Golf Tip on Elbows

by Bryan Nicholson


Throughout my years of teaching, I have encountered many students that have received the great advice about “having their elbow fly” during their swing. Unfortunately, golf and flying elbows can get along a lot like a triple cheeseburger while on a diet! They just don’t work!

Without getting too in-depth of all the faults that can accompany a flying elbow, it can be summarized by stating that the problem can lead a golfer to experience a pattern of erratic shots. Those include loss of distance, slicing and hooking. For those not familiar with the term, a flying right elbow occurs as a player nears the completion of their backswing. The right elbow will lift away from the torso, and is accompanied by raising the right shoulder. Often times, the club severely wraps around the neck line. While the problem can be corrected in the forward swing, most amateur golfers do not have the ability to make such compensatory movements in their swings.

Surprisingly, the flying elbow is actually not an elbow or shoulder problem at all! It’s not as if the golfer decides to “fly their elbow” in the middle of their swing. The problem lies in the golfer’s ability to correctly use their hands in the backswing. Remember this well: the human body will react to the intended uses of the hands! Take your right hand and hold it forward of your chest with the palm facing skyward. I’ll bet your right elbow is in toward the right side of your torso! Now, take your right hand and turn the hand over so the palm is facing the ground. Take a careful look at the location of your right elbow! I’ll bet its no longer at your right side! Suffice to say, that if the right hand palm looks upward, the right elbow will stay in toward the right side! We are already close to understanding the problem.

To improve your own backswing, make a series of swings at chest height. As the golfer decides to take the club back, it is more natural to swing the club inward around the right side. It would not be described as a natural motion to take the club upward or straight backward to complete the swing. Think of a baseball player hitting a ball off a 4 foot tee in directly in front of them. Where would they hold their bat?

As the club travels inward, the travel of the two hands naturally flip over so the hands are more side on. The left hand is on top of the club, while the right hand is opposing the left, directly below. You will also notice that the right elbow has folded into your right side when doing this. Players who have a flying right elbow have an OPPOSITE relationship for the hands. Their backswings feature the left hand looking up, or on the bottom of the club, and their right hand on top of the club, or looking down at the ground.

Surprisingly, there is not a significant difference in a backswing made at nose height and one that is made on the ground. There is one glaring exception, however: To accommodate striking an object on the ground, we must bend from the hips, so the hands can be low enough for the club to pick up the ball.

The next time you practice, check the relationship of your hands at the top of the swing. If you can take the club out of right hand, and the palm is facing skyward like a waiter holding a tray of drinks…you are on the right path. However, if you can’t hold the waiter’s tray at the top of the swing with your right hand…well, guess what? You just spilled dinner in your guest’s laps! That won’t make anyone happy, including your golf swing!

Fairways and Greens,
Bryan

Bryan Nicholson, PGA Professional, Northwood Club Dallas, Texas - Born and raised in Iowa, Bryan is a communications graduate from the University of Northern Iowa and a four-year letter winner on the golf team for the Panthers. In 2001, Bryan finished as the low amateur in the Iowa Open. Bryan came to Northwood after spending nearly four years at Orange Lake Resort and Country Club in Kissimmee, Florida. During his tenure at Orange Lake, Bryan was promoted to the Head Golf and Teaching Professional for the golf operation and also The McCord Golf Academy. Bryan has an extensive teaching background from his experiences at The McCord Golf Academy and Swing's The Thing Golf Schools. Under the direction of Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers Rick McCord and Dick Farley, Bryan was instrumental in developing instructional programs for all levels of players and golfer segments. Bryan has appeared in instructional videos and was nominated two consecutive years by his peers as the North Florida Teacher of the Year. He is a PGA Certified Professional in Instruction - one of 300 PGA members in the country with that distinction!