Will Swinging My Arms Faster Improve My Distance?
The simple answer is no! An arm swing is engaging the small muscle and asking them to work harder to swing faster, this is a recipe for disaster. The golf swing is very simple and built on leverage.
Have you seen a slow motion picture of a baseball pitcher either overhand or underhand? The legs and back supply all the power and the relaxed motion of the arm provides the speed. Leverage is set with the lower body while the core and back build up torque and then the arm is released which allows the motion of the hand to increase speed right up to the point the ball is released.
The golf swing is the same, yet actually much easier to produce since there are fewer moving parts in the swing. The lower body is quite but in a very athletic position. The left side controls the backswing as it turns the hands to the desired position at the top. The back swing is nothing more than an opportunity for the body to place the hands in the correct position to begin the real swing, which is the downswing. A hurried move to the top can destroy your chance of creating a good swing. You lose too much energy in the transition from the backswing to the downswing. If you are struggling with distance, this is the first place you should look. Go find my “Stop @ The Top Drill”
You can actually eliminate the backswing. Just take your hands to the correct position at the top and stop. Make sure your lower body is in an athletic position as if you were about to sit down on a bar stool or shot a free throw. You will feel torque between your left side and your core. Your shoulders are turned and your left arm is relatively straight. You are now in the perfect position to release the energy that you have stored to the target just like the baseball player.
Now release the hands! You should feel a pulling motion in your left shoulder and your ribcage on your left side. This will be the beginning of the downswing. As your hands drop to about hip high you want the palm of your right hand to feel like you are going to spank the ball. The power delivered from your right side is from the right shoulder down to the forearm. This will facilitate a full release and maximum power.
I like to keep around 60% of my weight on my left side to improve torque in the backswing. This will also provide a descending movement, which will allow for a shallow but descending hit on the ball. This creates spin off of the clubface and a high- ball flight with power.
Swinging with just your arms is placing your swing in the arms of a lot of small muscles when just a few large muscles can do the job much better. Focus on getting your hands in the proper position at the top. Feel athletic and release the torque and allow your hands to swing with speed. Allow your hands to swing and don’t get caught up in swinging the club head. The club will follow your hands.
Now go make some birdies.
Author Bio: Randy Beckett is a golf instructor, author, speaker and consultant with over 30 years experience in the game of golf. For great information on Feeling of Greatness, visit http://www.aboutjuniorgolf.com
Category: Sports
Keywords: junior golf lesson, junior golf practice, junior golfer, junior golf