Right arm in the takeaway

[pnearn]

I read a execllent piece on Tigers Swing this week in Golf World UK with some good comparison pics from 2001 and 2004

One of the things most notably different is in his takeaway. The pro analysing it stated ( and you could see ) how he kept his right arm virtually straight as far as he could and in front of his body. This gave him a really wide start. Now in 2004 his right arm seems to fold earlier giving him a flatter swing plane

I went out and tried this action on the range thinking straight right arm (in fact holding the triangle as far as I could manage). It gave me a steeper swing plane for sure and also felt like my backswing was much more compacted (i.e short of parallel). However I did notice a lot of extra power this way and it seemed a lot simpler to get the club back down on plane and then use my hands to shape shots

Im interested to know if anyone else feels this and if its a good move to ingrain? Im thinking Id like to work on a steeper swing plane this year to make it easier to come back down from the inside?

[Mr_Change]

Re: Right arm in the takeaway

I found that buy keeping my right straight till my club was hip hight, keeps my club on plane, from there I just bend my right arm 90 degree, I keep my left arm straight the whole way in my back swing. just allow a very slight flex so it isn't stiff. this give me a good swing plane and allows me the hit longer shots without putting any extra effort into my shot.

[pnearn]

Re: Right arm in the takeaway

Yeah, that works for me too. If i keep my right arm and have a slight lateral movement to the right (into my right hip) at the start of my backswing I can get maximum width. From here i find its just so much easaier to swing back through the ball and have real power and even shape shots by deliberately swinging inside to inside for a draw or inside to outside for a cut. If i dont get wide on the backswing all sorts of bad things happen

[gord962]

Re: Right arm in the takeaway

If you are looking for a way to widen the arc in your backswing, work at the range on pushing the club away from you as you swing back.

Once your club reaches parallel, your right arm is going to break down. What you should be looking for a the top is the bicep/tricep is at 90* to your side, your forearm is 90* to your bicep/tricep and your hand is 90* to your forearm.

[gord962]

Re: Right arm in the takeaway

Yes - partially. Also, keep your hips from over rotating on the backswing. The general rule for hips is 45*, shoulders 90*. If you can keep your hips at 35 - 40* and shoulders at 90* you will create even more torque. But back to legs, if you keep your left heel planted and the less you turn your left knee away from the target, the more torque you will create.

[pnearn]

Re: Right arm in the takeaway

If you keep your right arm straight in the takeaway you'll find that when it starts to fold it will do so at the correct angle (i.,e 90 deg where your right elbow is pointing to the floor). If you dont your right elbow will be pointing somwhere behind you which is a bad position. This is what im trying to really work on at the range this winter. I also find for width you should have a slight lateral slide at the very start, to curl into your right leg. This also helps me get my hands further away from the ball (but make sure you keep the right knee flexed so as that move doesnt turn into a sway)

[keepyourheaddown]

Re: Right arm in the takeaway

hello i worked on this a few months ago at first i felt it created a very solid shot, but after a few week i found that the club stayed to must infront of my body and i delivered the club into the ball vey steep producing a big right shot, i then had to work on the right arm bending sooner so i could get the club back on plane again

[keiko]

Re: Right arm in the takeaway

Well, if one does not keep the right arm straight(for that matter the left too) during the takeaway, one gets 1. a baseball swing, 2. no chance of reaching the tray position at the top, 3. a narrow instead of wide backswing.
The straight right arm is not exclusive to tiger, all good players do that.
The opposite is picking the club up too soon.

I read a execllent piece on Tigers Swing this week in Golf World UK with some good comparison pics from 2001 and 2004

One of the things most notably different is in his takeaway. The pro analysing it stated ( and you could see ) how he kept his right arm virtually straight as far as he could and in front of his body. This gave him a really wide start. Now in 2004 his right arm seems to fold earlier giving him a flatter swing plane

I went out and tried this action on the range thinking straight right arm (in fact holding the triangle as far as I could manage). It gave me a steeper swing plane for sure and also felt like my backswing was much more compacted (i.e short of parallel). However I did notice a lot of extra power this way and it seemed a lot simpler to get the club back down on plane and then use my hands to shape shots

Im interested to know if anyone else feels this and if its a good move to ingrain? Im thinking Id like to work on a steeper swing plane this year to make it easier to come back down from the inside?

[Wil]

Re: Right arm in the takeaway

Yup, seems to work alright-right elbow points straight downward.
One would think with the quality resources and instruction Tiger has available he would have started doing this a long time ago.
Great tip-Thanks...Wil

[rheggie]

Re: Right arm in the takeaway

Yes - partially. Also, keep your hips from over rotating on the backswing. The general rule for hips is 45*, shoulders 90*. If you can keep your hips at 35 - 40* and shoulders at 90* you will create even more torque. But back to legs, if you keep your left heel planted and the less you turn your left knee away from the target, the more torque you will create.

Yeah....most guys and gals I play with are just way too supple and really need to stop those hips from rotating...LOL.
Does anybody anywhere out there still teach that X Factor nonsense? Get those hips out of the way going back and out of the way going down...simples!

[msklar92]

Re: Right arm in the takeaway

straight right arm hmmm, I don't know any pro that would teach this and the thought sounds bad because both arms should really be relaxed throughout the swing, Striaght and stiff can get mixed up (the term extended is better). If you bring your club back just parallel to the ground and parallel to the target line with the toe up check the arm positiion. what you should see is an extended left arm and a bent right elbow. Anyway, who knows what Tiger is really trying to work on. Many of these articles are confusing and open to misinterpetation

[GolfJunkieSr]

Re: Right arm in the takeaway

Keeping the right arm straight as long as possible keeps both elbows level in the back swing. Once the right arm starts to bend, it, and the left arm are moving up, and both elbows are still staying real close to level with each other. The more level the elbows are kept through out the swing, the more on plane the swing will be.

I look at other players swings all the time. Not to copy them in any way mind you, but just to see what they do to get whatever ball flight they have. Just a guess on my part, but I don't think one can copy the golf swing of another with out having "all" of the prior swing training the one that is being copied has received. Perhaps bits, and pieces of another swing, but in the end we all have find our own decent impact position for a decent ball flight.

I also remember on other golf forums back in the 1990s, and early 2000s that some folks were saying at some point in Wood's career he would have knee problems associated with his then swing. Probably a coincidence, but still something to think about when looking at Wood's older, steeper swing. GJS