You see…I have hyper mobile elbows and shoulders, and as that was very good for my javelin throwing days, in golf I’m finding it’s not so good. Especially in the left elbow.

After nearly 20 years of studying the golf swing, taking hundreds of lessons, buying all the instruction DVDs, etc., I recently came across a fault that I think may change my entire golf swing, so I hope by writing about it, it may help you as well.

I had my son take a quick picture (after a workout) to show you how my left elbow hyper-extends.

So what happens is, at address I basically lock it (without knowing it until now), which hyper-extends it and creates a ton of tension up into my left shoulder. Now going back, that might be okay, but coming down into impact this is a major problem.

You see…the left elbow needs to be able to bend (release) shortly after impact to achieve the proper release of your hands, as well as maintain the connection to your body with your upper arm.

I want to make perfectly clear that your left elbow should not overly bend in the takeaway, or at the top of your backswing, but it also, should not be locked (hyper-extended) like mine either.

So the best of both worlds is to feel like the elbow is soft (just slightly bent a fraction) at address; during your backswing, and definitely coming down and into impact, and beyond.

When I came upon this revelation, I realize this was causing a “jammed up” feeling at impact (see image below) with my left shoulder scrunching up into my traps, and it was actually blocking my release of the club.

At this point in the golf swing (impact), my left elbow should start to bend, and the upper left arm re-connect to my side for my club to swing back to the inside naturally. As you can see in the above picture, this will not happen with a locked, hyper-extended elbow.

When I let my left elbow bend at this point, my hands release easily and naturally, and my left upper arm comes back in close to my side with the club freely swinging left around my body.

I am quite excited to go out and work on this, as I know in my gut, improving the motion of my left arm in my golf swing will help me compress the ball, and take a nice dollar-sized divot, “after the ball”.

Want To Learn The Correct Connection For Longer Drives

Along with this swing change I’m making, I’m using the golf swing connection aid to help me learn the correct feel of my left arm staying connected to my body coming through impact.

Most amateurs (myself included) have never learned the very fine movements of the lower arm, wrists and hands through impact, and when you do, you’ll be amazed at how different it is from what you’re doing now.

We’re going to focus on the critical area of 2 feet before impact, and 2 feet after impact. Take a look at pre-impact below. Notice how the right upper arm is connected to body, with the right elbow directly in front of the hip.

The lower right arm (forearm) is rotated counter-clockwise, with the right wrist bent back on itself. This is a very powerful pre-impact position, loaded with a ton of lag.

This is a position you can work on in front of a mirror in your home or office. Get in this exact position, and look at it intently in front of the mirror, then look down at it to get a different view of it.

I want you to really feel this position. Get it implanted in your brain. The more you can get this in your head, the better it will automatically happen when you swing.

Now that you have this ingrained, lets take it to the “moment of truth”…impact!

Look at the below picture and see what the right lower arm (forearm), wrist and hand has done.

In looking at the above picture, you first must realize this golfer has rotated (pivoted) through impact, to get to that position. This was not an independent move of just the arms.

Look at how much the hips and shoulders have rotated to get there. This is critical to know when you do this drill in front of a mirror. With that being said, one of the only changes in these 2 positions is the extension in the right elbow, which nearly straightens the right arm.

But also notice the turning down of the last three knuckles of the left hand. This is very much a Ben Hogan move (bowing of left wrist at impact) which produces amazing compression on the golf ball.

Doing this drill will “educate your hands” as to the exact motion for a powerful impact. I’m confident to say, most, if not all amateur golfers have not achieved these positions, and when done correctly will feel quite different.

Want To Speed Up Your Learning

In the above pictures, the golfer is using a unique golf wrist release aid that is not on any other website but this one.

The hips play a crucial role in not only power, but also how well you strike the ball on a consistent basis. Because the hips are part of your lower body, they are also part of your foundation or support to the ground.

There are several things the hips must do in your golf swing, but like anything else, overdoing it can also cause big problems. Getting this right should be of the utmost of importance to you if you want a powerful and consistent golf swing.

Hips Must Rotate

Because the golf swing is rotational, the hips must rotate too! It can be quite misleading to see the minimal hip rotation of the younger players on tour, and how much their upper body rotates, but this is not possible for most golfers, especially the ones over 50.

