Elbows close

[ole gray]

I'd be interested in hearing from some of you low handicappers about your elbows during the swing?  Bobby Jones advocated keeping the elbows close together. What are your thoughts?

[cnosil]

I guess I qualify as a low handicap.   Honestly I don't think about my elbows during the swing,  but they are close to together during the swing.  It is probably due to my turning the right are under so the bend in my arm faces more up than left.   

 

What are you trying to accomplish?

[ole gray]

This is more about the consensus of good golfers concerning the elbows as a unit. I have an old dude at my course that is very consistent and he pretty much keeps those elbows snug.

 

 

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[cnosil]

Looked at a couple of videos of my swing and I wouldn't say that they are snug.  You can take a look for yourself and judge.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vC6WHR8xvg

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfrzFJs_VMc

[ole gray]

Looked at a couple of videos of my swing and I wouldn't say that they are snug.  You can take a look for yourself and judge.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vC6WHR8xvg

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfrzFJs_VMc

 

What a beautiful golf swing!  I LOVE your timing and free flowing release.

[ole gray]

This is my feelings on the elbow thing:

 

To be honest, this ONE thing in Hogan's book, goofed me up for years. It is physically impossible for me to make much of a backswing with my left arm in the position shown in his book. Right arm? Sure, it points at the hip. But the only way I can turn with my left elbow pointing inward is I must rotate my left arm from the shoulder socket, which creates a big inside move on the way back.

 

 

At impact, the left arm has the elbow pointing basically down the line, not at your hip. Some old timer gave me this tip years ago, and this is the position I decided to start with, as that is where I wanted to get back to. From there, I could take the club straight back and not way back inside with a rotating arm. Post impact it rotates left but at impact, straight down the line.

[cnosil]

Thanks for the compliment on the swing. Have a couple of things I am working on; I am trying to shorten it a bit to avoid the shift forward at the end of the backswing so I can stay behind the ball through the downswing.

 

Regarding your swing, I fully support the approach of doing what you can to make the swing. A golf swing is personal and you have to do what you can physically do to get the club from address to impact. This is why I avoid reading, watching videos, or listening to someone that I haven't talked with about my swing and working on specific areas.

 

 

[SuperDave]

Now, I'm not even close to an expert. I couldn't even carry an experts clubs for them.

But, I'd like to weigh in and not sure if it will help. I'm not sure about keeping your elbows close, however I've heard you should keep your upper arms close to body. Which if you try it, it does bring your elbows closer together.

I myself have tried this and had moderate success. But, being the high handicapper I am, with no lessons yet, I take what I know and have learned in many places and do what's most comfortable for me. If I try to many things, it's slices and worm burners all day.

 

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[Kenny B]

Looked at a couple of videos of my swing and I wouldn't say that they are snug.  You can take a look for yourself and judge.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vC6WHR8xvg

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfrzFJs_VMc

Nice swing!  Oh, to be young again!!

 

 

At impact, the left arm has the elbow pointing basically down the line, not at your hip. Some old timer gave me this tip years ago, and this is the position I decided to start with, as that is where I wanted to get back to. From there, I could take the club straight back and not way back inside with a rotating arm. Post impact it rotates left but at impact, straight down the line.

Exactly the single plane swing.  The club doesn't actually go straight back, but comes inside with your body rotation.  When the body stops rotating, the trail arm folds bringing the club up and putting the club on the same plane as at address.  Then it's just a matter of rotating your lower body and bringing the club down to impact with hands leading.  Easy peasy, lemon squeazy!

[EthanSterlingPrice]

Ive always kept the right elbow in slightly but honestly for me it's not something I really focus on. If I hit the right spot at the top then my elbow did right in the backswing but it's different for everyone.

 

 

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[cksurfdude]

My $0.02 from another UN-low-handicapper ;-)

 

Ole Gray -

I think the term you're referring to is "connected" .. ie. the arms stay what the teachers call connected with the body through the backswing and then through the downswing...

