Tiger's Right Elbow

How does Tiger get his right elbow in such a incredible position at the top of his backswing? It's pointing down and in front of his body better than anybody else on tour... is there something in his setup that he does, or something during his takeaway that gets him in this position. I would like to get in a similar position to steepen my swing a little, but when I try to imitate him, I end up putting a lot of tension in my left arm (I'm a leftie). I am very flexible and strong, so there are no physical limitations here for me, just mental limitations ("hardly ever been the case before..."). Thanks for the help fellas.

If you are looking for the correct position at the top of the backswing, the check point at the top of the backswing is the 'waiter position' or the 90* check:

upper arm (bicep/tricep) is 90* to your right side (bend at shoulder)
forearm is 90* to your upper arm (bend at elbow)
hand is 90* to your forearm (bend at wrist)

Thanks Gord, I am familiar with the correct position, I'm just curious what Tiger does differently than everybody else to get in this position, especially while staying tension-free.

You don't want to stay tension free. The tension is where you speed and power comes from. Take a rubber band for example, the more you stretch it, the more tension is placed on the elastic. When you release the tension, the distance the elasitc will travel is related to the amount of tension that was placed on the elastic just before release. Same goes for your body. You want to build as much coil (tension) as you can so that when you uncoil, the tension is released and you have more speed.

As for Tiger's elbow, if it is pointing down infront of his body, he has already started the downswing with his arms and he is pulling his right arm down to his right hip.

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

Go to http://redgoat.smugmug.com/gallery/80234/1/2789458 and look at his elbow at the top of his swing. I think you are right in the fact that his eblow being in this position makes it incredibly easy for him to drop the club on plane because that elbow can drow right past his hip... but I'm curious how he keeps that right elbow in front of his body so well...

As for tension, the tension I'm talking about is bad tension, I can feel it creeping into my hand and I start gripping the club tighter.