How To Turn Off Your Arms For An Effortless Golf Swing 

I practiced this exact concept today and hit it flushed without too much effort. I then stumbled upon this video and wanted to acknowledge these are fantastic tips! Feeling the weight of the club head, passive arms, and neutral grip pressure is pure golden advice!

How enjoyable is this video!!! And then we have my top golf instructors Eric and Erika!! That's a double delight indeed👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Great video! I already knew the concept but you guys explain it beautifully. I keep working on it and on the days it comes easily is when I have the most fun on the golf course because everything is easier!

Erika has such a unique, simple style of teaching and just resonates with me. Her videos alone have changed my game tremendously - my regular golfing buddies can't believe it! Bonus: after a round I feel great. No more aching back, arms, and legs!

I haven't even watched this yet and I'm already giddy with excitement! Eric Cogorno and Erika Larkin in one video? Somebody pinch me! :-). Microwaving the popcorn now, this should be a good one.

I've been struggling with contact lately out of nowhere. After watching this video, I did the drills they did and really focused on relaxing my arms and grip pressure. I started striping the ball and it felt so effortless. Thank you so much for this!

Awesome video eric and Erica..can't wait to practice it..ty so much for your time and everything you do..😊

This is a great video. I bought TruSwing yesterday. (confession, Erika's version of ' No Diggety' is a running bit in our golf group). This was intriguing when I first saw it because I'm guilty of so many things mentioned. Tension in the swing. Trying to think about all the dots I'm connecting (takeaway, on plane, wrist set, etc). The idea of letting things happen naturally sounded too good to be true. I got the series yesterday. Devoured it all, did the drills and went to the range with just a PW and 8-iron. The goal was just to do the punch drill and maybe a few easy shots just to see how it worked. It was insane. When I turned the arms off and followed the motion in the video, the swing felt effortless. Just solid shot after solid shot. No thinking about setting the club. No worrying about plane/release. It all just happened. The only bad shots crept in when I let my arms take control. That'll take awhile to break. Looking forward to continuing the journey....

This video worked wonders for me. I have spent so much time focused on getting from "point A" . . . all the way to "point Z" in my so-called golf swing, that I have become a rigid-ized ball hitter. After watching this, in just a few minutes I was actually "swinging" and getting more distance with much less effort. Not faulting other videos that emphasize positions, just saying that the free swinging feeling makes all those body moves/positions easier, faster, and more effective. Also makes releasing the club feel completely natural - versus a rehearsed mechanical process. Not to mention, that my tension-filled shoulders and forearms especially appreciate the relaxed feeling without any downsides. Wow! So good! So many thanks. P.S. I just watched the pre-class video on Erika's channel . . . the monkey-doll demo is a winner!

This video CHANGED 👏 MY 👏 LIFE!! All the things I’ve been failing to force my body to do suddenly happened in perfect rhythm the SECOND I turned my arms off!! lead arms straight, wrist hinge, weight transfer, swinging through the ball, club path, club face at impact…. All of it!!

If there's something keeping your arms engaged it's grip pressure. Believe me, I'm speaking from experience. Recently, I was doing forward arm only swings, a LOT of them over a period of a few hours which was doing about 25-30 reps & stopping for a while, then doing 25-30 again, stop for a while, etc. This was being done to help make my forward arm dominant rather than my trail arm, which for most is their normally dominant side. While doing this, I concentrated on squeezing the grip with the last 3 fingers & not squeezing with the thumb & forefinger but rather using them for support without applying pressure. What I found is that I had to squeeze with my fingers with more pressure than I realized when I gripped with my entire hand. Don't go by the usual "grip it like a bird" or the "tube of toothpaste." Try to not use the thumbs or forefingers on both hands. Using pressure with those causes tension along your entire arm & slows your clubhead into impact. If you keep the tension out of your arms, you're "turning them off." It doesn't mean you don't use them for speed but it requires the combination of the arms reacting to the forward weight shift & rotation of the body . Grip pressure leads to slower arm & hand speed & sacrificing distance because of the tension. Turning off the arms doesn't mean letting them be excessively loose or your grip. Your grip has to be firm but only in the fingers & not in the thumbs & forefingers. If you see wear marks where you thumbs rest on the grip, you're using too much pressure & losing speed. Play well gang!

