Golf Tips: Stay Connected

IF YOU’RE PLAGUED WITH INCONSISTENT CONTACT, DISTANCE AND DIRECTION, CHANCES ARE YOU’RE NOT MAKING A REPEATABLE GOLF SWING.

A key to making a repeatable swing is having your arms and body in synch so they’re moving together from start to finish. If your upper left arm separates from the left side of your chest at any point during your swing, it can affect your path, face position and/or coil causing any number of poor shots. There is no more effective – nor simpler – way to produce a repeatable swing than to keep the upper part of your left arm connected to the left side of your chest throughout your golf swing.

Maintaining this connection, almost magically, synchs up your body turn with your arm swing while keeping you on-plane with your clubface square during your backswing. Maintaining this connection on the way down keeps you on-plane with the clubface square and lets you synch up your body turn with your arm swing to help you produce your maximum power through impact.

You’ll find that keeping your upper left arm connected to the left side of your chest gives you instant control and consistency because, once you discover how, the move becomes relatively easy to repeat. You’ll also find that’s it’s easier to produce a swing path that approaches the ball from the inside. That will help eliminate any tendency you have to slice the ball.

We’ve all seen golfers practicing with a towel or headcover placed under their left armpit while hitting shots. They’re working on staying connected. If the headcover or towel drops to the ground before impact, the player’s arm has become disconnected. Practice hitting shots while keeping the headcover in place until well after impact, when your arm extension will then naturally move your left arm away from your chest and allow the headcover or towel to drop. When you stay connected your swing should feel more compact and more powerful. You should hit the ball longer, straighter and feel more in control, too.