Is your right arm taking over your swing? If you are right handed, you are most likely playing with right handed golf clubs. Unfortunately the extra strength in your right arm may be overpowering your swing. This may be the cause for your inconsistent swing problems.
The power for your swing comes from your straight left arm and wrist release at the point of impact. The key functions for your right arm are to create lag at the top of your swing and to keep your shoulders moving through your swing plane. If you allow your stronger right arm, wrist and hand to dominate your swing, you can lose control of your swing.
Swing Problems that your Stronger Right Arm Can Cause
• An early release or casting of the wrist at the top of your swing.
• An early turn of your shoulders preventing the swing from the inside slot.
• An early turn of your wrist release at the point of impact causes a duck hook.
• A death grip which kills the whipping action of your left wrist at the point of impact.
• Tight arm muscles which shorten your arms so that your impact is at the toe of your club.
Knowing that your stronger right arm may be the culprit that causes your inconsistent swing is the important starting point to improve the consistency of your swing.
SOLUTION: Use Your Practice Swing to Test for Swing Changes
At the practice range your muscles are loose and relaxed. Your mind and body may change when you start your round of golf. Use a full practice swing to compare the setup position of your club head with the impact point of your club head (as it whooshes through the impact point). This point may be changing as you stretch out or tighten your muscles during your round of golf.
First tee nerves; anger thinking about your last mishit; fear about hazards ahead and excitement caused by your last successful shot are all reasons why your body tightens or loosens throughout your round of golf. These changes are most likely the cause for your inconsistencies.
Jason Day was missing fairways with his drives. He was frustrated so his tight muscles may have been killing his drives.
On Day #3 of the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club, Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama both lost their driving accuracy. When the pressure is on, even the pros can lose control of their minds and bodies. They needed miraculous shots to stay in contention.
1/ Set up in a comfortable position with your hands hanging down directly below your shoulders.
2/ Take a full practice swing to see if your club head is traveling across your setup point.
3/ If your right arm is taking control of your swing, you may see that your club head swings inside or outside of your setup point. If this occurs, move up or back from your ball to compensate for the mishit distance in your practice swing. Then go ahead and make the perfect shot.
Your dominant trailing arm muscles are relaxing and tightening as you play your round of golf. Practice with GOLFSTR+ to learn to swing with a straight leading arm and avoid letting your trailing arm ruin the consistency of your swing. Buy one today at www.golfstr.com
If you follow PAUL WILSON ,the Star Golf Teacher ,and all top players on the Tour ,you know you should swing with “POWERLESS ARMS .The power is generated by the lower body and the fast rotation of the hips .So there’s no need to exert any power with either arm ,they just swiing through
I do agree that you start your downswing with the bump and rotation of your hips to generate more power but most of your power has to be coming from your club head speed. Most of that speed is coming from the whipping release of your wrists at the bottom of your swing.
Your hip rotation adds to the power of your swing by the coiling and uncoiling of your body as you swing and release your arms but your wrists are generating the real power. Try swinging a club with your hips and 2 straight arms. They will only generate a hit that is about 30% of the distance when you add lag and release of your wrists.
Hi Raymond,
I agree totally that the whipping release of your wrists create most of the head speed of your club. My only concern is with your trailing wrist overpowering the whipping action and creating a duck hook. Just relax and let the release of your leading wrist create the power that you want.