 

CNosil does a *beautiful* job of this!!!

 

There are no "flying elbows" nor "chicken wings".

 

Hopefully this pic comes thru clear enough -- here is Julius Boros' instruction on position of the right (for right-handers) elbow during the backswing....

 

 

Side note:

There's another interesting thread somewhere about baseball swings vs golf swings .. including talk about the back elbow...

[ole gray]

My $0.02 from another UN-low-handicapper ;-)

 

Ole Gray -

I think the term you're referring to is "connected" .. ie. the arms stay what the teachers call connected with the body through the backswing and then through the downswing...

 

CNosil does a *beautiful* job of this!!!

 

There are no "flying elbows" nor "chicken wings".

 

Hopefully this pic comes thru clear enough -- here is Julius Boros' instruction on position of the right (for right-handers) elbow during the backswing....

 

IMG_20161229_110514282.jpg

 

Side note:

There's another interesting thread somewhere about baseball swings vs golf swings .. including talk about the back elbow...

Bingo .

 

Steve Stricker has a beautiful "connected" move through the ball. It looks so pure and simple.

 

 

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[revkev]

My teacher is constantly on me about tucking my right elbow

 

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[ole gray]

My teacher is constantly on me about tucking my right elbow

 

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About not tucking?

 

 

I look at it this way, you're either a tucker, or you're not. Non Tucker's like Jack Nicklaus somehow got er done so I suppose there's more ways to skin a catfish

 

 

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[revkev]

I'm not Jack Nicklaus and neither is anyone here just like I'm not Salvador Dali or Dizzy Gillespie. The greats break convention.

 

For the rest of us it's best to find the most efficient way to swing the club which is tucking the right elbow in.

 

Ultimately though you need to learn to play with the swing and ball flight that you have fitting it into the course that you're playing to shoot the lowest possible score.

 

I actually had to shoot away from the green from 176 yesterday. I didn't like the front pin over water with the best result being a slick 40 do it down holler whether I tuck my elbow on the five iron or not.

 

I shot away from the green and water, ended up short left, pitched to 2 feet and wrote 38 down for my front nine.

 

That's something that I wouldn't have done when I was 20, 30, 40 or even 50.

 

So you asked low handicappers about keeping the arms close or not. I'm a low handicapper who has had 3 teachers in his career plus attended a Jimmy Ballard and all advocated keeping the elbow tucked or staying connected.

 

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[ole gray]

I'm not Jack Nicklaus and neither is anyone here just like I'm not Salvador Dali or Dizzy Gillespie. The greats break convention.

 

For the rest of us it's best to find the most efficient way to swing the club which is tucking the right elbow in.

 

Ultimately though you need to learn to play with the swing and ball flight that you have fitting it into the course that you're playing to shoot the lowest possible score.

 

I actually had to shoot away from the green from 176 yesterday. I didn't like the front pin over water with the best result being a slick 40 do it down holler whether I tuck my elbow on the five iron or not.

 

I shot away from the green and water, ended up short left, pitched to 2 feet and wrote 38 down for my front nine.

 

That's something that I wouldn't have done when I was 20, 30, 40 or even 50.

 

So you asked low handicappers about keeping the arms close or not. I'm a low handicapper who has had 3 teachers in his career plus attended a Jimmy Ballard and all advocated keeping the elbow tucked or staying connected.

 

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I trust the Rev . Happy New Years partner!

 

 

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[revkev]

You as well.

