Straight right arm

[dmurfet]

I'm working on a drill given to me by my Pro keeping my right arm straight all through to a 3/4 back swing (hands about shoulrder height) but plenty of wrist cock. This is then kept straight and both arms straight through the ball to hands shoulder height on the follow through. This gives me width on the way back and lack of a collapse on the way through - straight shots hopefully.

Question is this - assuming I am not really a hitter, is there any advantage in bending the right arm at all?

The back and through swing looks like a pitch short played like Jose-Maria Olazabal. (I wish).

I am a newbie to this site (found through youtube) but have had a copy of TGM for nearly 20 years.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Welcome....

I'm working on a drill given to me by my Pro keeping my right arm straight all through to a 3/4 back swing (hands about shoulrder height) but plenty of wrist cock. This is then kept straight and both arms straight through the ball to hands shoulder height on the follow through. This gives me width on the way back and lack of a collapse on the way through - straight shots hopefully.

Question is this - assuming I am not really a hitter, is there any advantage in bending the right arm at all?

The back and through swing looks like a pitch short played like Jose-Maria Olazabal. (I wish).

I am a newbie to this site (found through youtube) but have had a copy of TGM for nearly 20 years.

The are a LOT of advantages to bending the right arm and THEN straightening it.

Most of them have to do with distance, but the action also supplies the DOWNWARD in lots of golf strokes.

You can keep it long early, but if it never bends, you'd be losing a bunch of potential energy.

 

[cmartingolf]

"Straight"

I agree with BM on the speed....

I tell some of my students to feel a straight right arm in the backswing, so they don't overdue the bending of the right elbow and destroy their structure. Your pro is likely trying to get you to have some extensor action to keep your radius in place. Rather than explain that (which most students don't get!) it's easier to tell you to keep your right arm straight. It's damn near impossible to make a backswing with a bent right wrist without bending your elbow. You could do it, but you would be so uncomfortable....You might need a Dr's attention....

 

[dmurfet]

just hit a couple of hundred balls with it - it works nicely with the shorter irons - I can hit a "pitch" 8 iron almost as far as with a full swing. With the longer clubs it's very difficult to get the right rhythm though.

What I did also try was the pivot controlled hands I read in anouther post a\nd that slowed me right down, with lots more controlled lag, that coupled with a really wide half swing worked just great.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

One more practice session and a lesson on Saturday.