right arm only

[shootin4par]

have been having problem with impact position forever. So in my search I am getting closer and can have forward shaft lean on half shots, and I caught that on tape yesterday So today I was playing and while doing so I had an 8 iron in my right hand and took some swings with it using right hand only. Well I noticed something, using my right hand only my swish was well behind where the ball would be. So I thought that was interesting and then I switched hands and noticed with using my left hand my swoosh was way in front of the ball.

So after my round I went to the range and started messing around. I then took practice swings with right hand only and focused on getting the swoosh in front of where the ball would be. Then I hit some balls with right hand only and had one shot with a six iron that went 15-20 yards beyond the 150 green, and multiple shots that landed pin high at the 150 green, all the while barely swining. So I would take practice swings right handed and then hit with both hands. Meanwhile I felt like I was swing 50 percent. I hit some shots that were about 170 with VERY little effort. The ball clicked off the clubface, had a lower penetrating ball flight, and checked up real well.

So my question is this, by swinging with the right arm only will this cause problems? this really seemed to help me ingrain the feeling of how the right arm acts and not release too early.

[pinyo8]

Re: right arm only

When you mean one hand, do you mean the other hand off the club completely? If that was the case, you must have pretty strong arms to swing just using one of them.
As for getting that feeling with your right hand, if it works for you then stick with it. Everyone will have a different feel to their swing. What you may think you are doing may be completely different to how it actually looks, depending on the person.
For me when I try to keep the hands in front of the ball at impact, I feel like as if my hands stays like that for the entire follow through although it is not like that when I see it on video.

[shootin4par]

Re: right arm only

When you mean one hand, do you mean the other hand off the club completely? If that was the case, you must have pretty strong arms to swing just using one of them.
As for getting that feeling with your right hand, if it works for you then stick with it. Everyone will have a different feel to their swing. What you may think you are doing may be completely different to how it actually looks, depending on the person.
For me when I try to keep the hands in front of the ball at impact, I feel like as if my hands stays like that for the entire follow through although it is not like that when I see it on video.

yes it is with just one arm. You would be suprised how little effort is needed, you dont need strong arms. It actually is a very loose feeling swing and has good distance with very little effort

[msklar92]

Re: right arm only

it possible when you swing with one arm that you are able to turn your chest more easily away from the target - hence incorporating the large muscles to swing. when you do this the swing feels less effortful. My guess is, you may feel more restricted in your turn when using both arms and not turning as much. To test this, stand in front of a mirror on a table so the you only see the right side of your chest. Now take a backswing. If you are taking a full turn, you should be able to see your RIGHT shoulder in the mirror. you have then turned and are behind the ball. check the difference using one arm and both arms.

[Simon Woo]

Re: right arm only

I think with one hand you will not be able to throw/cast at the ball, so you are forced to let the club swing. That's what the weighted clubs are supposed to help you get that feeling too. So I think by using just your right hand, you are beginning to get the feeling of a more proper swing. When you can bring in your left hand and still maintain that swing, I'm sure you will be able to hit even further, if nothing else simply by hitting the ball sweeter (as I would imagine to be quite difficult to do everytime with just one hand).

[shootin4par]

Re: right arm only

it possible when you swing with one arm that you are able to turn your chest more easily away from the target - hence incorporating the large muscles to swing. when you do this the swing feels less effortful. My guess is, you may feel more restricted in your turn when using both arms and not turning as much. To test this, stand in front of a mirror on a table so the you only see the right side of your chest. Now take a backswing. If you are taking a full turn, you should be able to see your RIGHT shoulder in the mirror. you have then turned and are behind the ball. check the difference using one arm and both arms.

I have a fuller turn with both arms actually, but by using just the right I am able to work on lagging the right arm and having the swing be controlled by the body and centrifugal force, instead of releasing the right arm early, running out of right arm, and losing all lag WWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY to early. The hard part with golf is there can be a new revelation everyday, and many times I think I have found the answer, but if you saw the ball flight on some of the half swings I made yesterday, that is a ball flight I have been trying to get for a long time.

