"Let the elbows separate 1/2 way back"

[mew09golfer]

Question.

In the soft draw pattern, Brian recommends allowing the elbows to separate about 1/2 way into the backswing. What does this accomplish? In my own case this plus allowing the swing to "cross the line abit" seems helpful, but counterintuitive.

 

[fronesis]

Question.

In the soft draw pattern, Brian recommends allowing the elbows to separate about 1/2 way into the backswing. What does this accomplish? In my own case this plus allowing the swing to "cross the line abit" seems helpful, but counterintuitive.

It accomplishes a lot of things. But chief among them is to correct a laid off backswing.

There's no reason it should be counterintuitive unless you have been taught or otherwise ingrained a very laid off backswing. But it wasn't counterintuitive at all for a lot of hall of fame players who did both of these things.

 

[Jared Willerson]

The ball and chain of Golf Digest instruction is hard to let go of for some people. It was for me, I would be hitting it great, but noticing I didn't have some body part in the "Adam Scott" position and tear apart my golf swing so that it looked better. I ended up with a mess that Brian and I have worked hard to clean up.

The advice that the golf swing is like a garden finally got through to me that there is no magic bullet, just a lot of hard work to make a pattern effective.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Question.

In the soft draw pattern, Brian recommends allowing the elbows to separate about 1/2 way into the backswing. What does this accomplish? In my own case this plus allowing the swing to "cross the line abit" seems helpful, but counterintuitive.

It keeps the right elbow "flyn'" more which allows the club to get steeper and less laid off.

 

[puttmad]

It also helps you to prevent "packing" your right elbow into your right side, which gives you a better swing arc.....

 

[Jared Willerson]

Precisely, steep is supposed to be a bad word in modern instruction no matter where it is used (backswing, downswing, etc.) but this has led to a bunch of people too laid off and underplane.

Don't worry about a word, phrase or body part...try it, not caring is liberating.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Hit the long ball....

In the MLB "Home Run Derby" the other night, I didn't see ANYONE with a "top of the backswing" position that didn't look "arm separated."

Why?

So you have more to PULL ON.

And PULL INto position.

 

[birdie_man]

I'm not a baseball expert but I take it you're supposed to swing slightly down AND left yes?

I figured out this is why I have trouble with high pitches and hitting to opposite field. (I used to pull em a lot and esp. the high pitches)

 

[gravity003]

Sorry but I must disagree. Swing should be at a slight up angle. Think about it. Pitcher is standing on a mound and releasing ball over his head. Ball path is downward. If you swing down there is only point where bat swing plane and ball path intersect. If you swing on same plane as ball path you can be a little late or early and bat path can still intersect. This is for fast balls. Balls that break you have to swing where ball will be and not where it is at. Kinda like shooting trap or skeet. Put your shot pattern into the space the target is going to be when pellets arrive at that point in time.

 

[birdie_man]

Interesting...

Do you know this or is it a theory?

Mine admittedly is pretty theoretiCAL and I haven't played much baseball lately to try it out. I did get some of it from a buddy who went to college on a baseball scholarship.

I assume he must know some stuff but he very well could be off base.

 

[vjsinger]

Sorry but I must disagree. Swing should be at a slight up angle. Think about it. Pitcher is standing on a mound and releasing ball over his head. Ball path is downward. If you swing down there is only point where bat swing plane and ball path intersect. If you swing on same plane as ball path you can be a little late or early and bat path can still intersect. This is for fast balls. Balls that break you have to swing where ball will be and not where it is at. Kinda like shooting trap or skeet. Put your shot pattern into the space the target is going to be when pellets arrive at that point in time.

Why did Fielder like the ball down?? Did he squat and swing on the same plane up at it?? No. He swung slightly down on it. You know baseballs have seams on them....Funny, golfballs have dimples on them..I wonder why?? I will say though, I can think of one homerun champion that may not have spread the elbows,not 100% sure on that..Mark McGuire, he does do it on his golf swing though, that's interesting.

 

[puttmad]

In the MLB "Home Run Derby" the other night, I didn't see ANYONE with a "top of the backswing" position that didn't look "arm separated."

Why?

So you have more to PULL ON.

And PULL INto position.

Spot on Brian...and basically the same for golf...when you say PULL ON, I would say THROW WITH..

Maybe a warning should be made about trying to emulate your favourite player etc....there are physiological issues that factor in her, regarding the right arm top position, relative to right elbow away (from right side) and right elbow close, at the top...
For example, anyone remember Mike Dunaway, who had his own golf TV show in Arkansas? He is a big guy with big shoulders, but SHORT arms....at the top his right upper arm is naturally close to his right side (and closer to his left elbow), with his left arm fully extended..
In comparison, a player with narrow shoulders and long arms will have their right elbow much further away from their right side (and left elbow) at the top.....

In both cases I am, assuming as much humerus bone extension at the top, ie. nearly in line with the shoulderline...

Therefore you need to find you own "best" position, which alllows you to put your right arm in a proper thowing position at the top, and it may not neccessarily look like anyone elses...