This Famous YouTuber is DEAD WRONG About the Arms in the Golf Swing!

[@BoomersandBitcoin]

Thank you... I used to have a flying ride elbow when I first started golfing and they got rid of it... 20 years later and my body hurts. I did what you said and it's super easy because I was a catcher for like 4 years when I was a kid. It's so much more freer than packing the right elbow. That's such a stupid idea. 👍

[@MykolasGilbert]

The Baseball reference really brought home the visual concept to get that extra boost! Thanks Steve!!

[@leftyduffer]

Great stuff! I've become a believer in a long runway (big arc) and momentum.

[@v205]

Tried it today and it works well thx!

[@dickieburbank]

Thanks! I have gotten narrower and narrower with my arc. I used to be really wide, but now the narrowness has led to other compensating moves, namely, breaking down at impact, adding loft to the club. Gonna work on this next week.

[@Marta_Lledo_Video_Channel]

Love the video Steve...spot on info for trying to add a bit of length.

[@John-wx9oy]

I've gradually allowed my right elbow to stay in close and I can see how that would affect swing path as well as the ability to 'leave the club behind' when turning the body to develop lag. This is something I'll definitely work on.

[@rtmiv2030]

John Daly is another that let that elbow fly. I used to play like that but now when I try it I hook the snot out of the ball. Heck, I pull and hook everything anyway.

[@washredskin887]

I think everyone is different. I started to restrict my right arm and shortened my swing and it seems the more I do that, the farther I hit the ball. I was on a launch monitor last week and my ball speed was between 175 and 185 w/ my driver. I've never had that kind of speed using a lot of width in my swing. For some folks it's the opposite. I think you have to figure out what works best for you.

[@Inmotion70]

Thank you for the insightful comment!

[@dmillzzz1918]

I totally agree with this comment. My ball goes straight and further with the little weird chicken wing right arm than when i try to extend it. Im always slicing the driver when i extend my right arm. Pros actually do go and extend but then end up with their right arm at their body right before impact... but i am no pro so this is easier to me

[@craigg2058]

It’s a crazy game. My downswing swing thought today was to straighten my right arm from the top and keep wrist angles in good order. Was pretty amazing. I think for people who try to first straighten the right arm still try to use their wrist to square the club face, won’t work. For me, my wrists don’t feel like they do much with getting the right arm involved. Straighten elbow will extend right wrist automatically, just go to best that to impact. Again everyone is different so my feel won’t resonate with most. What confirmed it for me was Mac O’Grady quoted saying you can’t straighten your trail arm fast enough in the downswing.

[@nelsonjames1272]

The release is the key short or long swing.

[@Bobt98]

I would like to do this but I find it so much more consistent if I make an effort to bring my elbow down towards my right pocket before swinging through

[@Inmotion70]

Either way the elbow is at the top you would try to put the elbow in front of the pocket.

[@moefoley567]

Try that high backswing at 80 years of age...I hit it much more solidly staying connected, and straighter with a draw!!!

[@zatiger21]

I may get 10 yards more by lifting trail elbow but my drives will slice. Trail arm tucked helps keep consistently straight drives.

[@Inmotion70]

That's great! It's a dynamic move of the right arm, precisely like throwing.

[@user2023workingonmygame]

I enjoy watching Steve’s videos and have picked up a lot of great points from them. But I was trying out a few drivers at the PGA store recently and kept hitting weak fades. Not being a long hitter to begin with it was driving me crazy to see my shots on the launch monitor turn right and land short. The salesman said to just try to keep my right elbow in. Immediately I was hitting the ball much straighter and longer. I was shocked. It’s been working for me ever since. But I would still like to hit it longer, so I keep watching Steve’s videos. Hope springs eternal.

[@Inmotion70]

Right elbow under hand obviously works incredibly well. I just want golfers to understand they have the freedom to let it get away from the side of the body like a pitcher would do.

[@Marta_Lledo_Video_Channel]

@@Inmotion70 after 50 years of golf and trying nearly everything to keep up with the long hitting low handicappers in the various clubs I have played in I have come to the conclusion that the elbow needs to be into the right side soon after starting the downswing to really be effective with a solid strike online. Some people can do this with a long swing allowing the elbow to get out away from the body at the top. I myself, could never really master stretching the right arm out and still getting the elbow back in time. At my best I was an 8 handicap, and my experience falls in line with what Steve is saying. My drives were in the fairway 90% of the time or better but they were on average 250 to 260 and shorter than many I played with holding similar handicaps. I made up ground with driver accuracy and a dynamite short game! They used to make me play to a 5 handicap in the skins games we had at the club every weekend & I still won my share of the skins! Bottom line...if you can get that elbow out and lengthen the backswing and still get it back tight inside and over your hip on the downswing that will max out your distance. If you can't get the elbow back in on the downswing you will likely be hitting with a somewhat outside in swing path and losing power and constancy.

