Is it possible to rely on your arms too much?
The biggest swing killer is an "armsy" golf swing.The biggest swing killer is an "armsy" golf swing. The forearms over-rotate and the club winds up awkwardly behind you. Now you're on the wrong swing path, and it's an uphill battle to get back on track. You'll struggle to hinge your wrists, and anything you do to compensate just kills your speed.
No momentum, no power. No power, no distance and very little chance of accuracy.
Let’s fix that.
Width
A good swing is not just in the arms. It’s a team effort between your arms and your shoulders. If your shoulders don’t move with your arms, you’re massively limiting your swing. The arms just slap across the chest, and even if the clubhead does somehow find its way to the ball, your power and accuracy are already compromised.
Your “width” is how far you extend your hands away from your chest. Assuming that grip, posture, and alignment are all correct, how can we achieve the width necessary to generate maximum speed and hit the ball further?
Width, in this case, comes down to shoulder rotation. It is driven by the shoulders and the arms being 100% in sequence with each other. They absolutely cannot work independently of each other.
Shoulder Rotation
Setup as usual. As you pull the club away, look at your left hand and left shoulder (reversed for left-handed golfers). The left hand and left shoulder should work together as you build your swing. As you perfect this rotation, excellent sequencing will follow.
You can rotate as much as you’d like going back, but if you’re not effectively rotating going through, the path will alter, the clubface will change, and your shot will be inconsistent.
The Swing
Once you’re set up and your arm and shoulder rotate in unison, the next step is to be patient. At this point, let gravity take its course--all the while maintaining that fluid rotation coming through towards the target. Imagine you’re rotating your shoulder through the ball.
Once you clear your left hip, keep your left leg firm as the rest of you continues to rotate. At this point, rotate with hinge right through the target.
Common Pitfalls To Avoid
1. Arms and shoulders fall out of sync
Don’t let your arms get ahead of your shoulders, or you’ll end up too much on the inside. If your arms are too high, you’ll be too much on the outside.
2. Chicken wing arms
This is a consequence of not rotating towards the target. Some people let their arms go mid-swing, so the arms end up folding (a bit like chicken wings) when you come back and recoil.
Are you more of a visual learner? Check out our video to see what fantastic rotation looks like in practice
Not Sure You’re Doing it Right?
Practice makes perfect--unless you end up practicing a poor swing. Make sure you’re getting it right every time with PlaneSWING, the world’s #1 golf swing training aid. The more you know what a perfect swing feels like, the ingrained that repetitive motion will be when you hit the fairway.
Check out our step-by-step instructional video to see how PlaneSWING can make fluid rotation and a powerful swing second nature. Learn what would usually take hours of training in minutes.
“My personal guarantee to you is better golf through improved understanding of the simple biomechanics of the golf swing and how, with the help of PlaneSWING, you can transform you swing, ball striking, scores AND personal fitness”.
Tony Clark, Owner/CEO PlaneSWING Golf
