Keep Elbow Close? #1 Most Popular Golf Teacher on You Tube Shawn Clement

[silowhore]

you're definitely onto something there shawn, i've always kept my right elbow close in the backswing, last night i started practicing letting it go more freely and getting the arc of my swing a bit wider and i was absolutely crushing it, best i've ever hit the ball. thanks buddy :D

[benitocarbone54321]

ClemShaw, you should try playing cricket, nice throw



[Theclassiccarnut]

The right elbow does get "close" to right hip on the downswing.

[CosmicSPC]

so the left arm connection a la McLean is nonsense too ? 

[Strgchris]

For right handed golfer you do want the right elbow close to the body at the top of the back swing correct? I find that if I let my elbow lift away from my body to much I cross the line really bad.

[TheGolfingGuru]

You the shit bro! (in a good way)

[kbakken1]

Couldn't have said it better, Shawn! That those "fixes" are re-active and don't address the bigger issues in the swing.

Before I really got big into your methodology (which is really only explaining what the human body already does), I went for a lesson to straighten out my drive. He had me do a bunch of re-active things to straighten out flight path.

While this did straighten it out, I was not even close to swinging to my full potential. It also felt forced.

[kukocs13]

The reason the towel is used under the left arm is that the the left arm is tied to the side of the chest to square the clubface. This brings in a more consistent squaring of the clubface and prevents the dreaded chicken wing . Otherwise, you will have to depend on TIMING OR FLIPPING of the hands and arms. This will cause massive inconsistency. The part of your video where you show the swing with your arms tied to your chest shows just how little you know about the golf swing.  Read B. Hogan.

[theciskokidd]

The right arm lift isnt necessarily a bad thing, as long as you bring the club back down into the slot. For beginners I would not teach a right elbow lifting but a good example where it works is by watching Fred Couples. He just brings it back to the correct position.

[clemshaw]

@theciskokidd Beginner or not; the action of the arms are not your job!! Do you have any Idea how amazing the human body on planet earth is and how it is already wired to do this?? You fear what you don't understand and this is OK but please do something about it and see my "Ridiculously easy; Shawn Clement" part 1 and 2 videos and then my "Arms and Body; Shawn Clement" and "Stop Crashing; Shawn Clement" videos; the titles speak for themselves! Shawn

[theciskokidd]

@clemshaw

I don't suffer from elbow action. But thanks anyways. You seem to have sound ideas.

[Weresmarterthen]

Great stuff Shawn!

Have you found that by keeping the arms extended during the backswing, your spine angle and head brace against the left instep/leg remains much more balanced and intact? Those motions, in total, seem to work together beautifully. Thanks a mil.!

[JagSpur]

I think your taking the 'elbow close' too litterally! Its not ment for the backswing, just the downswing to the impact position. Of course you wouldn't be able to make a complete backswing whilst keeping your elbow tight, that is right, but if you look at the tour pros almost every one will have their right elbow relatively close to their body during the downswing. If its good enough for them its good enough for me!

[clemshaw]

@thefamiliepak No, No, NO! You need to watch the hammer thrower again! :)

And you definitely don't want to focus on keeping the arms close to the body to get speed; PLEASE SEE "Golf Pro lesson get more club speed and power" as well as "golf pro lesson feet together and one leg update"; I am glad you brought this up because I hear this too often! Shawn

[kuroineko77]

Are you a preacher?

[clemshaw]

@kuroineko77 That is not a preacher's collar; that is my MICROPHONE! :)

[ZAMRICHEABDULLAH]

@kuroineko77 yes he is !!! preacher of golf...and very good at it too!! get his videos, excellent and a steal with that price that he's charging, plus ALL this free lessons on the YT. Generous, just like a preacher :-)

[KaleAshrim]

@kuroineko77 - LOL - I noticed that too. Anyway, Shawn may not be a preacher, but he's certainly the arch deacon of golf instruction.

