Bent right arm at impact

[dschultz6072]

All this talk about the wrists, but what about the right arm? Tiger and Rickie's aren't, are they? Can you hit the ball effectively without it? Or does it just depend on the shot?

 

[SteveT]

The right arm becomes redundant as you go into final release before impact. That has been proven in scientific studies. It does it's work in the backswing and then in the downswing to just before impact, when it literally vanishes kinetically. Of course, you must continue thrusting with the right arm to ensure that the right shoulder continues to rotate or else your shoulders will block.

Here is Miura's diagram on swing loading:

Note the change from tangential to radial loading. The right hand and arm contribute to tangential loading while the left arm applies radial loading or "goes normal".


Now, having said that, I have used a dominant right arm swing for short chip shots where the right hand holds on to the club throughout the swing.... and the left arm is only a control radius.

 

[Kevin Shields]

All this talk about the wrists, but what about the right arm? Tiger and Rickie's aren't, are they? Can you hit the ball effectively without it? Or does it just depend on the shot?

Just read your post. You say Tiger and Rickie don't have a bent right arm. Then in the next sentence you ask if you can hit the ball effectively without one. Of course you can. David Toms is very bent because of his hand path and late line up and some might have more right arm thrust or whatever sooner.

You just don't want to run out of right arm trying to make up for other bad mechanics like sliding ahead of the ball, etc.

 

[Dariusz J.]

From my point of view -- the better pivot of the upper part of the main body is the more rear arm is bent in elbow (and lead arm pinned across the chest). Early straightening of the rear arm is a sign of both weak pivot as well as armsy swing leading usually to a crossover release.

Cheers