Elbows pointed which way at address?

[DaveLeeNC]

I've got the same backswing tendency, i.e. coming back too much inside (behind my back) on the takeaway. Tend to push or hook as a result. I find that the Hogan method helps prevent this and keeps me more on plane. Arms and hands should still be in front of your chest at the halfway-back point (shaft pointing along target line). But others may not find Hogan as helpful as I do in this. Give it a try is all I can suggest.

Chas, when you said "the Hogan method helps ... " what aspect of his book (I'm assuming this is your source/reference) are you referring to? Thanks. dave

[pjsnyc]

In case any of you are a little confused as to what I'm talking about, take a look at this diagram:
http://homepage.mac.com/brianmanzell...nmorelines.gif

In the first image on the far left - my leading arm is set either just like it is pictured (pointing across towards my trailing arm)

OR

my leading arm is rotated counterclockwise so that the fold in my elbow isn't pointing across toward my other arm but more outward and towards the sky. Everything else appears to be set normally for me (back of hand mirrors clubhead, etc). Hope this makes sense.

[plugged]

I am also a fan of the Hogan method. It does provide for more consistency IMO. When I first adopted it, I used to lock my leading elbow in way too much and would notice some discomfort later. Now, I still keep the elbow pointed at my hip, but I am not completely locked. It allows for a little more flexibility.

[Chas]

Dave,
By "the Hogan method" in this context, I and others are talking about elbows pointed inwards to hips, crooks of elbows pointing up and forward (not sideways to face each other). The illustrations in Hogan's book show it nicely. I bend my right elbow a tad more inwards than my left to encourage the proper vertical forearm position at the top of the backswing (as in a waiter holding a tray of glasses above his right shoulder).. Works for me.

[DaveLeeNC]

Dave,

Got it - thanks. dave

[Pushdraw]

Anyone have any follow up to this?


The last month or so my swing has gotten flatter from a tendency to come in to much inside and not picking the club up enough. This often resulted in my right elbow getting "stuck" to the right side of my body in the downswing instead of coming in and preventing me from maintaining club lag + handle forward at impact.

So I was doing some positions at address and I remembered a thought to move my forearms closer and when I did I naturally rotated my forearms so the crook of the elbows faced up and it instantly felt different. I pressed against my pec muscles and felt way more connected than how I felt before which was more of a squeezing of my arms than feeling a connection to the pec muscles. Lo and behold on a few practice swings I noticed instantly a far less flat swing with the right elbow going naturally into a strong position at the top AND it seemed much harder for it to get stuck on the downswing.

When I noticed this I googled "elbows point which way at address" and found this forum.

Just thought I would add my two cents. Rotating the elbows to point down seemed to help me correct a few swing flaws but it definitely depends on what feels the most natural for you to hit the important positions (not flat, right elbow staying close to left elbow on the downswing). For me it helped. You could see a slight gap between my right elbow and body at the 9:00 point of my downswing before but after I focused on this the gap disappeared.