Control the Front Arm for a Consistent Golf Swing

The golf swing moves so fast that there is no time to “fix” something during the swing. My method aims to remove or control the “pitfalls” that ruin the swing.

One pitfall is the front arm. The front arm acts as an extension of the golf club. That front arm and shaft had better be working together in one line at impact, or we’re in trouble.

Let’s see how we get into trouble. The front arm can move up, down, out, and in, and it can roll. It can bend at the elbow. It can bend at the wrist in many directions. And here’s the worst pitfall: it can take over and move the club on its own. Wow, no wonder we have problems!

The good news is that all of these pitfalls can be controlled! We just have to activate certain muscles in the front arm to take back control and maintain the shape we need for a consistent golf swing.

My method starts with the elbows close together and pointing back toward the hips. I do this because it keeps the arms “in check” and working with the body’s rotation. “In check” means they are connected to, or in tune with, the body’s motion. The body controls the arms.

Now, one feeling of connection that can help all of this work is having the upper inside portion of the front arm lightly connected to your side. Setting up with the elbows close together usually creates this connection. But if you have trouble with that, simply feeling as though the upper inside portion of your front arm is attached or connected to your side can help, too.

This only works if you’ve got that elbow pointing back toward the front hip. If the front elbow points outward toward the target, the arm can form a “chicken wing” or bend and become disconnected.

Some golf instructors like to place a headcover under the front armpit and have the golfer hold it there to feel this connection. You can experiment with this, too.

The big key to making all of this work is that the body must keep rotating and accelerating all the way to the finish. This “upper arm” idea is just a way to keep the front arm—or the arms in general—from taking over through impact.

Give it a try!