Left elbow position

[OB again]

Can anyone help with some drills for keeping my left elbow from pointing down the target line at impact (Right handed)?

I have literally spent thousands on golf lessons. Been strapped and videoed, lessons on the range, etc…, and it’s always “Got to go more turn with your left hand to square the club face”. All this accomplished was to ingrate a huge flip, as I try to get more hand action. I finally gave up and just started videoing myself, and I found that my left elbow just naturally wants to stay pointed down the target line. That makes it almost impossible to get my left hand turned properly. I can make slow movements and when the elbow is pointed down, it’s really easy to turn the face over, but as soon as I get anywhere near a normal swing, my elbow will not turn back down through the downswing.

Any help would be most appreciated!

[boogielicious]

3 hours ago, OB again said:

Can anyone help with some drills for keeping my left elbow from pointing down the target line at impact (Right handed)?

I have literally spent thousands on golf lessons. Been strapped and videoed, lessons on the range, etc…, and it’s always “Got to go more turn with your left hand to square the club face”. All this accomplished was to ingrate a huge flip, as I try to get more hand action. I finally gave up and just started videoing myself, and I found that my left elbow just naturally wants to stay pointed down the target line. That makes it almost impossible to get my left hand turned properly. I can make slow movements and when the elbow is pointed down, it’s really easy to turn the face over, but as soon as I get anywhere near a normal swing, my elbow will not turn back down through the downswing.

Any help would be most appreciated!

Welcome to The Sand Trap. First, there is a lot of bad instruction/advise out there sad to say. It makes many golfers poorer players and in the wallet. That being said, The Sand Trap is here to help. We have a Member Swings section where you can post video of your swing. The better golfers and instructors on this site have been very helpful to many of us using that Section. Also, others who have had the same issues can relate their experience with what helped fixed the issue. So I recommend starting there.

Second, we have an instructional content thread that is very helpful (below). I would avoid giving yourself information overload at first though. Post a video and let us help you.

 

 

[billchao]

Don't turn your hands, turn your body.

[alfriday]

OB again,

 

You sound a lot like me.  I took lessons for years, had my swing videotaped, measured, analyzed and picked apart in every way possible.  The lessons helped some; they led to short term, but not sustainable improvement.  Nevertheless, the lessons were overall ineffective because they concentrated on body parts, positions, etc.  The lessons led to bandaids and compensations, not a fundamentally sound, natural swing.

 

The left elbow problem you describe is probably caused by something happening earlier in your swing.  It is not something that can be corrected by hand action or consciously trying to keep the elbow in.  It is a symptom, not a cause.  As billchao mentions, you probably aren't turning your body.  

 

I suggest a sea change in thinking about the swing.  My sea change occurred when I found Shawn Clements videos on youtube.  I generally shy away from on line tips, but Shawn has an integrated approach.  I recommend you spend some time with his videos and his approach to learning to feel a good swing.  

 

Start with the feet together drill and feet together perpetual motion drill.  

 

 

The perpetual motion part is to do the swing back and through and repeat over and over with out stopping.  If you have a flying left elbow, you will not be able to maintain balance and swing back to the right.  You have to stay balanced and turn completely to do do the drill.  

Other drills that help are the one leg drill, one leg perpetual motion and feet apart perpetual motion.  

 

As for the arm motion, check out his swing the sword videos, kettlebell drill, toss the club and toss the farm hammer videos.  I know from experience, it is nearly impossible to throw a hammer forward to a target with manipulations in the arms or hands.  

 

I have found Shawn's teaching very beneficial.  But, you don't have to buy completely into his approach to get a lot of benefit from the drills.    

 

 

 

[OB again]

Sounds like good advice. I'm going to try and get the gopro setup and post a video. 

Thanks!

[mvmac]

11 hours ago, OB again said:

Can anyone help with some drills for keeping my left elbow from pointing down the target line at impact (Right handed)?

Couples reasons why I wouldn't worry about it.

1. Whatever you're seeing at impact is just an effect of other things happening before it. Fix the cause, not the effect. Like others have suggested, start a swing thread.

2. Having the left elbow point at the target is a characteristic of many great players. Having the elbow point down can lead to the face "rolling" too much and get the path across the ball.