Lead Arm Straight

How important is keeping the lead arm straight? First of all, let's change from straight to extended lead arm, straight seems to create tension. Keeping the lead arm extended determines the size of the circle you are trying to create. The larger the circle, the faster the club head will travel, and speed equals distance.

The length of club increases by 1/2 inch as the number of the club decreases, (4 iron is 1/2" longer than a 5 iron, etc.). This means that a 4 iron swung with the same effort as the 5 iron is moving faster because it has farther to go in the same amount of time. If the lead arm is bent slightly with the 4 iron and extended with the 5 iron, then they could conceivably be traveling the same speed, both making the ball go the same distance only one higher than the other because of difference in loft of the clubs.

The disappointment that most players have is they expect a 4 iron to go 20 or 30 yards farther than their 5 iron when they are designed to go about 5 to 10 yards farther.

The only thing that should change, in swinging different clubs, is the radius of the circle created by the length of the club. Arm length and posture should remain the same.

Play well and have fun.

Dale Bartlett, PGA professional
http://dbart5.blogspot.com

Weight Transfer

Weight transfer is something we do everyday with every step we take. Simply moving the weight from one leg to other. In golf terms we want make the transfer while turning our body away from the target and then toward the target, keeping our hips from swaying outside the insteps of our feet.

In the back swing the weight transfer is started by the rotation of the shoulders away from the target, moving the weight to the back leg, The downswing or forward rotation is created by pushing the weight from the back leg to the front leg causing the hips to turn, then the shoulders.

Remember the hips stay inside the insteps of the feet on both the back swing and the downswing.

Make a comment below. See you next time.

Dale Bartlett

Drop The Club In The Slot

Most all golfers have heard the term "dropping the club in the slot" but, do most know what it means? Some know what it means but don't know how to accomplish it. It is simply a matter of letting your arms fall naturally on the downswing.

The problem arises in most players at address position. They setup by reaching their arms outward (away from their bodies), not realizing that on the downswing they to have force their arms out and away from their body to get to the ball..
 
The fix:  At address position your upper body should be tilted forward about 30-35 degrees, bending at the hips, From this position simply let your arms hang straight down from the shoulders. Notice how close to your body your arms are hanging, that is where the should fall on the downswing. THAT IS THE SLOT.

Most players would say "that's too close to my body, the ball is too close to me". That is because they start the downswing wrong. They start with their hands, arms and shoulders, instead of starting the lower part of their bodies first, and just letting their arms simply fall in the slot.

Watch the Ben Hogan video clip on the right to see how the club starts down. Notice; I did not say "how to start the club down". I said "see how the club starts down".