Your hips need to feel free. They need to easily rotate back and through during your swing. As long as you rotate your right hip back (behind you) during your backswing, without the right knee moving sideways, you’ll have maximum hip rotation, that creates a lot of coil in your core aread.

During the backswing your left hip ONLY responds to the rotation of your right hip, it does NOT independently rotate, nor does it cause the left knee to kick in too much during your backswing.

Golf Tip: In your takeaway, focus on your right pocket going directly behind you as much as it can.

Level Hips Throughout Golf Swing

I am currently working on this. If you rotate properly into your right hip, your hips should remain level, allowing you to make a downswing that is on plane, and compresses the golf ball.

If you’re like me, you may slide off the ball during the takeaway, then your right hip gets higher than your left at the top of your swing, causing you to come up, and back out of the shot to even make contact with the ball. If you hit thin shots, off the toe, you may be making this mistake.

Learning To Pivot In Your Golf Swing

I am a believer that the pivot of your body (hip rotation, and upper body rotation), is what hits the golf ball (think Hunter Mahan). If you have made a proper turn of both your lower and upper body going back (pivot), all you need to do is unleash this pivot coming down and through. I know it sounds easy, and it’s not, but you can make it that simple when you learn to make a proper pivot in your golf swing.

The Easy Way To Achieve The Correct Pivot To Hit Longer Shots

For most golfers, myself included, it is very difficult to make physical changes by just pounding golf balls. I use an aid that teaches me the proper feel of a powerful pivot. When you click on the image below, I want you to watch the video on that page. It may very well change your game forever!

I’m a very analytical person and golfer, and sometimes that gets the best of me, but I knew I had to fix this fault, or I’d continue to struggle with my inconsistent swing and mishits. If I can tell you one thing to always remember it’s to “eliminate as many moving parts in your swing as possible“, and for me the right arm (specifically elbow) was a biggy.

Being on-plane is critical to golf swing consistency and solid ball striking, so simplying your backswing, and removing wasted motion in your right arm should be a focal point for sure.

Don’t Bend Right Arm Too Early

One thing you MUST not do is bend your right arm too early in your swing. This causes the club to be taken too far to the inside, too quickly, and gets the club out-of-sync with your body, as the hands and arms are now moving independently of your body.

Instead, focus on the triangle of your shoulders, arms and hands moving in one-piece for as long as you can in the takeaway, which is usually when the club hits parallel to the ground and your toe line.

Do Not Rotate Right Arm Too Early

I want you to really focus on this one-piece takeaway, because if you rotate your right arm too early, again, the club will immediately be off plane, and too far to the inside, and you will then lift the club to the top, with a false shoulder turn, resulting in no coil (stored energy) in your core muscles.

The right arm will naturally rotate as you go back, but should not be an independent motion. This is where many golfers (me included) make the swing too complicated, with too many moving parts.

Bend Your Right Elbow Late In The Swing

Once you learn the one-piece takeaway, and get a feel for no independent movement of arms or hands, you’ll start to feel a true shoulder turn in your backswing. Now…here’s where you really need to pay attention. Once your shoulder turn is nearly complete (85%), the club will be beyond parallel to the ground, then you let your right elbow bend to complete your shoulder turn and get to the top of your backswing in the correct position.

One critical point, and it’s one I struggle with even today. Do not EVER let your right elbow bend more than 90 degrees. If you do (like I use to), your club will go across the line at the top of your swing, and be pointing right of your target. This means, when you come down, you’ll either have to come “over the top”, or flip it to hit it straight or left. Not good!

Here’s A Quick Way To Fix It

If you want a quicker path to learning the proper, on-plane golf backswing, see how the Golf Swing Plane Trainer works to help keep your swing on plane.

Take a look at this picture of my left wrist cocking up. That is the only action your lead wrist does. It doesn’t bend side-to-side.

Golf Tip (Drill)

Get in your address posture. Right now. Clasp your hands together as if you are holding a golf club. Now…the ONLY movement you are going to do is cock both your wrists straight up. If you had a club in your hands, the club would come off the ground several feet.

When you do this move, that is the ONLY move you do with your wrists in the entire golf swing.