 

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[Big Canoer]

Well if you simply state "keep the right elbow tucked in" you must clarify it to "on the backswing for the first half reach out with both arms stretched as far as physically possible then as the backswing continues the right elbow will naturally tuck in". Now on the downswing keep the right elbow tucked in until you swing out stretching the right arm following through to target,blah, blah, blah
But as The Rev states every golfer out there is unique and physically different which is why you need a good instructor watching "YOU" and tweaking your swing.
All this to say that Ole Gray is right about keeping the elbow in but all in moderation so to say.
I am not an instructor however I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night ⛳

Here is a good YouTube video showing what I mean. 5 part series but still wortth going through them all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-VQ8DYu09E&list=PLuW6Y8xF1injwRjr5wlwRFKMe_NyJGmDn

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[ole gray]

Well if you simply state "keep the right elbow tucked in" you must clarify it to "on the backswing for the first half reach out with both arms stretched as far as physically possible then as the backswing continues the right elbow will naturally tuck in". Now on the downswing keep the right elbow tucked in until you swing out stretching the right arm following through to target,blah, blah, blah 🏌️

But as The Rev states every golfer out there is unique and physically different which is why you need a good instructor watching "YOU" and tweaking your swing.

All this to say that Ole Gray is right about keeping the elbow in but all in moderation so to say.

I am not an instructor however I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night ⛳️

 

 

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Lol some awesome advice & wisdom in this thread. Thanks guys for the input 🏌️

 

 

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[Golfspy_CG2]

Good stuff in here guys. Thanks.

 

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[Kor.A.Door]

I can say for me that if I don't keep left elbow connected during my swing, and let it fly away from my body, my ball start right and continue going right. (Nasty pull hook) I can tell about half through the downswing that it happened, but it's too late, so I grab a new ball and try again.

[EthanSterlingPrice]

About not tucking?

 

 

I look at it this way, you're either a tucker, or you're not. Non Tucker's like Jack Nicklaus somehow got er done so I suppose there's more ways to skin a catfish

 

 

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but the catfish won't like any of them

 

 

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[ole gray]

Chipping around the green costing ya strokes?  Try this:

 

 

http://www.golf.com/instruction/how-hanger-can-turn-your-flubbed-shots-tap-ins

[bullldog]

O. G. Here is a snapshot of one of my Golftec lessons. (me & Adam Scott)

We were doing comparisons. I straightened out my leg cause of back injury... I digress. Check out our elbows

 

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[ole gray]

O. G. Here is a snapshot of one of my Golftec lessons. (me & Adam Scott)

We were doing comparisons. I straightened out my leg cause of back injury... I digress. Check out our elbows

2017-01-08 17.27.14.jpg

 

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I'm no swing coach but it looks good to me!

 

 

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[Kenny B]

O. G. Here is a snapshot of one of my Golftec lessons. (me & Adam Scott)

We were doing comparisons. I straightened out my leg cause of back injury... I digress. Check out our elbows

2017-01-08 17.27.14.jpg

 

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Nice outfit!  If you had a white hat, I couldn't tell you and Scott apart.   

[Kor.A.Door]

O. G. Here is a snapshot of one of my Golftec lessons. (me & Adam Scott)

We were doing comparisons. I straightened out my leg cause of back injury... I digress. Check out our elbows

2017-01-08 17.27.14.jpg

 

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The elbows are the same, but if you look at your wrists, you can see how you're left wrist is cupped, and his is flat. Which would mean that the clubhead is in a different position during the transition.

[vcrodelle]

I thought I have always used when I start struggling is to imagine a delicate string tying my elbows together and swing so I don't break it.  Seems to work for me

[ole gray]

I thought I have always used when I start struggling is to imagine a delicate string tying my elbows together and swing so I don't break it.  Seems to work for me

 

I like this swing thought!    Every time I had a pre swing thought of keeping my elbows together I hit the ball in the fairway off the tee.   When I started flipping em like a Texas bull in a Saturday night rodeo, all hell broke loose.  

[catchmeoutside]

The elbows are the same, but if you look at your wrists, you can see how you're left wrist is cupped, and his is flat. Which would mean that the clubhead is in a different position during the transition.

 

Yes exactly. Cupped wrist at the top can cause issues squaring the clubface at impact.