Role of the right arm after impact

[hack2scratch]

What is the role of your arms? Specifically your right? 

 

I have been playing a lot and I've noticed that my swing is slowing down in my head and I am start to feel and see more actions during the swing.

 

One of the things I've noticed is that right at impact if I push with my right arm and turn shoulders more left with the right side of my body, I get about 10 to 15 more yards and height. 

 

I've always used my left side and guide the whole swing with left arm trying to hit the imaginary ball in front of the ball and then let the swing go wherever it wants to go to complete the finish. My right arm would remain passive and will be pulled by the left arm or side.

 

What is the correct job for the right arm / side? When I push with my right arm at impact,i also maintain my tilt more and at my finished pose , I will be tilted and looking under the ball while it's flying.

 

[Rainmaker]

 I'm no golf teacher or expert but I firmly believe the role of the right arm/side is to push.  It has to be in balance with the pulling of the left arm/side . .but to say that the right arm is just passive and just gets pulled by the left side wouldn't jive for me . . but it is, I think, pretty "feel" based . .ie . .one guy might feel like he's more pulling, another like he's more pushing but the result could be the same.

[JetFan1983]

Try to make some right arm only swings and you'll probably get a pretty good natural feel for the right arm's action. As far as the actual mechanics go, there's certainly a lot of literature out there on the right arm's specific functions, like it's varying folding and extending rates, or or how much it pronates or supinates (forearm roll), wrist bend measurements throughout the course of the swing... stuff like that. 

[Buckeyebowman]

I can remember reading an article by Nicklaus way back in the day where he said that the more you play this game, the more you realize that it's a "right handed" game!

I'm certainly no PGA certified teaching pro, or anywhere near that, but I have my ideas about the swing. As far as I'm concerned, the back swing, for a right handed player, is dominated by the left arm and hand, while the through swing should be dominated by the right arm and hand.

The problem seems to be, for me, getting the timing of the transition in order! In other words, IMPACT!

[Patch]

I have always went with my belief that the role of the right hand after impact was to point towards the target, until it naturally folded upwards. Since the hand was attached to the club and arm, both pointed where the hand was pointing. 

[natureboy]

Roles I see for the right arm and hand:

Creating & maintaining lag, shallowing the shaft, releasing the club for the 'late hit', and causing / assisting / supporting delofting.

Sorry, you said after impact in the thread title. Just saw that.

Hang on to the club?

Edited August 2, 2016 by natureboy

[tshapiro]

Since an optimal golf swing leverages the legs and core for power the choice of right arm, left arm, or both to use to time, transmit and direct that power into the club swing is totally up to the individual golfer.  Since the club should be swinging faster than your muscles can pull or push somewhere through impact, just after impact should find your right arm relaxed with its weight being 'flung' down the swing path regardless of which arm muscles were used to get it to that point. 

 

Left dominant is generally more controlled but has the potential to leave the power of the right side untapped.

Right dominant is generally easier get your body into it but introduces potential timing and direction issues. 

Swings that utilize both require a customized orchestration of both which is more complex.

None of these are better than the other as the best players are using a variety of these.  Personally, I have mastered left and right dominant swings and they go exactly the same distance. Each one has advantages and disadvantages, but, it is not a power thing - it's simply technique as the legs and core are the primary power source for both.  One thing that is common for all top players - they all have a fantastic sense of kenamatic sequence and timing regardless of whether they're thinking right or left. 

For your average Joe, I recommend a hybrid - left dominates upper body, right dominates lower body. This promotes coil and uncoil while removing the timing issues for those who cannot live of the range. 

Edited August 2, 2016 by tshapiro

[saevel25]

On 7/30/2016 at 11:08 PM, hack2scratch said:

What is the correct job for the right arm / side?

Depends on the golfer. I am sure some golfers feel more with their right side versus their left. For awhile I played feeling my right side turning past the ball sooner in the swing. 

If I had to say what the role of the right arm, 
1. To help control the how the club changes angle in transition, steepens or shallows
2. To help control club path going into impact, this is much dependant on 1. 
3. To help control the low point in the swing
4. To help control the length of the backswing

A lot of stuff you get for free, at impact, with good swing dynamics. Also, a lot of times feel isn't real. I could feel like my right side is at or past the ball way sooner, but it might just be a very small amount when you see the swing on video. 

[iacas]

On August 2, 2016 at 4:48 AM, tshapiro said:

Left dominant is generally more controlled but has the potential to leave the power of the right side untapped.

Right dominant is generally easier get your body into it but introduces potential timing and direction issues. 

Swings that utilize both require a customized orchestration of both which is more complex.

All swings use both.

(Assuming things like "the golfer has two arms" and other such basic types of things.)

[tshapiro]

On August 3, 2016 at 10:19 PM, iacas said:

All swings use both.

(Assuming things like "the golfer has two arms" and other such basic types of things.)

Absolutely, but a lot of players simplify things by thinking in terms of one side being the leader. 

[iacas]

2 hours ago, tshapiro said:

Absolutely, but a lot of players simplify things by thinking in terms of one side being the leader. 

We might differ on our definition of "a lot" in this context.

[tshapiro]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

We might differ on our definition of "a lot" in this context.

You're kind of like that guy who keeps giving you unsolicited advice on the range 

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, tshapiro said:

You're kind of like that guy who keeps giving you unsolicited advice on the range 

Doubt that. But he IS an excellent instructor and knows what he is talking about. Read and you may learn something yourself.