The golf swing has many moving components. Regardless of what level of play you produce, there is always something that can be improved. During today’s discussion, I want to focus on our lead arm (in my case it is my left arm because I hit right handed clubs) and how it works during our golf swing. The mechanics of our lead are is very simple; it needs to rotate not pull during our golf swing. Pretty straight forward, right?

Our lead arm movement is critical for generating power and squaring the club face on impact. The trail arm does some of that, but its strength lies in swing plane (more on that in the future). For now, the lead arm is key to creating a swing that produces consistent and effective contact through the ball. The basic concept of mechanics is that the lead arm must rotate to ensure that the clubhead follows a consistent swing path to prevent an open club face on contact or the dreaded chicken wing. Take a look at what Mike Malaska says:

The drill of rotating the club with one arm is a good one because it is simple, easy to replicate, and produces great swing mechanics. Of course there are many other affects created by rotating our lead arm, but from the video above you get the point. I will use this drill in the offseason to ensure I keep my swing mechanics in check. Another benefit of this drill is that you can practice in almost any location. We do not need a full swing, just hip to hip will create the conditions for success.

Sometimes the best drills are the simple ones. I think this drill falls into that category. I have found that simple is best for my game because I learned years back that rotating my lead arm is definitely a foundational move that keeps my swing in check.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!