[@thefishnmusician9667]

​@@Inmotion70 yes because it's dropped back in the slot that all great players have in common

[@v205]

I love the natural athletic golf approach.

[@benlicwinko7949]

The issue with teaching this to high cappers is, most of them will start to reverse pivot OR get their trail elbow stuck. Like Tiger used to complain about when he was with Haney. You can teach this to high cappers and they can gain distance/speed BUT they can't reverse pivot AND the downswing sequence HAS to be correct

[@Inmotion70]

Of course.

[@mmatzee]

Would be really cool to have a discussion with a Coach teaching motions the other way. Like this there are just oppinions standing „against“ each other.

[@Inmotion70]

I'm ok with swinging either way. All the anecdotal and science evidence suggests the way I advocate is simply more powerful.

[@sirtogii5216]

I think the drills seen on the Tube with pinning the right elbow to the side is to get the feeling for the down swing to cure the over the top move. I don't think any instructor these days advocate the towel drill unless we're talking chipping. But absolutely the freed up right arm is important. Too much instruction the last couple of decades is position based rather than what the body would naturally do.

[@Inmotion70]

Agree. Too much restriction of natural athletic movement.

[@thomasfraser9072]

What you are saying absolutely works for you and hopefully many of your students. However You Tube instructors in general are far from being consistent with one another. From the hammers move to the baseball swinging of a bat. Now to the flying right elbow to the OTT swing; and everything else in between I found it all has become very confusing. Don’t you? Percy Cooper spoke of swinging in a barrelI and not chasing at the ball. Now I might suggest the so call barrel is our rolling/ turning rib cage of our bent chest letting our arms, hand, and club head swing as we are turning our rib cage towards our trail side immediately fallowed by turning our rib cage towards our lead left side. All our muscles inside our body we will feel are pulling for us.😊Cheers So let the good times roll. Don’t worry Swing Happy😊Cheers

[@Inmotion70]

You almost got the point of it! Restrict the right arm and you can play just fine. Let it free and you will also play fine + more power.

[@rw_golf6387]

It would have been helpful to see the same swing with the left arm more pinned to the side. Interesting thing is you see both methods being very successful.

[@jefferymarks7344]

You dont swing a club from the trail arm. Its alot easier to focus on the lead arm and the trail arm just rides along.

[@Inmotion70]

This is a good image for some people yes!

[@guitar1950]

I have found that for me throwing my trail arm through the shot works better. I'm actually right handed but play golf left handed. For years I pulled mostly with my right (lead) arm and side. Now I'm suffering with painful scapula (right) and pain in shoulder muscles and upper arm. The more I use my trail arm and throw I hit much better and with less strain on my lead side.

[@karlwolfe3165]

What are your thoughts about Ben hogan swing his arm never got above his shoulder ?

[@-Thunder]

I think a lot of this stuff really depends on your physique and flexibility. I don't think Nicklaus or Montgomery could ever swing like Hogan and vice versa. Having a swing speed monitor of some type is helpful so you can try different ideas and see the results.

[@Inmotion70]

When you swing flatter your right arm will appear to be more 'constricted' but Hogan had a very long hand path.

[@-Thunder]

@@Inmotion70 So if I understand, you're saying extension (long hand path) is the more important concept, not the the lead arm angle in relation to the shoulder (aka flat vs. vertical)?

[@scottmccaig6185]

Mike Austin vs Ben Hogan. Who would you listen to?

[@builderNorthamptonn]

Both

[@scottmccaig6185]

@@builderNorthamptonn they seem diametrically opposed on this

[@Inmotion70]

They share 98% DNA.

[@wadesworld6250]

A shortstop's throwing motion turning the double play is about their body position and the need to avoid the runner, not a power move. A shortstop does not sidearm a ball he fields cleanly in the gap when throwing to first, nor does a third baseman sidearm a cleanly fielded ball, because they need the power of the overhand throw. Letting your elbow fly some can give range of motion and more power. Most coaches are OK if your elbow flies a bit and you get across the line a bit with driver, but less so with irons.

