Straight left arm??

[CMartis]

I do not keep my left arm straight when driving. All other clubs I'm able to because the swing is not as full. I've just started playing golf but I've been toying around with a driver since I was about 14 years old. I found an old driver and just started hacking at balls until I learned to hit them straight. No instruction what so ever. My drives are predominately straight and go at least 240, some times as far as about 280 if I get a really good hit. Now, everyone tells me to try and keep my left arm straight but it feels extremely awkward when attempting to drive a ball. The question is, should I just continue with this bad habit that I'm fairly successful with or work at changing my +15 year self taught swing? 

[DaveP043]

17 minutes ago, CMartis said:

The question is, should I just continue with this bad habit that I'm fairly successful with or work at changing my +15 year self taught swing? 

It really depends on whether you want to become a better golfer or not.  If you're happy with the way you play, and don't care to improve, keep doing what you're doing.  There are a few players who have become successful, and still allow their left elbow to bend, but they're in a very small minority.  You say you're really just getting into golf for the first time this year, this year is the best possible time to learn good basics.  One of the single most important things in golf is putting your tee shots consistently into play, while consistently achieving good distance.  A straighter left arm is one component in being more consistent with the driver.  The thing is, there may be other things in your swing that are more important to work on right now.  Find a good instructor, or post some videos of your swing in the My Swing part of this website to get some competent advice.

 

[mchepp]

Lots of good golfers bend their left arm. Post a swing for yourself and we can determine if it is hurting your swing. 

[GolfLug]

49 minutes ago, CMartis said:

I do not keep my left arm straight when driving. All other clubs I'm able to because the swing is not as full. I've just started playing golf but I've been toying around with a driver since I was about 14 years old. I found an old driver and just started hacking at balls until I learned to hit them straight. No instruction what so ever. My drives are predominately straight and go at least 240, some times as far as about 280 if I get a really good hit. Now, everyone tells me to try and keep my left arm straight but it feels extremely awkward when attempting to drive a ball. The question is, should I just continue with this bad habit that I'm fairly successful with or work at changing my +15 year self taught swing? 

It is entirely possible you may have it straighter than you think at impact.. Have you filmed yourself to see what is actually happening?

240 yards AND straight doesn't happen without a lot of things being done right in the first place..

Advise would be do NOTHING without a qualified instructor's help.

[CMartis]

Ok, I'll work on getting one of the guys to get a video of me this Friday when I go play. I'm pretty sure my left arm straightens back out soon after I begin my forward swing and throughout impact. Makes me feel better seeing the picture of the pro with his bent left arm! lol Thanks

[DaveP043]

Be sure to read this, so that the videos you get are as useful as possible.  Poor camera angles make it harder to tell what's really going on in your swing.:

https://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/filming_your_swing

I think most modern cell phone cameras can do a decent job with video, and slow-motion can be even more helpful.

[CMartis]

2 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Be sure to read this, so that the videos you get are as useful as possible.  Poor camera angles make it harder to tell what's really going on in your swing.:

https://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/filming_your_swing

I think most modern cell phone cameras can do a decent job with video, and slow-motion can be even more helpful.

Will do. I have slow mo capability on my phone as well.

[mvmac]

4 hours ago, CMartis said:

I do not keep my left arm straight when driving. All other clubs I'm able to because the swing is not as full. I've just started playing golf but I've been toying around with a driver since I was about 14 years old. I found an old driver and just started hacking at balls until I learned to hit them straight. No instruction what so ever. My drives are predominately straight and go at least 240, some times as far as about 280 if I get a really good hit. Now, everyone tells me to try and keep my left arm straight but it feels extremely awkward when attempting to drive a ball. The question is, should I just continue with this bad habit that I'm fairly successful with or work at changing my +15 year self taught swing? 

I agree with filming it to make sure the arm is actually bending. Sounds like it's not a problem and most importantly it's probably not your priority piece. Even if it was bending and it was a problem the fix would be to focus on the cause, what's leading it to bend.