[brighty73]

Re: right arm only

Very interesting. Haven't been reading the forum for a while (or hitting balls recently for that matter) but went to the range last night to kill a bit of time. Was hitting it horribly for a while then two things happened.

I watched some young kid (12/13 yr old) a few bays down who had the easiest swing I've seen for a long time - he made it look rediculously easy with very little effort.

I questioned why, when I played regularly as a kid, I would 'weigh' a shot up (no club in hands) by using a right handed swing only - you've all seen it done.

So anyway - decided to hit the next set of balls using a right handed dominated swing (didn't go for the right hand only, the range was packed - I'd end up missing the thing more often than not) - but did as you did and swung right hand only on the practice swings

I hit the ball very solidly for the majority of the rest of the bucket of balls.

By controlling the club more in the right hand I had a very definite feeling of creating A LOT of lag during the transition phase of the swing. It also helped eliminate rolling of the wrists early in the backswing which I was aware I was doing but was struggling to stop.

This forum was the starting point for my research into a right hand dominated swing - will now read the rest of the internet to find out more

I did read an article a while back with a tip about holding a golf towel on the grip in the right hand and have the other end under the left shoulder at address, with the aim of keeping the tension in the towel on the backswing - think that was almost certainly a right-hand dominated swing tip - but off to check anyways

[shootin4par]

Re: right arm only

I would not say you want a right hand dominated swing, but you do not want an overactive right hand that releases too early. for me the right hand only drill delays the right hand. Left hand is control hand, that is all there is too it, ight hand is speed

[Simon Woo]

Re: right arm only

I did read an article a while back with a tip about holding a golf towel on the grip in the right hand and have the other end under the left shoulder at address, with the aim of keeping the tension in the towel on the backswing - think that was almost certainly a right-hand dominated swing tip - but off to check anyways

That drill basically helps you maintain the key distances (swing arc, hands to body) throughout your swing, but I wouldn't take the leap to suggest that it implies a right-hand dominated swing tip? Comments?

[brighty73]

Re: right arm only

That drill basically helps you maintain the key distances (swing arc, hands to body) throughout your swing, but I wouldn't take the leap to suggest that it implies a right-hand dominated swing tip? Comments?

Think I'll clarify my thoughts a bit.

Where I think I'm coming from is that I am concentrating much more on the motion of my right hand than I was earlier....with the main thoughts being trying to keep some sort of constant relationship between the RIGHT hand and left shoulder at least for the first part of the back swing (far better turn with better balance etc)...and also to stop the right hand from breaking down early in the backswing (I have a tendency to fan the club if left to my own devices). It probably isn't dominant in the sense that I could just about remove the left from the club - just MORE dominant in my swing thoughts at the moment !!!

I'll hit a few tonight and see how I get on keeping it as a major swing thought for the time being.

[Simon Woo]

Re: right arm only

No worries brighty, this right-hand vs left-hand topic will never come to a conclusion anyway

Interestingly, I did post something similar before. In fact, I was going into even more details by asking if it helps to concentrate on the right thumb in the swing. I was trying to find a good position at the top and was wondering if checking the right thumb throughout the backswing would simplify things. That has the added advantage of keeping the clubhead in check as well. Any thoughts on that?

[pnearn]

Re: right arm only

If it helps I think about my right hand/arm on the backswing and my left on the downswing. I like to feel the right hand hinge early in the backswing and I start my downswing by pulling down with the left arm

[Simon Woo]

Re: right arm only

I'm partially referring to Greg's right hand drill now. The right hand has to cup and hinge on the backswing, right? I'm trying something out now, concentrating on cupping and hinging the right hand on the backswing, and on the downswing concentrate on unhinging (but not uncupping) the right hand. So in essence I guess I am also having a right-hand dominated swing The left hand, I just remember to keep it straight... Does this work?