Went for the Erika's "True swing sequence" + the video of the 4 lessons on your platform (incredibly useful because I saw how she cured a couple of defects I had as well). It is worths all the money I spent and now my friends do not laugh at me anymore ... Thanks, Erika, from far Italy.

This is perfect golf instruction. I play great when I relax my arms

Wonderful lesson! Erika really opened up my eyes to the ''swing'' nature of the backswing. She is such an impressive lady on every level.

I have to say I tried this at the range just now and it worked beautifully for me in this practice session. I hit my 9 iron 140 yards when it usually goes about 110. But this has been my biggest problem with arm tension, nervousness and choking the club grip way too hard. When I am relaxed and playing well my confidence soars and the tension dissipates but when I hit a few bad ones in a row I start trying too hard with extreme tension in my arms and shoulders. Sometimes it causes me to hit way behind the ball, hit it thin or occasionally shank it. Those shanks completely kill any confidence and really increase the tension causing double and triple bogeys.

Great video! It's the Manuel de la Torre swing all over again! One thing I keep thinking about is how tempting it is when facing a narrow fairway to "steer" the club to hit it straight. It NEVER works! I'm going to watch this over and over again to ingrain it into memory. THANK YOU!⛳

From 0:50 to 4:00 was hypnotizing! Thank you Erica and Eric .

Very interesting - I will definitely try a range session with this instruction in mind once the temps come up a bit here in the northeast - I am very sure I am losing distance due to too much arm & grip tension but I do hit it straight just about every shot - if I could swing easier for more distance and the same accuracy that would be winner winner chicken dinner for sure - thank you for these tips

Excellent video. There are not enough golf lessons that address the problem of tension. Golf instructors, by nature, tend to be very good athletes. I honestly don’t think they understand how challenging it is for the rest of us (the less talented majority) to be able to let go, or even conceptualize what problems tension is causing. Thank you.

I tried this yesterday at the range with great results! I’m 72 and my 7-iron average is around 130-135. After following your swing advice, I was shooting at a 161 yard target and carrying within 10 yards or less and total distance easily passed it! 👍

Great demonstration of a big principle. Thanks a lot.🙏👌

A great lesson which came just in time for me. Thank uou!

great lesson Erica, I learn a lot and improve my game last week

You and Paul Wilson have helped my swing

Great video!!

Game changing paradigm shift! Allowing the clubhead to be the focal point instead of the arms or hands is genius and simple.

In my view based on my own experience it's the pulling sensation of the heavy clubhead that will provide consistency in delivering square contact to the ball, as opposed to me trying to or feeling the need to square the clubface. I've shared the link with my son who struggles to understand the physics of a swing. Thanks for posting.

So true. Most men golfers I know swing like they are chopping wood with their arms and hands, resulting in weak slices. I started swinging with my trunk and shoulders a few years ago, and it has made a big difference in being able to hit crisp draws now. Easier on the back,too.

Wow this was a major break through for me thanks Erika!

such a unique approach. love it!

One of the culprits here, after you become a better golfer, we are told keep that left arm straight. This causes tension everywhere, even look at Hogan, although he comes off smooth the beginning looks stiff. We are told arms in tight,grip strong... All tension getters , I like your approach...

She’s awesome just bought her course and off to Phoenix to try it out!

Really love this instruction, Erika.

Really enjoyed the video… will watch again later.. thank you

Brilliant Thankyou

What a great video!

Only the Best! Thanks...awesome.