[Groucho Valentine]

Ive only seen my swing on vid a few of times, but theres a pretty noticeable kink in mine at the top. Similar to the golfer in the above photo. I would assume there always has been. Im told its due to a lack of flexibility through the chest and shoulders. It doesn't seem to negetitviely effect my ballstriking. What you do going the other way is more important. 

Edited March 29, 2017 by Groucho Valentine

[Spooky]

5 hours ago, CMartis said:

I do not keep my left arm straight when driving. All other clubs I'm able to because the swing is not as full. I've just started playing golf but I've been toying around with a driver since I was about 14 years old. I found an old driver and just started hacking at balls until I learned to hit them straight. No instruction what so ever. My drives are predominately straight and go at least 240, some times as far as about 280 if I get a really good hit. Now, everyone tells me to try and keep my left arm straight but it feels extremely awkward when attempting to drive a ball. The question is, should I just continue with this bad habit that I'm fairly successful with or work at changing my +15 year self taught swing? 

Congrats on your home made swing (the best type IMO)....If you're satisfied with the results, why tinker?...Straight left arm sounds great (in theory) but if you aren't capable of doing it without causing discomfort and disrupting what's natural for you, then it probably will cause chain reaction problems. I believe that everyone has natural swing mechanics, based on their own individual build, flexibility and ability. If you put a person (who knew nothing about golf instruction) on a deserted island, with a 7 iron and unlimited range balls, and returned 3 years later, they would have figured out their own natural swing. Listening to well meaning friends offer their opinions of what your swing should look like, can cause a lot of damage. Who's swing are they basing their "advice" on?...Jim Furyk?...or Craig Stadler?....or maybe Matt Kuchar....all different swings for different body types and abilities... 

[No Mulligans]

I have the habit of letting my left arm bend on the backswing.  But when I try to keep it straight I hit it better.  Keeping my left arm straight is one of my swing thoughts now.

[CMartis]

I found the video from my first day golfing on hole three at Green Valley Greens. It's a little 9 hole pasture course close to my house. I know you can't tell much from the angle but it's all I got at the moment. I definitely bend my elbow on the back swing. I'm pretty sure I bring the club back farther now also. I'll get some proper videos ASAP. Sorry about my buddy. He'd had a few. lol

 

[Buckeyebowman]

Here's my question. You say that your driver swing isn't as "full" as all your other clubs. How do you know this is so? And if it isn't so, why do you think it needs to be so?

Just get it back where your other clubs are. And if you bend your left arm, no one will assassinate you!

[iacas]

You sway, so you don't turn as much as you should, so your left arm bends.

[CMartis]

4 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Here's my question. You say that your driver swing isn't as "full" as all your other clubs. How do you know this is so? And if it isn't so, why do you think it needs to be so?

Just get it back where your other clubs are. And if you bend your left arm, no one will assassinate you!

I do not pull my irons as far back as I do the driver. I usually try to go a club up with irons and do a easier more controlled swing.  

3 minutes ago, iacas said:

You sway, so you don't turn as much as you should, so your left arm bends.

I see what you're saying. I'll give it a shot next time I go to the range. I'm playing Friday but I'd rather not play around with my swing a lot during a round. I'll see if I can get a proper video to post on the swing thread Friday if it's not to crowded. Thanks!

[mvmac]

15 minutes ago, iacas said:

You sway, so you don't turn as much as you should, so your left arm bends.

Yep @CMartis, like I said earlier, something else was causing it to bend and the hips swaying like that is much more important to correct.

 

[CMartis]

16 minutes ago, mvmac said:

Yep @CMartis, like I said earlier, something else was causing it to bend and the hips swaying like that is much more important to correct.

 

Awesome thanks man. Only 5 hours until I get up for "work" so I'll have to check it out then. Thanks again!

 

[CMartis]

Swing video has been posted in the member swing thread. I know posture is one of my big issues. If I don't think about it it is terrible.