A common swing fault (and one I fight all the time) is rolling the wrists to start the club going back. What this causes is the club to be yanked too far to the inside, and then a lifting (vertical) of the arms to get to the top of the backswing. The club is now off-plane, so when you come down, you need to make a compensation to get it back on plane, with the proper wrist lag, to produce maximum power at impact.

Recommend Training Aid

If you struggle with achieving the proper wrist hinge in your golf swing, take a look at our swing aid for learning the correct hinging of the wrists.

Tap on the image below, and make sure to watch the video on that page!

Just look at Tiger Woods below. This was take a few years ago when his golf swing was at its best. Look how his hands are ahead of the ball. Also, the forward lean of his shaft.

If you are a passionate golfer, you will agree with me that there is nothing better in golf than hitting the middle of the clubface, and effortlessly feeling the ball EXPLODE of your clubface going long and straight.

The only issue, if you’re like me, is we have the wrong sense or feeling of impact. I had never been taught what real impact in golf is. How it should look, and more importantly how it should FEEL.

Until now!

I came across this revolutionary golf impact training club called the Tour Striker. I have never, ever hit balls with a club like this! It changed EVERYTHING for me in an INSTANT. I am now hitting my irons 14 yards further, and for the first time, taking a nice divot AFTER the ball.

Highly Recommended

If you struggle with thin or bladed shots, as well as fat and heavy ones, you should take a look at the Tour Striker Impact Training club.

You can click on the image below to learn more.

First off, if you are like the golfer on the left, then you are a prime candidate for this article and approach. If you’re a happy golfer, then keep on doing what you’re doing.

Most of you have been playing golf for quite some time right? If so, then you have a basic understanding of golf swing fundamentals. I’m talking grip, posture, ball position, takeaway, top of golf swing and downswing. So if you’re like me you’ve hit hundreds, maybe even thousands of golf balls with no improvement.

What if instead of hitting more balls, you started to understand the proper “feel” of the golf swing? Really get into it. When you get this feel, now visualize yourself doing it over and over again. You can do this at work (be careful), at home. Anywhere. When you’re visualizing your swing, feel in your mind your body swinging the clubs. Internalize it.

I’m sure you’ve heard of visualization techniques. And how about the statement that golf is 90% mental? If you can start using this technique and really get into it, you’ll be amazed how much better you start hitting the golf ball. You will know what your body is supposed to do, and your brain will send the message of what to do. No “62-point” checklist, or 5 minute pre-shot routine before every shot.

They have done studies on this, and the people that visualize themselves doing the movement or activity correctly do as good or better than someone who physically practices.

It’s worth a shot. It’s only your time, not money.

So get back to me after you’ve applied this, and let me know if you can play better golf without practice.

Here’s 7 Simple Steps To A Better Golf Swing

• Grip
• Posture
• Ball Position
• Takeaway
• Top Of Backswing
• Downswing
• Impact

Grip

Your golf grip is your ONLY connection to your club. If you do not hold the club properly, you will not come into impact with a square clubface.

The first thing he noticed was my grip on the golf club. It was WAY WRONG! So wrong in fact he said I had no chance at any consistency because I could never get the clubface back to square with such a grip that was not correct.

After Geoff showed me how to grip a golf club the proper way, it felt so foreign to me, it took me a while to feel like I could hit a golf ball. I had it more towards my palm in my left hand; my left hand was a bit weak; and my right hand was not on top of the golf club like it should have been. So little did I know, I had a weak golf grip.

For those of you who don’t know what a weak golf grip looks like, the below picture will give you an idea. I could have made it even weaker with both the left and right hand, but you’ll see how my left hand is turned to far to the left, which will make it very hard to return back to square at impact.

My corrected grip which is much better, is a strongish grip, which is more suited to compress the ball, and send it straight most of the time. You’ll notice my left hand is turned more to the right, showing almost 3 knuckles, and the right hand is right on top. Geoff compared my new grip to Hogan, and I got chills. It was a near perfect golf grip next to Hogan’s.

If you can get anything out of this article, I hope you see a more compressed ball, that pierces through the wind straight at your target.

In order to hit compressed irons that go straight and a consistent distance you must have certain requirements met. Forward leaning shaft. Center face contact. Hands ahead driving through the golf ball. The Taly Mind Set will help you get a better feel for these sensations.

I’ve put together a thorough review of this training aid. Click on the Taly Mind Set Review to read more.