same straight left arm. You will also hit more from the inside, more hookish.

After reading Hogan and keeping the right foot dead straight, while the left is turned out a "quarter turn", this made every shot a 3/4 shot. So I reread Penick's Little Red Book and he says if you aren't flexible enough to get that full backswing with the Hogan foot, and it's causing you a loss of distance, turn your right foot out a little. A little goes a long way, so turn a little out at a time.

And keep your left arm straight.

[cypressperch]

do not worry if there is some bend. The bend comes out long before impact. Some of the responses are talking about restrictions in their swing as they advance in age ("acquire experience"). That is normal, but I would like to add that it is far easier to have a more full back-swing if you are thinking big muscles and turning them until the back is facing the target than to be thinking of swinging the arms back with the big muscles following. I think it is far more important to have the shoulders make a fairly full turn than for the hands to get really high at the top of the back-swing. There may be a little loss of power if the hands do not get high, but if you start your down-swing with the left hip correctly your hands end up around waiste high without any arm swing. The angle ("L shape") created by your left arm and the shaft of the club are still intact at that point. Most of your power is generated from that point by releasing the clubhead through the ball with a well-timed letting go of that angle.

I believe Warbird's shortening his back-swing enough to keep his left arm fairly straight is the way to go for a lot of people.

I also want to point out that the better the big muscles turn, the easier it will be to keep the left arm straight. If the left arm remains straight, it is more likely that your hands will return to where they were at address which will result in more consistent solid contact.

Sincerely, Cypressperch

[dave.]

Many pros bend their left arm at the top.I don't,I like it straight.

[Jules150]

Originally Posted by dave.

Many pros bend their left arm at the top.I don't,I like it straight.

really? Which pros? I thought nearly all of them had a straight left arm.

back to the question I have been taught left arm straight, but a little bend is ok if your just not flexabile enough. Basically get it as straight as possible.

[halifax_golfer]

I know I've seen Fred Funk break his arm down by about 20-30degrees at least...

But It was tough to see him cause of his back injury lately... I wish I could have watched him more.

Fr.
Chris.

[AaA]

I think Warbird said something very interesting about not taking the club all the way back. I think a lot of people would benefit from this as I feel the very top of the swing is where things get a little hairy. You are probably more likely to keep your arm straight as well. I know that when I go to the range and practice different swings (half, 3/4, full) to gauge distance, my 3/4 swing is almost always as far if not further than my full swing. The reason being is that my swing is much more precise and efficient that way. I tend to take a bigger turn with driver and 3 wood but with shorter clubs, 3/4 is just fine. Check out Aaron Baddeley's swing. He has one of the shorter backswings on tour I think.

[dave.]

Originally Posted by Jules150

really? Which pros? I thought nearly all of them had a straight left arm.

back to the question I have been taught left arm straight, but a little bend is ok if your just not flexabile enough. Basically get it as straight as possible.

loads of 'em

[Bravo]

Golf Digest had some illustrations a few years ago about the left arm...and showed several pros who did not have a perfectly straight arm...they talked about the big muscle issues that Cypressperch mentioned as being the most important in terms of the creation of power...