Straight to the point

I can't believe how often I ignore the important things about the golf swing. Last time I carried on about rhythm and the importance of a smooth and unhurried backswing, but missed one of the most important factors in creating a consistent golf swing, the swing arc.

There is no future for the golfer who cannot create and maintain a consistent swing arc. Topped shots, fat shots and poor contact in general are closely related to having an inconsistent swing arc - where we are referring to the outer path of the clubhead.

There are of course other ways in which a swing can be compromised - for example, the rhythm being off in some way, typically through hurrying or trying to hit too hard. But one of the main reasons for poor contact is because the swing arc changes from shot to shot. The margin for error is, after all, very small.

I have realised that it is really important for me to create and maintain a straight lead (left) arm throughout my golf swing. It is not something that I've focused on in recent years - probably because I've been tinkering with all sorts of ideas about elbow or wrist position or some other (mainly) backswing thought.

My obsession with connection, upper arm to chest, was another area of focus that, although important in some ways, does not directly address the crucial swing arc factor for consistent ball striking. I've also been distracted by numerous other ideas about weight shift, heel lifting, ball position, etc. etc.

While straight lead arm is a longstanding golf concept, it has been dismissed by some as a myth. Numerous examples of top players who bend their lead arm are cited as the reason it is unnecessary to keep the arm straight. But these same players, with rare exceptions, manage to straighten that lead arm at impact - where it really does matter for nearly all golfers.

The reality is the average player does not have the ability to consistently (and consistently is the key word) achieve at impact a straight lead arm, and a fully extended swing arc. It's hard to do. Not that keeping the lead arm straight is easy; but it is better to try than to ignore the importance of it.

It should be noted that a straight lead arm does not mean rigid. Straight should probably be thought of as extended and definitely not locked. There is a difference; errors of over-rigidity can creep in if we are not careful. There are also other traps for the unwary, for example, failure to extend (lift the chest) on the backswing, without which it is difficult to stay fairly centred and correctly rotated.

Enough detail for now. I just know that I strike the ball much better when I focus on keeping my lead arm straight. I am more consistent in making ball contact and I believe I also benefit from maintaining as wide a swing arc as I can - so that my distances are, if anything, enhanced.

I hope I got straight to the point because straight is the point of this post. Well, it makes sense to me.