Russell, thank you! This forearm key is something I took to the range immediately after watching your video and it has transformed my ball striking. At first I thought I was just having a good day, but every practice session thereafter was the same thing - more consistent striking, a draw, and increased distance. The real proof was today when I played 18. I had never shot below 86 in my life, and today I shot 77. Many thanks!
Nothing works to fix the trail arm if your trail hand grip isn't correct. No matter what you do, your trail elbow will kick out and trail shoulder will take over. This is a grip problem. Even moving the forearm won't work if the trail grip doesn't match.
I'm very right hand and arm dominant so I fight coming over the top with my right shoulder and forearm. I've been working on keeping my elbows a little closer together during the swing which seems to help prevent that, plus some shallowing in the backswing. This lesson is a very good addition to my thought process and remedy for over-the-top. Thank you for this lesson!
So , I don’t disagree with this concept, makes sense and I have had some success “tucking my right elbow” . Played 54 holes over 3 days at Pinehurst last weekend . Results were varied, some great shots, most bad shots were fat…..still frustrated I can’t solve this…. 2 days after getting home my right elbow was a mess, Doc says it’s tennis elbow?? All I know is I don’t think I can play for 6 weeks , doc’s opinion, most if the summer shot……..buying an elbow band, PT etc……. Just a word of caution, I’m 66 and have played for 40 years…..never had an issue…..us old guys need to be careful😊
Great video, but please stop being like other RU-vid golfers saying "__________ is Cheating!" No, having an understanding of basic swing mechanics isn't cheating. It's just having a good swing.
30 years of playing golf and taking lessons. No one ever told me about keeping my forearm to the sky during the downswing - like skipping a rock. Russ introduced me to this a few months ago in a lesson. For me, it was the motion and feeling I needed to get my hands ahead at contact and truly compress the ball. I feel like I try to HOLD that forearm up as long as possible. Instant different sound from contact. Thanks Russ - this for me was a key that voided many poor downswing motions over the top.
I just rediscovered this and have been working with it all week. Right arm flexed and relaxed at address and back into impact. Over the years my right arm had gone "stiff" and rotated forward so that I was trail side dominant and fighting for consistency. This has taken me back to where tension is eliminated from the swing and given me a repeatable feel.
There is a very simple way to get the arm to function ideally in a golf swing: establish the grip with club vertical and elbows down and bent, tucked into the sides. Just try it and you will understand why. Straighten the arms holding the shaft out horizontal and the hands connected together will cause the forearms to counter-rotate inward against each other which stabilizes the shoulder-arm triangle. Add slight downward pressure with the trail hand over the lead thumb pressure point to push the slack out of the lead arm similar to how the swinging club will pull longer it up when lining up face to ball and target for more solid accurate ball striking. I discovered this technique by accident when using Hogan’s Five Lessons to try to emulate his grip technique and swing style. He held the club in the air horizontally when gripping it then lowered it. I found it easier to do while holding the shaft up vertically then later found that both the PGA Manual of Instruction and Martin Hall recommended the same technique for the same reason. To adjust grip strength turn the face of the club closed when gripping it in the air and then square it to ball and target while lowering it. Never rest the club head “dead “ on the ground. Instead use its mass as a counter balance when establishing posture and balance on the feel letting the club swing in and find equilibrium with gravity, the “natural” path it will seek on in the downswing. If previously grounding and gripping the club you will likely find the butt of the club swings in closer to the body when it finds balance and will swing back and forth at that distance without being pulled further away from the body during the downswing.
Stopped the video at 3:15 then hit the back porch driving net to try this. Feels SO right Hope to have something really good happen come Friday morning and the regular foursome. I believe I knew this once upon a time, but I forgot. Working up to full speed it just got better and better.
Really like how you explained this. The term shallow is so important. I like the drill you just showed and I will practice this. I have been trying to keep the arm in and I am starting to hit the ball better than I ever have. However if could hit it solid everytime, my distance would improve a lot
If I go to many churches they all teach similar lessons, following the bible guidelines. So goes golf instruction on YT, stork drill is making its way around golf instructors, which script are you guys following?
I came across this video and it has really changed my game. I implemented your tip and wound up shooting a 79 today. It is an easy course with a slope rating of 109 but I had trouble breaking 90. My iron play had really improved.
I tend to make the mistake of being concerned about rotation & turn too flat that's causing thin & low shots due to not staying in posture or staying behind the ball. I hate this game.
Just take a standard neutral grip, then slip your right forefinger down the side of the club and do feet together practice swings. This will go a long way in solving everything in the backswing and the downswing. 👍
Russell, thank you so much for this tip. My swing has been so jacked up lately and I’ve tried so many things. Tried it today and after a half a bag of range balls, I’m striking it better than I have in a long time! You rock!
This is really good. It would have been good to focus a bit more on why facing the elbow forward instead of facing the target is better (I.e. because your elbow can't fold behind you if it's facing towards the target so you end up turning it anyway but often too late and therefore it creates the outside to inside path) . I saw this in another video but actually forgot so it's a nice reminder.
