The Straight Left Arm

The Straight Left Arm is a short golf blog post that looks at the reason why this tip has stood the test of time. Back in the mid-nineties, I was a PGA Assistant at Oulton Hall in Leeds. This is where my PGA Professional and mentor, Brian Janes told me this tip. It has certainly been a great piece of advice that has stood the test of time and something that I still teach to this day. The Straight Left Arm – Explained Before I start explaining this and how it affects the golf swing there is one vital thing to remember. When I say a straight left arm I mean that it should be straight and not locked at the elbow or tensed, just straight. The Straight Left Arm – Impact on the swing Width One of the main reasons behind keeping your left arm straight is that it creates width in the swing. Creating a wider width will increase the diameter of the swing arc. This will in turn create more swing speed. The greater the swing speed the greater the club head speed. The greater the club head speed the greater the distance. Power In addition to the increased swing speed, it will also create more power. The increase in power will come from the shoulders. Keeping the arm straight will help increase the shoulder rotation. Due to the shoulders having more turn, this will increase the torsion or power build-up. This excessive torsion will also increase the swing speed & club head speed which will help improve your distance. Accuracy One of the biggest factors in becoming a good golfer is improving accuracy. Keeping your arm straight will help increase your accuracy as the arm will always be the same length. If you bend your left elbow during the swing, the elbow could always be more or less bent each swing. Just a couple of degrees can make a massive difference to your ball striking. Keeping the arm straight will help increase your ball strike pattern which will bring consistency to your game. Swing Check Points So make sure that you start with a straight arm as you set up over the ball. It will be easier to keep it straight from there. After the takeaway, stop on the back swing at the point where the shaft is parallel to the ground. This is a great place to check your swing is moving accurately and double-check that left arm. Stop the swing at the very top of the backswing and check the arm again. Once you get past impact the left arm must bend to be able to complete the follow-through. If you are lucky enough to have a mirror at the driving range, face the mirror and make a swing. Keep looking at the swing in the mirror and make sure that your left arm remains straight throughout the swing. Now get to the driving range and try it out, you will be amazed at the difference it makes. What are your thoughts on The Straight Left Arm? To leave a comment, please fill out a Contact Form. To read more of my Golf blog posts, click here.