Backswing Question

[iammpspeer]

Hey, I was hitting some balls in a simulator the other day at Dick's and the man who worked there was watching me hit.

He told me that I needed to lock my left elbow. I actually have never been told that before and when I did it felt very awkward. But I tried it for him anyway. It resulted in a straighter shot, but with a little less distance probably because I wasn't used to it.

Well my question is this. Are you suppose to lock your left elbow completely? And if you are suppose to, is this for both Drivers and Irons?

[motograter7]

I'm not great at this game, but yes, that was one of the first things I was taught, lock the left elbow, and keep it straight through your swing. you can find videos of what its supposed to look like on YouTube. look up "9 to 3 golf drill" if it helps.

[iammpspeer]

I must just have to get used to it. My swing plane feels almost horizontal at the moment. But before when bent my left elbow, I never was a digger..

[billm408]

I don't think of locking my elbow so much as getting my hands as far away from the ball as possible at the top of my swing. Whether I actually lock it or not I really can't say.

Personally I think anything that creates tension in your arms during the swing is a bad thing.

[DavidFehertysBike]

No. Dont lock your elbow.

[chaprichard]

The rule of thumb is to keep your left are straight - but don't force it to lock...this will cause tension. A slight bend is no problem - just look at Kenny Perry - he bends his arm a lot.

[iammpspeer]

k, therefore my swing was fine overall.

The one time I ever got a lesson, it was free and only for ten minutes. The one thing he told me is when I was at the top of my backswing, to make sure my hands were outside of my shoes(which extends my left arm). To check this, pause at the top during practice.

Thanks guys for your input.