Left arm at impact

Played a horrible round last night (Lost 8 balls in the woods...) but then started focusing on my left arm at impact, realizing it was anything but straight. Then focused on having a straight left arm at impact, and from then on the shots went long and straight.

Now the question: How does keeping a straight left arm fit with release of the club? Isn't there a conflict? Any thoughts ?

Regards
Jens

There is absolutely no conflict between a straight left arm and releasing the club. The club is released by rolling the right wrist over the left to bring it from open before impact to square at impact and closed in the follow through. If, as I assume your left arm is comfortably straight at address, then if you don't straighten it at impact your body will go through all sorts of contortions to try and correct it, often with disastrous results. Don't be affraid of hitting down at the ball.

I'll second sinuetblue all the way

I have been hitting my irons with an in to out swing (I think), but the marks on the bottom of my driver, left by the tee, show a bad outside in swing with my driver. as well as an erratic contact point.(marks on the driver from toe to heal. Just yesterday, I concentrated on a straight left arm through out the swing (as well s keeping it closer to my body), and was hitting the ball much farther, and the tee marks were dead straight and more around the sweet spot. I was not hitting the ball any straighter (I have always hit it straight), but farther. Would a straight left arm have this much effect, or was I just "in the grove" yesterday. I was alaos hitting my irons much farther.

Here's a silly question to you guys:

Why was your left arm not straight the whole time??

Your left arm should never break down so that you must straighten it again at impact. Keep your left arm straight (not locked, just straight) all the way through from takeaway to impact. If you can not keep your left arm straight at the top of your backswing, you are taking your hands too far back. If you find you are having problems getting to the correct position at the top of the backswing without breaking down your left arm, you are probably not rotating your shoulders correctly and/or your hands are too low. At the top of the backswing, enure your left shoulder is over your right knee and your right arm is in the 'waiter position'. That is wrist, elbows and shoulder are all at 90*.

__________________
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

Now that you mention it, I had a felling of more of a shoulder turn yesterday in order to complet my back swing, as opposed to a bent left arm or too much wrist action. Damn, yesterday felt good, just hope I can recreate it.

Jens,

The left arm's role in the golf stroke is to provide radius to the stroke. When it bends you have shortened this radius. When this happens we have to throw the clubface at the ball resulting in weak Impact alignments and of course a power loss. Here's a video clip to show you how to maintain this radius throughout the stroke.
http://chuckevansgolf.com/media/exte...on_drill-1.mov

Yeah the left arm should be comfortably straight but there's no way on earth you're going to stop in bending a little. Try this: When practicing, cut the bottom off a 2 litre plastic pop (soda) bottle (make sure you wash it first) and thread it over the left elbow. It should help you a bit and you'll find that your arm still bends but not too much

I tried that 2 liter trick a LONG time ago when someone suggested it to me and it didnt do nothing for me but pinch the **** out of my arm, lol...

Despite what others have told you there is a direct correlation between a bent left arm and release of the club. When you bend your left arm not only does it create an angle between your upper arm and forearm but also between your forearm and left hand. It creates a bent left wrist which positions the clubhead ahead of your hands – clubhead throwaway. Bend your left arm and you bend the left wrist destroying all proper impact alignments.

I'm not sure if this sounds weird but I am quite a flexible person, and am able to bend my wrists a whole lot. Is there a chance I could be over-bending my wrists?

How should the hands feel right after impact? Should u feel like you are trying to raise the club straight ahead in the line of the target?