[clemshaw]

@cobjob22 Dude; have you had a close look at a human skeleton and do you know the names of the bones in the arms? Do you know how much range of motion the shoulders have? I do! You have obviously not looked at many of my videos because if you had, you would not be leaving these comments; just seeing the "golf pro lesson learn your golf machine" with our life size in house Skeleton (which every single teaching pro should have) would do it for you; Shawn

[ktkl68]

Hello

Great video and thank you

I have a question about the right elbow.. I may be wrong and if I am please correct me. After the takeway about the half swing, the folding of my right elbow is what elevates the club upward right? Without the folding of the right elbow the hands and the club will go deeper (inside) and will have a right elbow that is kind of disconnected at the top.. Please give me your advice. Thanks

[clemshaw]

@ktkl68 Partly yes! The body turning out of the way of the arm swing into the backswing, yes backswing (see "golf pro lesson perpetual motion drill) will cause the arms to get pulled away from the body and arm getting pulled away from the body means arms going upwards! The right arm folding causes the wrists to hinge up and this provides lift as well; see "golf pro lesson takeaway and starting the swing" and "golf pro lesson momentum toss" part 1 and 2; Shawn

[NolandStrike]

this helped me so much i actually tried this before i saw this video but it worked so well

[OnlineBizClubGuy]

Shawn you are a great observer. I never thought that Jimmy Ballard stuff about towels under the arm pits worked very well. It does produce "wooden" swings.

[jkduser]

Hi Clemshaw,

I was looking at my swing recently and thought it felt ok but the results said different! On the downswing when the hands are approaching the right leg my right elbow fails to stay under the left arm and a gap appears between my right arm and upper body. Can you help?!

T

[clemshaw]

First, have a look at my "golf pro lesson the insanity of golf" and then see "golf pro lesson through the ball" and finally "golf pro lesson fishing and golf"; it will get your focus right as you are still fixated at hitting the ball instead of swinging through to your target and letting the ball get in the way; Shawn

[avidgolfr]

The easiest way to stay connected with the right elbow is to turn your hips first...THE MOVE by Mike Griffin....

[clemshaw]

This is NOT about CONNECTION with the right elbow; this is about how the arm unit should form in order to sling the club head through the ball and to a target with the most power and the least bit of effort; and it certainly does not require for anyone to have to fire the hips CONSCIOUSLY; Mike Griffin can keep his move; Shawn

[avidgolfr]

sounds like CONNECTION to me. Maybe you should check out the move befoer you shoot it down professor. Or maybe go see Ben Hogans swing and watch his "arm unit". Im just saying here...your "arm unit" will release nicely through the ball when you use your hips or open the left side of your body...jeez shawm i thought youd be more receprive to other ideas...i didnt know your method of teaching was the end all....i'll have Tiger call you .

[clemshaw]

Watch Ben's elbow very closely and you will see that it comes out in front of his body and does not connect...think about how you would skip a stone on water or throw side arm...you would not stick your elbow to your side and then try to throw...btw, when you focus on the target, your body will open up without you thinking about it...see "golf pro lesson the insanity of golf"...you will get there! I was where you are now about 15 years ago...

[swingtrade2]

yes, yes , yes!

[jeanmi1229]

Hi Shawn, great video, just wanted to ask you, everytime after "trying" to hit 100 balls at the driving range. My right hand is sore the day after. I find it difficult to make a fist. Could it be my grip is too weak or strong? Any ideas..?

[clemshaw]

It means that the hand is not placed properly on the club; see my "golf pro lesson grip 2 wrist hinge" video as well as the other videos on grip I have; when improperly positioned, it will strain to stay on and then you will cramp up! Shawn

[Parko61]

Shawn someone suggested that i keep my left elbow close to my body after impact as if to hit my shoulder with my club in order to promote me release my hands rather than hold on. What do you think? i feel that it is more of a symptom as a result of my weight being to much on my back foot and spinning out and forcing to hold on.

[clemshaw]

very important question Parko61; There should be no conscious manipulations in the swing ever!! If your grip and club relationship is dynamically square and the body gets out of the way around a steady center back and through, the arm-club unit will come through expansively and release naturally;

Shawn

[hackfest4]

The info in this video is so important. Sometimes we try to immulate what we see the pros do. Many talented long ball hitters will show huge extention in their backswings (Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson). What we don't realize is that these guys' swings are timed so well and they reconnect in the downswing. It is a tricky manuever. It is best to stay connected in the backswing and by staying connected I mean keeping your shoulders in their anotomical position. The results will be more consistancy.

