Watch part 2 now to see how you're moving your body in the opposite direction of the pros!
Swinging the left arm across - don't do this!
Learning how to use your right arm in the golf swing is the key to syncing up your arms and body in the backswing.
Most golfers we see take the left arm and swing it across the body going back, in an effort to create a swing plane.
Not only is this unnecessary, it introduces several problems of its own, which don't occur when .
The Right Arm Drill teaches you to go back correctly by "presetting" the right arm to the position it will be in at the top of the golf swing, then holding it there as you turn back.
This allows you to feel and understand that the rotation of your body is what transports the club back, rather than pushing it across with your arms.
Try it Yourself
Learn how to use the right arm in the golf swing with the Right Arm Drill
To perform the drill, start out in setup position and then get a little bit of shoulder elevation with the right arm, like we talked about in Move 2.
Elevate the right arm slightly, then do the right elbow flexion to put your arm into the position you want it to be in when you get to the top.
Your bicep and upper chest should be touching.
Now just pull your right shoulder blade back to rotate your upper torso. Don't move your right arm at all.
This is key, because everybody wants to take the right arm in the golf swing and start pushing it back away from the body.
Then instead of being in a good position at the top of the golf swing, they end up with the right arm held out away from the body.
Just preset the right arm, then turn your body back without moving the right arm at all.
There's no movement of the shoulder joint. Your whole torso just rotates back as a single unit.
As you start to do this correctly, you can get a feel how your right arm stays in position throughout the golf swing.
Now Try it With the Club
The Right Arm Drill with the club
Once you're comfortable doing the drill with the right side, pick up a club and do it with both arms.
Set up your right arm the same as before, then turn back to the top of the golf swing.
Your arms are not swinging. You're not trying to get any momentum or create a swing plane.
You're just setting yourself at the top of the golf swing, and turning back. That's all you want to do at this point.
Don't let your right elbow end up out to the side. If you're swinging the left arm or pushing from the left side, that's going to create the position where the right arm comes way out, away from the body.
This simple drill helps you learn what it feels like for the rotation of your body to transport the arms and club back, rather than using arm movements to carry it through the backswing.
Your arms do have a job to do in the swing; the left arm has its own role to play, but most people overdo it.
Checkpoints: Right Lat & Shoulder Blade
You'll feel the lat engage
Focus on turning back and keeping that right arm in place.
When you're doing the drill with your right arm only, you should really feel the right lat engage at the top of the swing.
Check that your shoulder is down and in, and that the upper bicep and chest are still touching.
That's where you want to be at the top of the swing.
If you look at the top of your swing on video and see that your right elbow tends to come out away from your body, the Right Arm Drill will help you get that feeling of having the body transport the arms and club back, which will get you into a much better position at the top.
