Leading arm in the downswing

[Forcey Boy]

Hi all,

New to the site and my first post here so please be gentle!

Got a question for you guys (and girls) hoping that you can shed some light on it.

When Im coming through/down in the down swing should I be feeling like I should be slapping the ball with the back of my left hand? The reason  say this is I am right handed and I think this sometimes comes through on my downswing and pulls my shot left (just to check that this is correct isnt it?!)

So I figured let my leading arm, lead more, would eradicate this... and it does sometimes... when I remember not to let my right take over. But I want to make sure Im doing it correctly or that this is the correct way to do it rather than compensating for something else.

Anyway look forward to hearing from you soon.

Cheers,

Forcey Boy

[tshapiro]

You will probably get many opinions on this, but, leading with the back of the left hand is my number1 fundamental along with a still head. The only specific I'd like to point out is your reference to the word slap which leads me think you will want to muscle the ball with your left hand. Do not do this as any muscling in the hands reduces club head speed. Let the power derive from your uncoiling timed with your forward weight shift. The back of the left hand leads that centrifical power to the ball by smoothly pulling through.

[gogolfing]

This is something I have been working on too. I tend to come over the top and I think it is because I use my right hand too much in the downswing. I have been working on hitting with the back of my left and pulling through with my left side and seem to hit it more solidly. Looking forward to other replies in he thread to see how people feel about this.

[sacm3bill]

See this thread: http://thesandtrap.com/forum/thread/36414/are-you-a-hitter-or-a-swinger

[JackLee]

You are sort of on the right track, but do not pull down and through with your left arm.  Do the pulling with your left shoulder.

[Zeph]

Originally Posted by JackLee

You are sort of on the right track, but do not pull down and through with your left arm.  Do the pulling with your left shoulder.

I would disagree. It is an individual feeling and two people may need two very different swing thoughts, but you can't say that the shoulder do all the pulling. Feel is not real, but in any event, the left arm must be swung faster. It is supposed to move from across the chest back to somewhere around address position during the downswing. If you only pulled with the shoulder, the arm may get stuck back there. Again, it is very individual how the different parts of the swing work.

Myself, I need to swing the arms faster and get it down quicker. So I consciously try to swing the arms faster from the top of the backswing. Since we don't have a video of the OPs swing, it's mostly guesstimating. "Pull the left shoulder" may work for him, but it's not a definitive rule, especially since the arms must swing faster than the shoulders.

[nuck81]

I've always wondered how someone is supposed to teach someone else to "feel"

[bullseye]

I agree with  sacm3bill, are you a hitter or a swinger? hitters right arm (righty) is straight at impact swingers pull through with the right arm slightly bent. best if you knew. Zeph,  i can't believe you said start from the top that's golf blasphemy---ha ha  That is exactly what I do-- I never thought I would hear someone admit it. Force boy, its all about timing-timing-timing. cheers

[iacas]

Originally Posted by bullseye

I agree with  sacm3bill, are you a hitter or a swinger? hitters right arm (righty) is straight at impact swingers pull through with the right arm slightly bent. best if you knew. Zeph,  i can't believe you said start from the top that's golf blasphemy---ha ha  That is exactly what I do-- I never thought I would hear someone admit it. Force boy, its all about timing-timing-timing. cheers

Biomechanically, everyone's a bit of both (it more relates to how the individual feels certain things).

And hitters don't have a straight right arm at impact. Hogan was a "hitter" more than a "swinger" and he didn't "run out of right arm."

[wmiller]

I am a lefty who plays right. I set up with a strong left side, grip pointing towards left hip, and 'pull' through the shot with my entire left side. If that makes any sense. Rightly or wrongly, I always thought I had an advantage with this setup. Could also be that it's just what my Grandfather taught me and it sounded cool...  :)

[GIBBYDOG]

hi everybody.  love the sight, but never joined.

I was reading the post and knew i had to join.   leading with my left arm has transformed my golf.  I came upon this tip somewhere last year and it has changed my game.  I started hitting

my irons much longer and way straighter.  My whole swing thought is pulling my left arm through the swing.  This keeps the club square through impact longer.  I think on this website or another they talked about the golf teacher Leslie King who advocated this style.  anyways glad i joined look forward to chatting

[JackLee]

Originally Posted by GIBBYDOG

hi everybody.  love the sight, but never joined.

I was reading the post and knew i had to join.   leading with my left arm has transformed my golf.

I came upon this tip somewhere last year and it has changed my game.  I started hitting

my irons much longer and way straighter.  My whole swing thought is pulling my left

arm through the swing.  This keeps the club square through impact longer.

I think on this website or another they talked about the golf teacher Leslie King

who advocated this style.  anyways glad i joined look forward to chatting

So, are you just hinging your left arm at your left shoulder, or are your body movements actually doing the pulling?

[GIBBYDOG]

i am not sure exactly what you are asking.  but i start my start my swing with the thought that my back of my left hand  goes first.

at the start of the down swing i feel like my left does all the work.  i start by pulling down with the left hand which helps me find the

slot and then just pull all the way through with left forearm.  leslie king said the arms should start the swing and the body

should follow.   this whole swing thought and on the downswing all left forearm has literally changed my game.  i hope it

helps you.  just as an afterthought i have changed my brother in laws game too, with the same swing thought.

[JackLee]

Just trying to get you to pay attention to what is actually happening in your swing, not what you think you are doing.  In the down and through swing, your body movements must lead your arms and hands.

If the thought of swinging down and through with your arms and hands is causing your body movements to lead by subconscious anticipation, just as in the baseball swing, then you and your brother-in-law are very exceptional people.  Getting the body to lead in the golf downswing usually has to be done with some conscious body movement.

[GIBBYDOG]

i see what you are saying.  i have always struggled getting to my left side

in the downswing.  i am doing better with the weight shift.  after i have loaded up

and started the downswing with my lower body first my only swing thought is

pulling with my left forearm and that is what i think has changed my game.

i compress the ball better and have solid contact much better.   the thing i have noticed

is when doing this how much straighter u hit the ball.  my two swing thoughts for

this year is getting to my left side and pulling with my left arm.

i have noticed lee westwood has an unusual left shouder move on his downswing

i have been looking for some kind of trigger to start my lower body better, if u have one

i would love to hear it.

i can feel when i do get to my left side how easier it is to find the slot by pulling with my left arm.

i am also now working on better lag in the downswing

[JackLee]

Originally Posted by GIBBYDOG

i have been looking for some kind of trigger to start my lower body better, if u have one

i would love to hear it.

I pull with my left shoulder. In the instruction I use, it is called the master key. How can that start my lower body better? Subconscious anticipation. It makes my lower body movements lead perfectly every time, and I never have to think about my lower body movements.

[Kieran123]

Starting with the back of your left hand is not always right because for a lot of people the back of the left hand is not always facing the target at address ( depending on grip ), If someone with a strong grip leads with the back of their hand, the ball is going to start left, weak grip, it will start right.

[GIBBYDOG]

Originally Posted by JackLee

I pull with my left shoulder. In the instruction I use, it is called the master key. How can that start my lower body better? Subconscious anticipation. It makes my lower body movements lead perfectly every time, and I never have to think about my lower body movements.

I am curious.   i have heard of the master key instruction, but never have read anything about it.

what is the name of the teacher who invented it.

u got me thinking maybe i am leading with my shoulder more than i think i am..

i live in ohio and the weather has been really bad so i have played limited rounds this year.   but the rounds

i have played have been good.

how long have u been using this technique and how did u come across it