Fold Your Right Arm For An Efficient Backswing.

How we control our backswing is critical for an efficient golf swing. In several videos in the Vault, Elk discusses the importance of the right arm folding correctly. He mentions the “Three positions of the elbow”, or how to fold the right arm correctly.

We don’t need to make the golf swing complicated. Once we address the ball with the correct body angles, a simple fold of the right arm will help give you the proper coil and turn direction.

Lets examine some of the common faults in the takeaway and how players don’t fold their right arm correctly. Also, the best way to fix these faults.

Stop The Drag

In the video, “Elk and Jay Haas talk golf swing” Haas is explaining to Elk his tendency to drag the handle back which causes his right arm to get too far from his body, then high and back behind him.

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What’s the furthest point away from us once we grip the club? The clubhead. In order for the most efficient backswing possible, that must move first. This is also imperative to get your right arm to instantly fold up. Below is a picture of Elk getting Haas to get the clubhead moving first.

After this position, Haas can simply keep folding his right arm, as his arms pull his body back.

A great drill to get the feeling of the clubhead moving first which will help fold up your right arm, is to hit what I call “pre-set” shots. Take your address position, move the clubhead first, which will move the shaft without much movement of your hands. You will notice your right arm already starting to fold.

Once in this position, stop, then complete your backswing by continuing to fold up your right arm. Practice hitting shots with this drill on the range.

Dont Pull Back The Chain

The backswing doesn’t start with a pulling back of the right arm. The right arm folds, it doesn’t pull back like pulling on a chain or starting a lawnmower.

Player’s that get their arm in this position will usually get the shaft across the line at the top or tilt with their bodies in the backswing. To get rid of this move, practice hitting shots with just your right arm.

Start with soft wedges. You will instantly notice the only way you can hit the ball is to fold your arm up properly from the start. If your right arm pulls behind you, there is no way to make contact. This is a great drill to get instant feedback.

Don’t Wheel It In

When folding up the club, make sure your wrist angles stay the same, as well as the distance the hands are from the body. Often amateurs will have their hands will move away from the body while the club moves inside.

A proper fold will have the hands stay the same distance from the body at this point, with the shaft running parallel down the foot line.

Simply look down and check your hands at this position, make sure they haven’t moved too far away from your body or too far inside. Also that your upper right arm has stayed tucked to your body, and not wide at this point. From here, it’s easy to complete the fold and coil.