Right arm connection

When I watch the pro golfers on tour, and also low handicap amateurs, one thing I notice is the connection between the upper right arm with the body.

Take this video of Tiger and the connection he has between the right upper arm and his body as he gets to the top of the backswing.


In a lot of teaching though, this connection does not seem to be recognised. The left arm connection (ie Ballard, Hogan and Torrance) seems to be well documented. I know a lot of people talk about width in the swing, but i often think this may be at the expense of a connected swing. I know Harvey Penick advised never to swing with the right arm glued to the body, but on the evidence of the majority of swings on tour some connection is required between the right arm and the body.

Am I right on this? Thoughts please

I can see absolutely nothing wrong with a 'strong' right arm connection so long as there is a full shoulder turn.

You use Tiger's swing as an illustration. Because his left arm basically traces the line of his shoulders at the top of the backswing, the right arm is going to be well connected. (Also means that his left arm is well connected, of course.) Who's going to argue with that?

I suppose the only caveat for anyone trying that idea is not to take it to an extreme and try to fix the arm rigidly. Power in the golf swing comes from a full rotation and delivering the club properly to the ball. It's not generated by throwing the arms or hands at the ball. Seems to me, a lot of amateurs try to generate swing speed with the arms and hands which don't work together with the body. Result, often loss of power and, certainly, little control and consistency.

Hello All:

One problem with the right arm connection is the tendency to try and achieve this position too early in the backswing. When this happens, the golfer will suck the club directly inside in an attempt to "stay connected" with the right arm. This creates a cramped and choppy backswing with little leverage.

Tiger gets good extension on his backswing by using a one piece takeaway and his right arm extends back before moving up to the more connected look at the top. From a face on view you should see the right arm above the left until the club shaft is parallel to the ground which demonstrates the extension required especially on long shots. Shorter irons require less extension.

The whole key is not to let your arms work too independently of the body. If you can move the arms within a supple connection of the slower moving torso, you can achieve syncronization which is a key to consistency.