Keeping Left Arm Straight

[ronaldkuntoro]

I have a wide shoulder and I have a hard time keeping my left arm straight on top of my back swing. It's slightly bend at the top.

Is this cause by my wide shoulder? Is there a negative impact because of this?

[sean_miller]

I have a wide shoulder and I have a hard time keeping my left arm straight on top of my back swing. It's slightly bend at the top.

Only one of them is wide? I focus on keeping my left arm straight, taking the club back as far as that allows. New playing partners often ask why I only take a 3/4 swing. It doesn't feel that way at all.

[ohiolefty]

Only one of them is wide? I focus on keeping my left arm straight, taking the club back as far as that allows. New playing partners often ask why I only take a 3/4 swing. It doesn't feel that way at all.

A shorter swing that lags the club well, which is what Mr. Miller is describing, is usually going to produce nice contact and ball-flight.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "I have a wide shoulder" but I have BROAD shoulders, and I have a hard time keeping my right arm straight - as a lefty this equivalent to your right. I'm pretty good at being disciplined with irons but I can let that arm break down and 'create another lever' on the driver on occasion. When doing this, if I synch everything up right I hit a bomb, but it makes the bad shots worse. Not sure how helpful this is....

[JackLee]

My lead elbow bends some at the top, but it is straight again before and through impact. I use a little muscle tension to do that, but it is mostly done by the centrifugal force with a little help from gravity in a well timed release.

[Zeph]

Do you have a video?

What is a wide shoulder by the way?

[ronaldkuntoro]

Do you have a video?

Sorry no video Don't have any Videocam.

A wide shoulder are two shoulders that are wider than normal in proportion.

[Zeph]

I don't think that would cause a bent left arm. Your backswing might be too long. Try keeping the right elbow as straight as possible, that should prevent the left elbow from bending.

Of course, without video we can't tell what your swing looks like, how much you arm really is bent and if it matters, so it's all guesswork.
Having a ramrod straight left arm is not needed, but you don't want it flexing too much either.

[James_Black]

Sorry no video Don't have any Videocam.

not even a phone with a camera on it?

[iacas]

A wide shoulder are two shoulders that are wider than normal in proportion.

Wouldn't cause the problem you're saying.

[WUTiger]

Only one of them is wide? I focus on keeping my left arm straight, taking the club back as far as that allows. New playing partners often ask why I only take a 3/4 swing. It doesn't feel that way at all.

I've been fighting loop/OTT moves, and my pro says overswinging going back causes the problem. I am working on a 3/4 swing too, stopping just past ear. It moves the ball straighter and longer than the overswing.

Haven't figured out why, but lag seems to be somewhat better with 3/4 also. Another thing on straighter left arm - if I make a proper set-up, I am able to let inside of L elbow rotate to front (below chin), and parallel to swing plane. This makes it pretty difficult to bend left arm on backswing.

[Shanks A Million]

My shoulders are about as wide as they get, but I can still keep my left arm straight. Now, if I want to take it a mile back, it has to bend because the shoulder won't fit under the head, but so long as I only take it back so far, the arm can stay straight.

The thing is, the left arm doesn't really need to be straight, but it's preferred. So long as it's fairly straight, and not a big chicken wing, you're OK.

[ejimsmith]

I've been fighting loop/OTT moves, and my pro says overswinging going back causes the problem. I am working on a 3/4 swing too, stopping just past ear. It moves the ball straighter and longer than the overswing.

I've been forcing myself to keep that left arm as straight as possible, result in a 3/4 swing. It makes my shots much, much better. They look beautiful!!

Also, I"m hitting it fat much less as I realized that combined with my overswing was a "hip dip". With the 3/4 swing, perhaps its the tempo, but I'm using less hips on the downstroke and making good contact.