Proper Left Arm Position At Address

Today, I'm going to answer a question sent in by Greg Bowler. Greg was wondering about the positioning of his left elbow at address. He wasn't sure if it should be pointing at the ground or at the target, or somewhere in between. 

Learning and maintaining the master setup position is absolutely essential if you're going to improve your game using the Peak Performance Golf Swing. The setup determines the motion, so if your left arm is in the wrong spot, it's going to lead to other problems as well. 

Hi Don,

I would like to know the correct position of the left elbow at address. Should the elbow be pointing down or should it be facing the target? What position should the left arm be in?

Thanks for making golf fun,
Greg Bowler

I'm going to assume that Greg's left elbow is his forward elbow since he asked if it should be pointing at the target. I like to always think we stay as natural as we can in the setup position. Once you're ready to address the ball, you want your arms to hang basically straight down. In a proper hang, the left thumb knuckle should be somewhere around your chin to your nose. If it's inside your chin, you're getting your hands too far under you. With your hands too far inside, the clubface will go back shut. If the thumb knuckle is too far out, you'll most likely over rotate, swing out to the right, and have problems maintainng your balance. The hanging position of the arms is really simple, but easy to overlook. Just make sure they hang relatively straight down.

This can change on someone who has a longer torso or shorter legs, but the whole key is to just get into an athletically ready position, drop your arms, and let them hang naturally.

Now, what should the muscle tone be in the arms? You don't want to over stretch your arm hang. Some golfers are taught to hyperextend their left arm in order to maintain a straight left arm. But, all that does is put tension all the way up your arm and into the neck. This will also cause your hands to start flipping over. The muscle joints are designed to be in dynamic motion will a little flexation. They are flexed, but not bent or broken. Your forearms must be firm, but you should not be over extending and letting the tension force the inside elbow skyward.

Keep it verical!

The Surge

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