What is the left arm golf swing and how can it help you hit the ball straighter and further with no slice? In this tutorial guide, I’ll teach about this simple move you can implement to fix your golf swing!
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What is the Left Arm Golf Swing?
The left arm golf swing is a popular tip for golfers to hit straighters and longer golf shots. This method encourages you to focus on what your left arm is doing (for right-handed golfers). Proper club head and club path management are crucial for achieving a balanced and effective swing.
Your left arm guides the swing arc, controls your radius, and keeps things more consistent, which can significantly improve your distance and ensure better contact with the golf ball. When you train your swing around the left arm, you naturally start to eliminate a lot of the extra, unnecessary movements, allowing you to generate more power.
Benefits & Purpose
- Simplifies Swing Thought Process: Focus on one key element rather than juggling multiple swing thoughts.
- Improves Consistency: A more repeatable swing arc thanks to the lead arm guiding the motion and enhancing club head speed.
- Reduces Tension and Overcompensation: Less reliance on the dominant hand or trying to “muscle” the ball.
- Promotes Better Rotation: The body naturally follows in sync when the left arm leads, utilizing the lead side effectively.
- Great for Everyone: Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your swing, this method can easily help by focusing on the left shoulder’s role.
- More Effortless Power: You generate more power through rhythm and leverage, not brute force.
How to Perform the Left Arm Golf Swing
- Set up as usual in your regular address position. The feet are shoulder-width apart, have a relaxed grip, and have a nice posture. But take a moment to feel more awareness in your left arm.
- Take the club back with the left arm. Think of your left arm as your swing’s guide rail. As you take the club back, let the left arm stay extended and relaxed. You’re not yanking it, just letting it glide back smoothly.
- Let the shoulders rotate with the arm. You’re not swinging only with your arm. As the left arm goes back, your shoulders naturally rotate. This creates a nice, connected takeaway without forcing anything.
- At the top of the backswing, your left arm should feel extended but not stiff. You’re maintaining width, which helps with power and control. Think of it like you’re loading up energy.
- From the top, just let your left arm lead the club down. This is the crucial down swing phase where your left elbow should point down after the follow-through. No jerking or hitting from the right hand. You’re pulling the club down and through with that same guiding left arm, keeping everything in sync.
- As your left arm brings the club through, your hips and chest should naturally follow. Allow your left heel to rise slightly to aid in achieving a better pivot. Your left arm rotates close to the chest, ensuring stability and control of the club face.
- After impact, you should feel like your left arm “carried” the club into the finish. At this point, if you stay relaxed, your follow-through will feel balanced and smooth.
Left Arm Golf Swing Drills and Exercises
- Left Arm Only Swings (Half Swings to Start): Grab a wedge or short iron, and take some relaxed half swings using just your left arm. You’ll immediately feel how your body has to support the motion. Don’t worry about hitting the ball far; focus on balance and control.
- Towel Under Arm Drill: Place a towel under your left armpit and try to keep it there during your swing. This helps you stay connected and prevents your left arm from flying out of sync with your body. Ensure your left elbow points down towards the ground after the follow-through to maintain control and balance.
- Mirror Practice: Stand before a mirror and slowly rehearse your swing with your left arm leading the motion. Watch how your body follows, and check your positions. This gives you visual feedback and helps reinforce the feel.
- Slow Motion Swings: Take your normal stance and go through your full swing in slow motion, emphasizing your left arm guiding the club. This is an underrated drill, as slowing things down helps your brain and body sync up.
- Left-Handed Throws (No Club): Mimic a golf swing motion and pretend you’re tossing a ball underhanded with your left hand. It trains rhythm, sequencing, and extension, all keys to the left arm swing. Focus on throwing the club downwards to maintain control and increase club head speed.
- One Armed Swing: Forget about your right hand for a second and practice the motion and position of only your left arm swinging action.
- Video Analysis: Record your swing and review the footage to identify areas for improvement. Video analysis allows you to see your movements clearly and make necessary adjustments to enhance your technique and performance.
Benefits of Proper Left Arm Position
- A stable left arm helps you maintain the same swing arc every time, which means fewer wild shots and more predictability off the tee or fairway.
- When your left arm stays extended (but relaxed), it helps you create width in your swing, which creates leverage. That leads to effortless power instead of trying to muscle the ball.
- A good left-arm position helps keep your clubface more square through impact, which means straighter shots and fewer hooks or slices by maintaining a proper club path.
- When the left arm leads, your body moves more naturally and in sync. The swing feels smoother, and your timing improves, which is crucial for navigating the challenges of a golf course.
- If your left arm does its job, your right-hand doesn’t have to take over and “save” the swing. That means fewer rushed or forced shots, as the trail arm can maintain control and balance.
- A well-positioned left arm promotes better rotation and shallowing of the club, helping you strike the ball first and then the turf—hello, crisp iron shots.
Left Arm Position Through Different Swing Phases
Once you focus on your left arm in your golf swing, you’ll quickly realize how important the club head and club path are through every phase, not just the backswing. How your left shoulder moves and stays connected can be the difference between a fluid, powerful swing and one that feels off-balance or inconsistent.
Ensure your left elbow is pointing down towards the ground during the follow-through to avoid overpowering the swing. Properly rotating your upper body, including your chest and shoulders, is crucial for maintaining balance and control of the club throughout the swing.
Setup and Address Position
At address, your left arm should be relaxed, extended, and forming a straight line with the club shaft. You’re not locking it out stiff, but you don’t want it bent. This sets up your swing radius and puts you in a strong, connected position to begin your takeaway. The thoracic spine should be aligned with the lumbar spine to ensure a balanced posture.
- A slight bend in the elbow is okay, but overall, it should feel extended.
- Let it hang naturally from your shoulder; there should be no tension or forced angles.
- Think of it as the bridge between your body and the clubface.
Takeaway Movement
As you start your backswing, your left arm leads the motion, and your body follows. The goal is to move the arm and club away from the ball smoothly.
- The left arm stays extended and close to your chest.
- Push down on the golf club during the takeaway to maintain control and balance.
- Shoulders begin to rotate, but the arm controls the tempo.
Top of Backswing Position
Your left arm is your anchor at the top of your backswing, keeping the swing wide and in rhythm. You want it to remain straight, helping you maintain structure.
- Your left arm should be across your chest, forming a wide arc.
- Your right arm should tuck into your right side to facilitate proper rotation while your left arm moves up.
- Try to avoid any breakdown (bending) or collapse at the elbow.
- The club should feel supported by the structure created through your lead arm and shoulder turn.
Impact Position and Follow-Through
At impact, your left arm returns to that straight position it had at setup. It’s now driving through the ball, guiding the clubface into the right path and controlling the strike.
- The arm is still extended, helping deliver a square face and generating high club head speed.
- Your left wrist should be flat (or slightly bowed), not cupped.
- Through follow-through, the left arm extends toward the target before naturally folding up, similar to the motion of throwing a ball.
What If You Are a Left Handed Golfer?
If you’re a left-handed golfer and you’re hearing all this talk about the left arm leading the swing and now you’re wondering if it applies to you, the answer is yes, but flipped.
Most golf tips are geared toward right-handed players by default. So, when talking about the “left arm golf swing,” we are talking about the lead arm closest to the target.
For a left-handed golfer, the right arm is your lead arm. Everything that’s said about the left arm for righties can be mirrored and used for your right arm instead.
