Golf Tips » March 2002: Downswing Key – The Position of the Right Forearm

This month’s tip was a request from Matt Glenn of Grove City, PA  who asks,

"Even though I know  I need to "drop" the club into the slot on the downswing, I seem to have a problem accomplishing that. An "over the top swing" is something I struggle to get rid of. Can you help?"

Matt, the key lies in the right forearm (for right handed golfers). Most golfers allow the right forearm to get out of "perpendicular" too soon on the downswing. (Picture #1) This  causes the hands to get too far away from the body, which in turn will cause you to cut across the ball, causing a slice or a pull depending on where the clubface is at impact.

 

 

 

Cure: From the top of the backswing, (picture #2), make sure you drop the right arm down so that the forearm is still pointing directly behind you half way down the downswing. (Picture #3)

From there let the hands stay close to the body until just before impact.  (Picture #4)

This will produce an inside-out clubhead path, allowing the clubhead to travel down the line towards the target, assuring that the ball will take off directly at the target.