As a newbie to golf, being a former weightlifter and wrestler, smooth swinging can be a real challenge as I often find myself applying force (strength moves) in places that instead of aiding my swing, wreck it. Ironically, thinking along the lines of strength sports, I have often find myself visualizing the Hammer Throw (Track and Field competition). Crazy as this may be to think and visualize, it helps me and does, in effect, create the sensation being discussed here. Again, as a newbie, it's interesting to hear and watch this video and understand further, correct fundamentals of the swing. Thank you for sharing.

Well done

Excellent video 👏👏👏. Let your arms follow not lead.

Great video 👍

This was a solid lesson.

Erika Larkin is a revelation as a golf coach!! The average player softening their arms will automatically improve their game. Even without any other changes. I love the idea of holding the arms straight out and letting them drop. Fred Couples swears by this. And we all know what a butter swing he has. This is as good a video as you'll ever see on dumbing down the swing with simple relaxation.

She’s awesome. More vids please.

Perhaps it’s about what your natural tendency is. For myself, I’ve struggled with tight shoulders and arms for years. So this is crucial for me!

For me, the "magic move" in golf is to begin the forward swing with my body: hips then chest, while leaving the arms behind. This facilitates club shallowing and the energy in my body transfers out to the arms and finally the club shaft. It's not easy for me to perform because a lot of my old swing remains imprinted in my brain. However, when I can pull it off there is an amazing difference in ball speed.

Perfect.

Really helped me get into the groove. It's a feeling I can really identify as I swing.

The original book is a very interesting read along with the history that goes along with it.

@45seconds "how we turn the arms off" 🦅 😂😂

Have you checked club head speed before and after? Is it easier and same distance or additional distance/control as well. Would be good to see for a higher handicap and someone that already has good contact like Eric C.

Yet Paddy Harrington & Tom Watson say for the average hack forget the body, 85% of swing speed comes from the arms & hands so focus on those.

This lesson made me think of Vijay Singh, he always made the swing look so easy and effortless.

Great video! Wow. I always thought that when I had the thought in my head to have "spaghetti arms" (that's what I call this feeling) made my swing better. But then I would want to control and feel everything and my swing sucked. This makes me want to stick to the "spaghetti arms" feeling.

so much information in so many different instructors out there so many videos to peak your interest, it is easy to get lost chasing "that form"..... even as a single digit handicap like myself we constantly chase The perfect technique and the perfect mechanic so that we can be perfect. It can really get your head screwed on crooked and you swing completely out of whack . There's a swing type that fits everybody I feel. And I think depending upon the instructor that you have, You might not be getting put into the mechanics that work best for you. The only thing that needs to be the same no matter what the swing itself looks like, is at impact. I've got an amateur tour event here in Atlanta this coming Saturday in my game Had to completely just taken a U-turn in the last three weeks.... I got so out of whack it was embarrassing to even be at the driving range trying to fix it. i've been in a panic and if it stayed like this was gonna withdraw. Not anymore. This lesson and this tip and this thought process completely has gotten me back on track I mean just going and doing what she said and letting my arms hang and letting my body start the turn and it brought back the snap at the bottom naturally correctly without me having to funk it up with all the little moves that everyone's trying to teach you. I don't comment at all for anybody on any of these types of videos. but I wanted to come in on this one and say this was brilliant and I hope she reads this so I can say thank you Everyone else that catches this comment and is wondering if this makes any sense if this works ? go try it You will be amazed

I took a bunch of lessons with an ex PGA playing professional the first thing he did was to turn off the hands, that was 6 months ago today, until this week it started to actually work, and that is practice every day for hours , the hands going is a natural move it is hard, to turn it 0ff, even today I was hitting so many bad shots until I realized that my shoulders and arms where doing it not the core, it was flying right elbow all over , that was after 2 good hours of practice good practice, golf is hard there is a reason for that, don’t give up people

I’d like to see this lesson addressed to a struggling student not another teaching pro who is already pretty perfect

I agree with most that is being taught here, except for grip pressure, a grip pressure of 4,5,6, is ideal but you cant keep the same pressure throughout the swing, as soon as you start your downswing pressure will increase no matter what, just physics

I've seen a lot of videos where relaxed arms were taught. But I've never seen anyone explain how they start their take away by keeping the hands in front of the chest, and I've never seen anyone explain how you keep the arms straight and extended, in both cases without reintroducing tension.

i have gotten this type swing action to work for me but it only lasts for a period of time with me. i got it going a few years back at our annual weekend long golf tournament and won everything but it only lasted about a week total and i almost couldn't miss. then it stopped working for some reason, golf is like that for me anyway.

