Arms across the chest

[B-Con]

Continuing my efforts to rebuild my swing... One thing that's throwing me for a loop right now is how to bring my arms across my chest during a swing. From the videos I've seen (instructional and of slow-motion pro swings) it looks like many players keep their hands out in front of their chest on the backswing and then once their bodies stop rotating they let their arms continue to flatten across their chest, and then they take their swing letting their arms trail behind the front of their chest until after impact.

Right now I'm practicing my swing as simply as possible: without hinging my wrist much and without crossing my arms over my chest at all. If I don't cross my arms over my chest and I keep them out in front from start to finish, I can hit the ball decently. However, I don't get as much whip action as I'd like and I'm a short hitter as it is. In order to get that whip action, I think I need to cross my arms over my chest so they can get whipped around.

However, when I allow my arms to cross either on the backswing or on the downswing, my swing gets completely messed up and I usually hit it fat. The coordination and timing is completely unnatural to me and I can't figure it out.

Any tips on how to coordinate crossing the arms over the chest? Is waiting for the downswing to cross them a decent idea to keep the swing simple (for now), or might it just be making things harder for me?

[KEEPITSIMPLE]

you know like the back of the left hand where the butt of the shaft is. Pull the butt of the shaft back along the ***same angle or plane as your backswing along your left arm**. It is a bit in and up on the backswing so pull it slightly down and out. If you do it correctly, the club should be square with hands ahead of the ball at impact. Try not to go crazy with the body at first. Usually for higher handicap player if they try to add body motion,it just sets the upper body on the wrong plane and it just kills it.

I would actually find a club without a club head to practice first. It gives you a better feel for the angle that you want to pull the club.

actually pulling the arm across your chess does not give really give you whip,well not one too worthwhile anyways, but it is great practice for high to midhandicaper to get a feel for maintaining the bow of their wrist and bend in their right arm,one of the most important if not the most important thing in a decent golf swing.

[iacas]

See my thread on "deep hands." If you imagine the pressure under your left arm or in your left armpit is a 1 at the start of your backswing, increase it slowly throughout the entire backswing so that it's a 10 at the top. The actual contact point will often feel as if it moves from your side to, well, your left nipple or thereabouts, and that's fine.

I don't recommend "keeping your hands in front of your chest and then doing something to move them across. How can you time that? Your hands start basically exactly in front of your chest. They finish almost exactly on the SIDE of your chest at the top of the backswing. I posit that they should get there gradually, at a consistent rate, throughout the backswing.

Beyond that, you undoubtedly have several things going on in your swing, and I'd urge you to get a video camera and film your swing so we can help better.

[ERdiesel]

See my thread on "deep hands." If you imagine the pressure under your left arm or in your left armpit is a 1 at the start of your backswing, increase it slowly throughout the entire backswing so that it's a 10 at the top. The actual contact point will often feel as if it moves from your side to, well, your left nipple or thereabouts, and that's fine.

Hi Iacas, Expanding on your response regarding pressure under left armpit at the start and top of a swing, what rating would you give it on the downswing, through impact and beyond? I've been working on keeping my left armpit more connected during a swing (glove under the pit drills) and am curious regarding the amount of pressure i should be feeling under my armpit throughout the swing. Thanks.

[B-Con]

It is a bit in and up on the backswing so pull it slightly down and out.

Thanks, I kept that thought with me today at the range. I swung better today, I think that helped.

See my thread on "deep hands." If you imagine the pressure under your left arm or in your left armpit is a 1 at the start of your backswing, increase it slowly throughout the entire backswing so that it's a 10 at the top. The actual contact point will often feel as if it moves from your side to, well, your left nipple or thereabouts, and that's fine.

I knew you were going to mention that thread. Let me go re-read it.

The pressure point tip is helpful, I don't think I'd ever let my arms cross enough to get the pressure noticable away from my armpit. Probably because I wasn't willing to commit to getting my hands that far away from the front my chest.

]I don't recommend "keeping your hands in front of your chest and then doing something to move them across. How can you time that? Your hands start basically exactly in front of your chest. They finish almost exactly on the SIDE of your chest at the top of the backswing. I posit that they should get there gradually, at a consistent rate, throughout the backswing.

Well, since I'd been able to swing while keeping my hands in front of my chest I figured I'd keep as much of what I could do while incorperating changes. Today I took your advice and said screw it. I brought the pressure point across my chest gradually through the backswing. My session today was much better than my previous one. I was pleased, considering it was only my second real session (at least recently) of trying that swing.

Beyond that, you undoubtedly have several things going on in your swing, and I'd urge you to get a video camera and film your swing so we can help better.

Oh yeah, I'm sure I have plenty. I don't think our camera will take good enough quality, but I keep meaning to give it a try because I know that'd give you guys a lot of fuel. Getting a time when I can go to the range and bring my wife to film is difficult. When I do, I'll post it if it looks good enough to use.

Thanks guys.