Reducing distance between elbows

[kiawah]

I've been working on squeezing my elbows and forearms together in my full swing, but I'm having a hard time getting the feel from a smart ball or connector aid to translate without it. I also have had a hard time making a full backswing even with the training aid(s). Anyone else have experience with this particular issue? 

[getitdaily]

How long have you been using the small ball? How many balls a week do you bit with the small ball?

 

Should be no issues making a full backswing. However, the training aid may be telling you that your "full swing" is too long...

[kiawah]

19 hours ago, getitdaily said:

How long have you been using the small ball? How many balls a week do you bit with the small ball?

 

Should be no issues making a full backswing. However, the training aid may be telling you that your "full swing" is too long...

I did this a lot last year, probably 3-5 times a week for a few months hitting a bucket of balls alternating two swings with the training aid and two without (or five and five, some sort of 50/50 breakdown) but I could never really get it to mirror what I was seeing on camera with the ball. It was usually my right arm structure that was off by a bit. Getting back into it now. 

 

With regard to your comment that my backswing is too long, I actually think it could be the opposite. I really do not get the club all that close to parallel and might have been relying on some separation of the arms in getting the club to the top of my backswing, but now that I am forced to stay connected I think I have to really feel like I am stretching to make a full backswing. 

 

Here are some clips for reference (short iron down the line) 

 

 

IMG_3707.mov (with aid)

 

IMG_3710.mov (regular swing)

Edited March 25 by kiawah

[getitdaily]

16 minutes ago, kiawah said:

I did this a lot last year, probably 3-5 times a week for a few months hitting a bucket of balls alternating two swings with the training aid and two without (or five and five, some sort of 50/50 breakdown) but I could never really get it to mirror what I was seeing on camera with the ball. It was usually my right arm structure that was off by a bit. Getting back into it now. 

 

With regard to your comment that my backswing is too long, I actually think it could be the opposite. I really do not get the club all that close to parallel and might have been relying on some separation of the arms in getting the club to the top of my backswing, but now that I am forced to stay connected I think I have to really feel like I am stretching to make a full backswing. 

 

Here are some clips for reference. 

 

 

IMG_3707.mov IMG_3710.mov

Arm structure is definitely different between the 2. 

 

What issue are you tryingnto resolve by squeezing the arms together?  Because I see other things...arm structure is fine

[kiawah]

1 hour ago, getitdaily said:

Arm structure is definitely different between the 2. 

 

What issue are you tryingnto resolve by squeezing the arms together?  Because I see other things...arm structure is fine

Just trying to improve my backswing in general, it's what my coach prescribed for me 

Edited March 25 by kiawah

[Hilts1969]

On 3/24/2025 at 5:47 PM, kiawah said:

I've been working on squeezing my elbows and forearms together in my full swing, but I'm having a hard time getting the feel from a smart ball or connector aid to translate without it. I also have had a hard time making a full backswing even with the training aid(s). Anyone else have experience with this particular issue? 

 

I had the same problem until I realised that I was not rotating my arms or hinging my wrists fully  whilst holding the ball in place. 

 

Hinge your wrists first then turn and make sure you do that quarter turn rotation of the left arm. 

 

It's very easy to be too rigid with everything with the ball in place. 

 

Without it I just squeeze the forearms together and finish with my right elbow pointing down( it's comes out a little bit in reality) 

[virtuoso]

Umm, the ball is not fixing the thing you should be trying to fix...

[MonteScheinblum]

Elbows don’t separate for no reason.

 

Poor hip rotation and shift in the backswing is likely playing a role here.  The smart ball works once you’ve eliminated the reason why the elbows separate 

[golferdude54]

Smart ball shouldn't be used in full swings or even half swings, it's better as a backswing drill. Past impact the arms are moving and rotating so fast that the rolling of the ball just jams up your release.

[GoGoErky]

51 minutes ago, golferdude54 said:

Smart ball shouldn't be used in full swings or even half swings, it's better as a backswing drill. Past impact the arms are moving and rotating so fast that the rolling of the ball just jams up your release.

It’s great for 9-3 swings.

 

Would suggest listening to episode 3 of the spin axis. Ball in between the arms are used for more than the backswing.

 

might want to look at Martin Chuck and his videos as well.

 

I would bet most instructors disagree with this musing

[Hawkeye77]

53 minutes ago, golferdude54 said:

Smart ball shouldn't be used in full swings or even half swings, it's better as a backswing drill. Past impact the arms are moving and rotating so fast that the rolling of the ball just jams up your release.

 

Martin Chuck would disagree with the above.  

[iacas]

1 hour ago, golferdude54 said:

Smart ball shouldn't be used in full swings or even half swings, it's better as a backswing drill. Past impact the arms are moving and rotating so fast that the rolling of the ball just jams up your release.

 

 

🤔

[virtuoso]

Yeah, he doesn’t get his arms deep enough. Sigh.

[kiawah]

15 hours ago, MonteScheinblum said:

Elbows don’t separate for no reason.

 

Poor hip rotation and shift in the backswing is likely playing a role here.  The smart ball works once you’ve eliminated the reason why the elbows separate 

Thanks for the input, Monte. 

[kiawah]

16 hours ago, virtuoso said:

Umm, the ball is not fixing the thing you should be trying to fix...

Helpful

[RichieHunt]

The gap between the elbows should get a little wider in the backswing, it's just that many golfers get that gap too wide.  

I had this issue and a college golfer that I advise had this issue as well.  I really hate the concept of 'squeezing' your elbows together.  It's an unnatural motion and I think just serves to screw up your arm structure.  

What I found worked for me and the college golfer is understanding the arm swing myth.  Too many golfers start swinging the arms too much across their chest (instead of elevating their arms and then lowering their arms in the downswing) and they abduct the trail arm too much and the elbows have no choice but to separate too much.

Another issue I've seen is the lack of tilting in the back swing as well as the lack of wrist hinge int he back swing.  A lot of golfers try to get really wide in the back swing without any wrist hinge and I think that they feel like they don't have enough leverage of the club so their elbows spread apart more to get that feeling of being able to power the club in their swing.  



RH

[virtuoso]

11 minutes ago, kiawah said:

Helpful

I wasn't trying to be cryptic. I was trying to get you to scan somewhere else other than the elbows to see if you could spot something, and then to see how you responded. I think people learn better this way.

[getitdaily]

18 minutes ago, virtuoso said:

I wasn't trying to be cryptic. I was trying to get you to scan somewhere else other than the elbows to see if you could spot something, and then to see how you responded. I think people learn better this way.

Lips lie. Hips don't. 

[TheDeanAbides]

5 hours ago, virtuoso said:

I wasn't trying to be cryptic. I was trying to get you to scan somewhere else other than the elbows to see if you could spot something, and then to see how you responded. I think people learn better this way.

Do the work for him, dammit!