This is what Paul Wilson has been teaching for years. He calls it the effortless gold swing. Check out his videos.

So many differant ideas of what is golf swing. Leading with my body makes me inconsistent. I've tried many ideas and the one that works for me is the arms lead the body on the way down. Turn and swing. Not turn and turn. Or maybe I'm misunderstanding. I do agree with soft hands. Good luck with what ever technique you use. Best video that got me hitting it good and baby draws is Tom Tomasello. Old video easy swing to repeat. I'm in my fifties and play to a 3 hndcp. Good Luck and don't get frustrated. 😅 Golf is hard...

I find the hardest thing for me is keeping the same grip pressure throughout the swing. Once I get to the top, my natural reaction is to grip a little harder for the downswing, like I am afraid of losing control if I don't.

When I relax my arms like this both arms collapse at the top of the backswing. How do I stop this from happening?

I lost the video where I can purchase the true swing sequence

How do you control the hands thru the swing? The more relaxed and easy I swing, my hands seem to take over and I start pulling my shots.

I agree totally with the one comment that it is very difficult to extend your arms out completely without introducing tension. Nobody has figured out how to teach that yet.

Earnest jones , swing the clubhead . 1920 ?

Can someone explain why you dont swing a baseball bat like this with passive arms but its ok to do it with a golf club

Coach Phil did not come up with the “dog and tail” analogy. Credit where credit is due, that one was Jimmy Ballard’s standard phrase. In my opinion, Manuel De Latora and Jimmy Ballard were two of the greatest golf coaches in the game.

There's no question tension in my shoulders and arms is a persistent problem.

In feeling the weight of the clubhead, do you feel the weight in your hands and wrists? Don't you need to feel your hands swinging the clubhead around your body?

I totally subscribe to this swing philosophy. I've been watching Dan Martin's videos and using his Swing Pro for months (golf grip, rope and padded cylinder), as well as watching Erika's videos the last few weeks, and I have practiced and practiced these swing concepts. However I've run into some issues with the club face not squaring up at impact. The club head tends to roll over too much and I'm putting a lot of right to left spin on it as a right-handed player or I just leave the club face open and push it. I think the pushing part may be a bit of tension setting in, but I can't quite figure out how to keep the club face from rolling over when my arms are totally relaxed and just letting the ball get in the way

My arms are usually pretty relaxed, but I have to focus more on relaxing my shoulders to complete the feel. Slow down and let it happen.

With a few minor adjustments, the game can be played at an extremely high level regardless of whether the dog waves its tail or its tail waives the dog, in my opinion ... though this is not to say that Erika's method would not work well for most golfers.

Too many people are taking these lessons literally. These are feels, not real. Of course you can't really "turn off your arms", that's impossible. However, if you relieve tension in your shoulders, arms, wrists, etc. what it does is creates better tempo, it also forces your "bigger muscles" to engage. By doing this you will improve your back swing, and ultimately your downswing because you are engaging those big muscles. People who fight a slice, would be wise to implement some of this because what Erikia is teaching promotes a shallowing of the club, which leads to more draws. What Erika is really teaching is patience in the swing! If you can achieve that, then you will play better golf.

I don’t how the arms get up or back down without using them. It can be a thought but it’s not reality. Go check out Manuel De La Torre.

👏👏👏

My swing is all hands and arms, I hit the ball with my trail hand.

would this be considered an arms swing?