[@Inmotion70]

It's generally for quick release but the internal action of the windup helps them add power to it.

[@dadmaxx8127]

Holy cow! You just described what many tennis players do improperly on the serve...it's called the waiter's tray where at the transition of the serve, their wrist is bent in a way where it appears as though they are carrying a tray of food! The proper way, of Federer and Pete Sampras is to do the opposite where the hand is pointing directly towards the ground...the food tray is upside down! It must feel like you are more stable...doing it improperly as the racket and the club must feel more supported...but I can assure you that I've never seen a 100+mph waiter's tray serve.

[@robertkatz8093]

The swing you use in the beginning of the video is the swing you say people shouldn't use. Your elbow is close to your body, your swing plane is even with your shoulders and your elbow is right below your palm. You hit it 308. If this was supposed to be an example of how not to do it, I don't think it says that.

[@builderNorthamptonn]

Mike Austin had the longest drive

[@williamanderson1986]

I think that this video and videos on the opposite side of the spectrum prove that the position at the top of the backswing is not fundamental. Wide and turn under can free you up for more distance but takes more coordination. Both are trying to slot the elbow inside and in front of the body before impact to provide more leverage. Good video to offer perspective but it is important to understand what is trying to accomplish primarily.

[@Inmotion70]

Bingo.

[@francisflorez5581]

Dropping it back in requires timing. Timing your swing causes non consistent ball contact. Have you heard of Bobby Jones?

[@Inmotion70]

It all requires timing. But have you ever heard a baseball coach tell an infielder to stop throwing submarine/sidearm?

[@lapdog4135]

The problem with this argument is what are you trying to accomplish? What’s the goal? You’re promoting distance as the goal which isn’t wrong but if the goal is consistency or accuracy then I would say you’re not going to be as consistent as the elbow tucked method. In both examples the results show the elbow being tucked in at impact. Getting golfers to consistently make this move would promote a more accurate swing when you’re structuring the swing to follow the tucked position at impact. You will sacrifice distance like you’re saying but I think distance can be overrated with most amateurs where accuracy is just as or more important.

[@Inmotion70]

All I'm saying that it's fine to give lots of freedom to the right arm and let the elbow turn out if that's what you naturally do. It has much more athletic precedent in other sports motions too.

[@kenhenley3904]

I'm guessing but is the "famous KZbinr" someone with the initials T S ?

[@shug2795]

Dang...I just don't look like you when I swing!?! Just because I'm 70 is no excuse. I am a fit 70 and my range of motion isn't what it was BUT that's not it. I almost feel like I need to develop the swing form completely away from a ball until I can mimic your form. If I tilt my body the prescribed 30 degrees and swing with any pace, I lose my balance?!?!?

[@Inmotion70]

Very common. Start slow and build up gradually.

[@jerryjung5666]

Ok

[@billfly2186]

Hogan rollin' over in his grave.

[@Inmotion70]

Hogan wanted a sidearm throw too...this just sets up a more powerful version just like every other throwing sport.

[@vicgeier3482]

Who is it?

[@standlegweak9854]

I don't know what KZbinr he's talking about, but those guys are giving golfers who came to the game late in life a way to get back to the ball with the club face. Who cares how fast you swing the club if you mishit the ball? Sure pro golfers who have been playing since they were 5 years old can afford to take a big long swing like that because they have the ability to regularly make good face contact with the ball. Many of the rest of us need to keep our trail elbow close until we can train our swing path to be more consistently back to the ball. Maybe even permanently because we're not going to train that much.

[@FittinToGet]

I know who it is...just by the description...I tried to swing this way...Tight elbow, couldn't make it work. Steve's way is more in line with my natural swing.

[@jscott4431]

KZbin is jam packed with so many different and conflicting golf instruction. If you are trying to improve your game, it may come down to figuring it out for yourself. What works for one person may be a disaster for another. I think some online instruction can be helpful at times but it's tricky business. Even live personal golf instruction can ruin your game if it doesn't fit your body type and physical ability. Bottom line...never give up.

[@Inmotion70]

Tuck your elbow. Don't tuck your elbow. That's the point. It is not fundamental to success either way.

[@gregboggs4721]

This is what is wrong with golf instruction, just too much confusion on who is right and who is wrong! There’s really not any right or wrong, it’s what works for the individual.

[@Inmotion70]

Focus on impact zone.

[@higbyprigby9648]

Pete Cowen is not necessarily the man.