What causes a Bent Left Arm at impact?
- Thread starter c21heel
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tongzilla
New
I don't know but...
I'm sure Jamie Sadlowski (hits it reasonably far
) comes over the top and flips.
I'm sure Jamie Sadlowski (hits it reasonably far
) comes over the top and flips.
c21heel
New
I'm sure Jamie Sadlowski (hits it reasonably far
Interesting, does Jamie have a bent left arm at impact?
Brian Manzella
Administrator
Tom Bartlett
Administrator
Maybe he needs to rephrase the question to "Why is my left shoulder is too close to my left hand at impact?"
That can be caused by the lower body not giving the left shoulder the ability to get far enough away.
Matt 4-L
New
Can you elaborate a little more Tom on "what" the lower body is not doing correctly to cause this?
Not to hijack the thread but I think this is along the line of origanal post. I have been working this winter trying to improve my pivot and I have suffered from listening to pop golf for so many years saying "get on to your left side" that I have developed a foward slide on the down swing (getting in front of the ball) trying to transfer my weight to the left side but if you look at the great ball strikers they don't get to their left side 'til way past impact. I think this has caused a bent left arm at impact (not a chicken wing) that I have been trying to rid myself of, it feels like I am really hanging back and I try to finish in a reverse c to get what I believe is the proper pivot.
Jim Kobylinski
Super Moderator
Why do you want to change it?
c21heel
New
I've looked at a lot of swing sequences over the past couple days and the only pro golfers I can find with a hint of left elbow bend at impact are Goosen and Olazabal. I'm guessing Calvin Peete did as well, but couldn't find anything on him.
I think it would be interesting to hear more input on why the left shoulder is to close to the left hand. I'm guessing not enough axis tilt and/or left shoulder not high enough at impact are a start.
I think it would be interesting to hear more input on why the left shoulder is to close to the left hand. I'm guessing not enough axis tilt and/or left shoulder not high enough at impact are a start.
Matt Bryda
New
Bent left arm at impact
Lee Westwood is another
Lee Westwood is another
TeddyIrons
New
As a bent left-armer myself, I'm hoping that working on getting a flat left wrist through impact and more tilt on the downswing will encourage me to straighten that left arm. I've a feeling that bent left-arm and hands not being ahead of the club head are very much inter-linked. Well I hope so anyway.
Jim Kobylinski
Super Moderator
If you are hitting the ball well i don't think it matters; just work more of your path and face control.
Matt 4-L
New
Jim, thanks for the replies on this subject. The biggest problem with a bent left arm is making clean hits with your irons. I feel as if I have to try and manipulate the distance and not just swing freely with out worrying about making clean contact. I would like to know some of the causes to try and fix it. I have been thinking sliding in front of the ball on the downswing is part of the issue but also I have been experimenting with opening my shoulders more at address they tend to creep closed on me with middle to short irons because I am conscious of hitting down on the ball. I really wanted to get a lesson from Brian before the season started but it didn't work out me being in Michigan. I am going to see a pga pro here in Michigan, I don't know much about him but I really like one of his students swings that I played a tournament with last year, I am grasping at straws to get this fixed before my first tournament.
Matt 4-L
New
Ok, I started to mess around with how I was setting the club at the top; I have always had problems getting that Hogan like lag, for some reason my left thumb at the top when it gets pressure on it from the shaft, it wants to tighten up. I really concentrated on letting the club get “deep” into my hand by relaxing the thumb. When I got a good lag I felt like I could really go after the ball with out trying to lift my shoulder or make a compensation. I normally have a medium to low ball flight but I started to hit the ball much higher. I haven’t video taped my swing to confirm a straight left arm but it feels straight and I don’t feel like I have to use my athletic abilty to make clean contact.
Does any of this make sense?
Does any of this make sense?
In my personal experience, it's difficult to get left shoulder up away from the ball (tilt & shoulders open) if you do not have enough lag. Club releases too early. If you have the proper lag, left shoulder can have the time to get away from the ball.
I used to let my upper body lunge forward (I could not get my shoulders open at impact) so I could still make clean contact but club would then be de-lofted a lot and I would take huge divots. Part of this was also that I was adding lot of right arm torque before impact.
SD video - LCT & concentrating on letting the club load at transition has helped me. More free swinging at first, before starting to add right arm again.
Problem can sometimes be just something wrong with your perception of what is supposed to happen during the swing. It's different to look at it on video than looking/feeling it during your swing.
As an example I realized just a few weeks ago was that target is actually behind my back at transition. I had been trying to move my hips left from where they were at transition, which was like 45 degrees wrong and the result was that my hips moved much closer to the ball during downswing. I had seen it on video many times and I had tried all sorts of drills, but it took this change in perception to change it.
I watched the SD video again for the underhanded javelin throw. Brian mentioned in another thread that it's there to help people get more tilt/open (for the one's that need it) and my feel is that it does increase lag in the process. Hard to say what's the cause-effect, but it does help me for sure.
Matt 4-L
New
I periodically go through all of Brian's different videos....I was working today on my swing and noticed another fault in my setup routine. I step in with my right foot and place the club behind the ball with both hands on the grip and then bring the left foot in and then space my feet apart. What I started to notice is that when I stepped in with one foot I would get my weight on my toes and leave it there so I put my self out of balance and I had two choices I could either bend the arm a tad so I wouldn't hit the ground or I could move my weight back to the center of my feet during the swing and then would hit it off the toe.
I notice a lot of people on here have toe hit problems, I think they might want to try and address the ball with the weight on their heels and then make a swing and see if it makes any difference. It never ceases to amaze me how such a little thing that creeps in can have such a negative effect on the whole swing.
I notice a lot of people on here have toe hit problems, I think they might want to try and address the ball with the weight on their heels and then make a swing and see if it makes any difference. It never ceases to amaze me how such a little thing that creeps in can have such a negative effect on the whole swing.
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