Mike Austin said, don’t pull, don’t drop and don’t turn. He hit the ball further than anyone in long drive today given he used a 43” triple stiff shaft and persimmon wood head! Everything taught today ignores his teaching unless you were one of his students. If Austin was a great putter he would hold every scoring record in the book to infinity and beyond. Once you complete your backswing, leave your hands set and your arms up, shift and let physics unravel your angles. There is only one engine in a golf swing l (your weight shift). Stop having 2 engines. One your body won’t stall if you leave your arms up instead up pulling or dropping them consciously! Let the turn happen as a result of your weight shift. Most ppl don’t realize they can shift there weight further than they think and the turn happens to prevent you from losing your balance! If you try to maintain your balance you will block yourself all day long. Please let your weight shift and stay relaxed and ready. Stop hitting at the ball with arms! Stop trying to turn and let it happen consequently. Relax. Golf swings arm better when your relaxed and even better when your relaxed as you shift your weight! You may never be the best ball striker ever but ball striking isn’t going to win a round! You must learn everything else more and become a better manager of your ball around the course! Stay out of trouble instead of playing into it! It all starts with your perspective of the game and its Fundamentals. Your full swing is easy to learn! It’s everything else that is 90% of the game! Get your mental imagery correct and you might just surprise yourself.

Erikagorno golf

What does in space mean?

We hear this all the time. Just let your arms drop. How do you just let your arms drop on plane?

This would be great if there was video besides this gray screen.

Looks like the Hogan swing

Eric I'm still seeing a bit of tension in your arms, when you release the club there is still some holding on to the club, at least from the camera view.

I am happy Eric didnt shank it to Erika's direction...don't forget even the g.o.a.t. Mr.Woods shanks it sometimes

The question is, why do you to turn off your arms and lose the speed they generate?

So that was a 13 minute video to say “relax” and “just let your arms fall” ? I didn’t see anything to tell us what it should look like… other than a trainer who already has a good swing. This is a concept I struggle with as a bigger guy who has been fighting his baseball swing. Was hoping for a drill to work on this. Guess I’ll just relax on the range tomorrow haha.

Stay tuned for next big deal- “ HOW TO USE YOUR ARMS FOR POWER AND ADD 40 YARDS IN THREE SWINGS OR LESS…

My question is, do top golfers, like for example, Rory McIlroy, actually swing like this? They don’t look like it.

I need her as my coach. She can see my tension 🤣

“Swing The Club Head”, ring a bell…….?

This lady looks like Superman

I get what they are trying to say buhhhttt it is physically (meaning physics) impossible to keep the moment in motion completely passive. Your arms would collapse at the top of the backswing. There is not enough centrifugal force for the arms to stay up. THE ARMS ARE NOT PASSIVE. This is why golf club shafts are made out of passive reactive rigid materials vs just rope with a clubhead attached to it. Your arms have to have to have relaxed tension to create a stable moment arm. I teach kids golf. If I told them to swing keeping their arms completely loose they would be slapping their arms all over vs keeping a relaxed stable moment arm. I know what they are trying to teach here but it needs to be kept in the correct context. Maybe this works for the very tensed up players but not for people that understand physics and overall athleticism. Think about when you jump you don’t tense your whole body to jump you let your body hold its posture and stability while firing muscles in the correct sequence. Neurological sequencing is the most important factor. This is why most golf professionals have been playing since toddlers. By the time they reach teen years their sequencing is just like riding a bike. Sure they may have timing issues and clubface issues but their ball strikes are 90% done with a perfect swing sequence. Side note: the amount of moment force necessary to swing your complete spaghetti arms and the club to the backswing in a perfect swing plane and stop it at the top is impossible. We need more physicists in golf.

Older men of culture we meet again

This has been taught for years and years and unfortunately, your brain takes over and you start using your arms no matter how much you try not to. There’s a reason why pro golfers have forearms like Popeye 😂😂

I can’t feel that

But how cut is she? Beautiful🤗