bent left arm

A friend of mine is damn near a scratch golfer and hits the ball a mile, but here's the thing. He bends his left arms just like a baseball player would. I always hear that bending the left arm is taboo and you should never do it, but I was wondering is he the exception to the rule or do other's out there play well by bending the left arm?

I read somewhere that most tour players have about a 20 degree bend in their left arms at the top of the backswing. That's not much, but it is not perfectly straight either. I wouldn't force it to the point that it feels strained.

It's not in the top 30 of important things in the swing.

I read that a little bend on the left hand is ok... Perhaps it has to do with one's overall flexibility.

I got the straight left arm no matter what advice when I first started golf. Like other absolutes that people advocate it is horrible advice. Depends on flexibility and probably just pure physical properties of an individual. I don't suggest you let if flop all over the place, relative to the back arm it is pretty straight, but don't go overboard. Your friend must have a big backswing and great timing.

I used to think the same thing, but after I had a lesson, the pro told me to bend my left arm slightly if I couldnt get the club pointing to my target at the top.

So you do really want it straight, but most of us amateurs are not as flexible as the pros!