holding left arm too firm---

---through takeaway/backswing?

I am attempting to correct swing issues by struggling to keep my left arm perfectly straight on the backswing, but it feels unnatural---though my accuracy improves somewhat when I am successful. I am also hung up on when my wrists should be breaking on the takeaway, and try to keep them straight/firm, for almost too long it seems before letting them "break", but do hit better when I pull this off.

Any advice would be helpful as to if I'm "doing the right thing" in firming up my left arm, and whether or not I just need to get used to the feeling of this---BTW, I think my right arm is doing what it should on the backswing by being not too knit to my side, but close.


Len

Your left arm will always bend a little but the idea is to try and keep it relative straight and relaxed. I think one of the major causes of this is linked to the right arm collapsing too early on the back swing. Try and keep both arms relatively straight to way past hip level, this will also help you to create swing width.

Here's a tip I use: Get a plastic 1.5 or 2 litre pop (soda) bottle, wash it out and cut off the top and the bottom. Slide the bottle up your left arm like a sleeve. This should prevent you from bending it too far. Hit a few balls with the bottle on then try to recreate the feeling wothout the bottle.

Paul

What if your arm is too big for a soda bottle?....
Doesnt apply to me..Have to go and find one now to try this out for fun.
Brian

Replying to the question should the left arm be kept straight
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Absolutely NOT

The majority of tour players bend their left arm 20 degrees at the top of the back swing

By keeping the left arm straight you create tension and instead of increasing your ARC WIDTH you are actually ddecreasing it. This happens because on the way down to the ball since you're arms are so tense they cinch in towards your body by decreasing arc width. The result a thin shot if not worse.

The left arm naturally straightens out on the way down to the ball

__________________
Jordy Scerbo
Golf Instructor

Do you ever see the Golf Channel Academy, or programmes like it? They show loads of slowed-down video sequences of Pro's hitting tee shots. At the top of their backswings, they get so much shoulder-turn with the left arm virtually straight, that it looks really weird.

Contrast this with the real-time pictures of the pro's hitting irons off the fairway, and it looks so bloody easy, smooth and relaxed.

No wonder I'm confused.