Keep your elbows close, said Hogan….
One of the first golf books I read was by Ben Hogan. He wrote about how the elbows must stay close together during the swing. After visiting Top Golf last night apparently most golfers either didn’t read or don’t try to keep their elbows close together.
Most players, including me are not very flexible and this does not help when trying to keep the elbows close together. For you to play close to your potential you will need to learn how to not only keep your elbows fairly close together but also how to pivot your elbows during the swing. You can learn more in detail about this in my book;
To have proper arm motion your elbows need to pivot or rotate when vertically aligned with or over the matching hip sockets. If you have ever watched VJ Singh practice he often uses towels tucked between his triceps and his chest. This is to help ensure the elbows pivot at the correct time. You may want to bring a couple of dish towels to the range next time you practice and place one under each tricep and against your chest and keep them there during your swing.
For many of us not very flexible people the separation often happens when there is a loss of flexibility during the back swing. The simple answer is when you are running out of flexibility on the back swing don’t separate the elbows, relax grip pressure in you bottom or right hand, bend your left arm or stand up. Learn to keep your elbows closer together and do not try to artificially extend the length of your back swing and you will play better!!
Jim Hartnett, PGA
www.myhome4golf.com
