Nina Caldwell
In golf, the full extension of arms is a crucial aspect of achieving a wide swing arc and improving overall performance. Extending the arms after hitting the ball ensures better contact, increased clubhead speed, and enhanced distance. Golfers often struggle with the chicken wing motion, where one arm collapses before impact, leading to inconsistencies and reduced accuracy. To overcome this, various drills and techniques, such as the arm extension drill, can help golfers achieve full arm extension, resulting in a more powerful and accurate swing.
Characteristics and Values Table
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Should arms be fully extended in golf? | Yes, just after impact with the ball. |
| What does it indicate? | That your clubhead is on a correct path under full release and that your arms and body are in sync. |
| What are the benefits? | Improved contact with the ball, increased clubhead speed, and enhanced overall performance. |
| What is the drill to achieve full arm extension? | Start with your lead arm fully stretched out in your setup position. Push your club forward to create a "Y" shape, with both arms extended. Then, swing the club back and stretch your arms out again. |
| What are common issues with arm extension? | The chicken wing motion, where one arm collapses before impact, reducing swing arc and clubhead speed, and affecting ball compression and trajectory. |
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What You'll Learn
- A chicken wing motion can cause inconsistencies in your swing
- Extending your arms can help you achieve better contact with the ball
- Arms should be fully extended just after impact
- A drill to help you extend your arms: start with your lead arm fully stretched out, push your club forward to create a Y shape
- Extending your arms can help you gain more distance
A chicken wing motion can cause inconsistencies in your swing
The "chicken wing" is a common fault in a golfer's swing, where the arms contract, the elbows separate, and the lead elbow points up. This motion can cause inconsistencies in your swing and negatively impact the quality of your shots.
The chicken wing motion narrows the swing arc, reducing club head speed and negatively affecting the ball's compression. The grip may fall behind the head, adding loft to the golf club, causing the ball to go too high with a clicking sound. The clubface may also twist, leading to a slice.
The chicken wing often happens due to other issues in the swing, such as a steep downswing path, a weak grip or an open clubface at address. It can also be caused by a lack of lower body strength or improper weight transfer during the swing.
To correct the chicken wing motion, golfers can try the following:
- Focus on extending your arms after hitting the ball to create a wider swing arc.
- Keep your lead underarm close to your chest during the backswing to help rotate your upper body and shallow your swing.
- Practice swings with your feet together to improve your balance.
- Use a divot board to teach yourself to hit the ground in the correct location.
- Try the towel drill: roll up a towel and keep it under your right bicep or across your chest under your arms while swinging.
- Check your fundamentals and ensure you have a perfect golf grip to avoid simple errors that can lead to bigger problems in your swing.
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Extending your arms can help you achieve better contact with the ball
Golfers are often advised to extend their arms after hitting the ball to create a wider swing arc, which can lead to better contact with the ball and improved distance. This is known as the "arm extension drill".
The arm extension drill can help golfers avoid the “chicken wing” motion, which narrows the swing arc, reduces club head speed, and negatively affects the ball's compression. By focusing on extending their arms after hitting the ball, golfers can achieve a wider swing arc and improve their overall performance on the golf course.
To perform the arm extension drill, golfers should start with their setup position, ensuring that their lead arm is fully stretched out. Then, they should push their club forward to create a "Y" shape, with both arms extended about two feet after contact. Next, they should swing the club back and try to stretch their arms out again. This drill will help golfers experience the feeling of full extension in both arms, leading to better contact with the ball.
It is important to get accustomed to the feeling of full extension in the arms. Golfers should practice the drill regularly, even outside of the golf course, to make it feel more natural. By making the arm extension drill a regular part of their practice routine, golfers can improve their swing and achieve better contact with the ball.
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Arms should be fully extended just after impact
Golfers are often advised to fully extend their arms after impact with the ball. This is because, at this point in the swing, both arms are straight, indicating that the clubhead is on the correct path under full release. Extending the arms after impact also creates a wider swing arc, which can improve contact with the ball, increase clubhead speed, and enhance overall performance.
To achieve a full arm extension, golfers can practice a simple drill. Begin by assuming your setup position, ensuring that your lead arm is fully stretched out. Push your club forward to create a "Y" shape, with both arms extended about two feet after contact. Then, swing the club back and try to stretch your arms out again. This drill helps golfers experience the feeling of full extension and can be practised regularly, even outside of the golf course, to make it feel more natural.
