I cannot emphasis too strongly that if you wish to play very
good golf, you must keep the elbows held as close together as
it is physically possible throughout the complete golf swing movement
-- even whilst the arms interact.
This action of holding the elbows close together achieve four
objectives:-
(1) During the back swing movement it will ensure that the
arms remain passive to the rotational movement
of the shoulders.
(2) During the down swing movement this action neutralises
the muscles of the forearms and therefore assists in keeping the
arms in a passive condition.
(3) The arms are forced to remain fully extended and therefore
passive to the rotational movement of the shoulders.
(4) It maintains the triangular
shape of the upper body unit at all times, even whilst the
arms interact.
This is an action that feels very strange at first, especially
if you do not normally keep the elbows held in this condition,
but persevere with this action, especially during the back swing movement and you will see a dramatic change
in the quality of your golf.
Simply watch the professional golfers to see how they keep
the elbows close together throughout the complete golf swing movement,
especially as the club head swings through the contact area.
This is one aspect of the golf swing that most golfers fail
to give any serious consideration, so remember, as soon as you
draw the elbows together, it is absolutely vital that you maintain
the arms in this condition throughout the complete golf swing
movement.
( It is so easy to forget this very important basic principle
as you perform the golf swing, so concentrate very hard at keeping
the elbows held together to the completion of the golf swing movement.)
The other important point to make is that although the amateur golfer
may keep the elbows close together at all times, often they to
lift the left shoulder as the club head strikes the ball or allow
the left arm to bend, as if to avoid the club head hitting the
ground - instead of keeping the left arm fully extended so that
the club head swings to the bottom of the swing arc, thus taking
a divot.
So keep the left arm fully extended and simply use the flexibility
of the wrist joints as the club head swings into and through the
contact area.
If you can teach yourself to hold the arms in this manner
as you carry out the golf swing, you will see a dramatic improvement
in your golfing skills.
** You must become obsessed with holding the elbows as close
together as it is physically possible as you carry out the golf
swing, but especially as the passive arms/club head swing to the
bottom of the swing arc.
The tighter you can hold the elbows together, the straighter
the ball will go, but remember, you must keep the elbows close
together as the club head swings through the contact area.