It is important to avoid the ""chicken wing" motion, where the arm muscles are contracted during the swing, narrowing the swing arc and reducing clubhead speed. This can lead to inconsistencies in ball striking and negatively affect the ball's compression. Instead, golfers should focus on achieving a full arm extension to improve their swing and overall performance.
Additionally, golfers should ensure that their hands and clubhead are in front of the belt buckle during the swing. The hands should move left of the target, and the butt of the club should be parallel to the target line. This helps achieve maximum width just after impact, with the clubhead as far away from the body as possible.
By mastering the full arm extension and incorporating it into their swings, golfers can improve their accuracy, distance, and overall performance on the course.
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A drill to help you extend your arms: start with your lead arm fully stretched out, push your club forward to create a Y shape
Golfers are recommended to extend their arms after hitting the ball to create a wider swing arc, which leads to better contact with the ball and improved distance. This can be achieved by doing a simple drill that promotes full arm extension.
The Drill
Start with your setup position, ensuring that your lead arm is fully stretched out. Push your club forward to create a letter Y shape, with both arms extended about two feet after contact. Then, swing the club back and try to stretch your arms out again. This drill will help you experience the feeling of full extension in both arms.
Tips
- It is crucial not to take too long between the practice swing and the actual shot, as you may lose the desired feeling.
- Repeat the drill with the driver, focusing on widening your swing arc to generate more club head speed.
- Practice the drill regularly, even outside of the golf course, to make it feel more natural.
- When you hit a golf ball, it is essential to extend your lead arm while slightly tucking your back arm about two feet after impact with irons. With the driver, both arms should stretch back out about three feet.
- To rehearse your swing when you can't get to the course, try this drill: with your normal grip and stance, hold onto a heavy rope or towel. Allow your shoulders to turn back and forth, starting with small swings and building up to a full swing as you gain momentum.
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Extending your arms can help you gain more distance
In golf, achieving a wide swing arc is crucial for optimal performance. Extending your arms after hitting the ball can help you gain more distance. This can be achieved by performing the arm extension drill, which helps golfers improve their swing and make better contact with the ball. The drill involves starting in your setup position with your lead arm fully stretched out, then pushing the club forward to form a "Y" shape, with both arms extended. Next, swing the club back and stretch your arms out again. This drill helps golfers experience the feeling of full arm extension, which can improve their swing and increase club head speed.
It is important to get accustomed to the feeling of full extension in your arms by practising the drill regularly, even outside of the golf course. This will help golfers avoid the "chicken wing" motion, which is common among golfers and can negatively affect their swing. The "chicken wing" motion occurs when golfers contract their arm muscles while trying to strike the ball, causing the clubface to twist and the ball to slice. By extending their arms, golfers can widen their swing arc, resulting in improvements in their shots and increased distance.
Additionally, golfers can gain more distance by focusing on improving their impact. One training exercise involves taking a 7 iron and getting into your set-up position. Without taking the club back, go into your impact position and focus on the following: your right foot rolled off the instep, right knee kicked in, left leg fairly straight, hips rotated open, weight distributed towards the left side, club shaft past your zipper, bend in the right wrist and elbow, and shoulders square. By working on your impact position, you can increase the length of your swing arc and hit the ball further.
Another way to gain more distance is to increase the tempo of your swing. While it is common for golfers to be told to slow down, swinging too slowly can hinder the generation of speed. By increasing the tempo of your swing, you can gain more speed and, consequently, more distance. This can be achieved by speeding up your backswing, which will help with a faster downswing. Additionally, focusing on your footwork and using the ground as a power source can help increase your distance.
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Frequently asked questions
Fully extending your arms after hitting the ball creates a wider swing arc, improving your shots and gaining more distance. It also helps you avoid the "chicken wing" motion, which narrows the swing arc and negatively affects the ball's compression.
You can practice the arm extension drill, which involves starting with your lead arm fully stretched out, pushing your club forward to create a "Y" shape with both arms extended, then swinging the club back and stretching your arms out again. This drill helps you experience the feeling of full arm extension and can improve your swing and contact with the ball.
One common mistake is allowing one arm to collapse before impact, which can reduce the power of your swing. Another mistake is bending both elbows in the post-impact position, which can lead to a loss of distance and accuracy. It's important to keep your body and arms moving at a constant rate to avoid any disruptions in your swing.
The only time during the swing when both arms should be straight is just after impact. This is a key checkpoint that indicates your arms and body are in sync and that your clubhead is on the correct path under full release.