[WSLYH]

Got your dvd's about 2 wks ago.....they are great....every thing you demonstrate is working for me....especially ball position and starting down swing....been "playing" golf about 25 yrs and this has helped my "game" tremendously...thanks, i am telling eveyone here in ohio about your instruction....thanks again:

[clemshaw]

Thanks very much WSLYH!

Much appreciated! Shawn

[gigajps]

Hi Shawn, just to say thank you for your great videos and your sharing of understanding much of the swing physics. Best wishes from Richmond, BC. Jason.

[clemshaw]

You are welcome! Thanks Jason!

Shawn

[802471497]

Hi Shawn, Just thought I'd say this is possibly THE most valuable golf lesson I've ever seen on Youtube. It has helped me enormously. Best wishes Tim . (UK)

[clemshaw]

Thank you Tim! Shawn

[cmsima]

Shawn - I wasn't sure where to post this question. In your videos, you talk about slinging the club into the ball. I recently discovered a training aid call the Impact Ball that promotes keeping your forearms/elbows together thru the swing. It also seems to force me to keep my hands more passive. With it, I think I'm finally feeling this slinging action. Also - it seems to help me square the club. Could you comment on the concept this type of training aid?

[clemshaw]

Yes! See my "golf pro lesson medicine ball drill" video and in the "golf pro lesson training aids" part 1 and 2, you will see other ideas that will expand on this;

Shawn

[cockywatchman1976]

Shawn,

I like this vid and agree. BUT if you have developed a swing where your arms detatch a lot wont it benefit you to do drills where you exaggerate really squeezing in the biceps/holding a wood cover etc. This is one of the things my pro is getting me to practice-almost swinging robotically, as my swing has become very lose.

Cheers

Matt

[clemshaw]

Hey Matt; thanks for the comment; what you are looking for is the feeling of a loaded arm unit in that backswing; see the "golf pro lesson grip awareness" video; it has some good insight; see also "perpetual motion drill and simply be aware of the feel and position your arms pop into as you swing back and through giving control away to gravity; Shawn

[malcolmhoyt61]

Shawn, I have been trying for months to stop flipping the hands at impact and create more club head lag. I recently made a break through by LEADING the downswing with the right elbow (close to the body). To do this properly, I have found that you also must not have your elbow fly out at the top of the backswing. This makes it much easier to drop and lead the right elbow. My ball striking, distance and accuracy have improved significantly. Thanks, I only wish I had seen it before!

[clemshaw]

Bingo! Well said and described!

Shawn

[reddawnz]

Shawn,

I couldn't agree with you more... for iron shots. I like to have a more vertical plane. With my driver; however, I feel that keeping my right arm in close helps prevent an outside - in swing resulting in a banana ball - Any input? I love your videos btw.

[clemshaw]

Yes; Have a look at my "golf pro lesson modern driver" part 2 towards the end of the video; also "golf pro lesson swing plane" Shawn

[clemshaw]

Pretty darn close; as long as the elbow is in front of the rib cage; and the body is giving it room to swing like in the "golf pro lesson tilted spiral" part 1 video;

Shawn

[OldSmellyCrotch]

Greetings from the UK =D

I wonder what your take is on this. I have quite a lot of upper body muscle, therefore I can't get a full swing and I am also a 6' 2" 'South-Paw'. (Kind of sets the scene) Anyway, I have noticed that on my downward swing, it feels a lot better if I keep my left elbow in close. As a rough guide how far away from my body should that elbow be?

[mpwarrener]

Hey thanks for the video. I have been having trouble keeping my elbow inside during my backswing. You also make a good point in saying this movement should not be exaggerated. Hopefully this video will help me get ready for this spring. Thanks.

[geeznuts123]

That was a great video! i hope to use this to better my swing!!!

btw, are you a priest???

[clemshaw]

LOL; No; it is just my wireless microphone;

Thanks for the comment though! Shawn

[OldSmellyCrotch]

Good job really, because if you have a deity as your caddy that must be concidered as cheating!?? =\

[swgardar]

Shawn, I am so pleased to have your videos on You Tube. I would like to know if you talk specifically about the Frisbee Toss action of the forward arm on any of your videos. I have a tendency to hold on with the left had and hit high push shots.

[clemshaw]

Hey SWgardar!

I would look at the "Arm Motion", "Taut swing Philosophy", "Contact and spin", "Compress through the ball",'Braced tilt part 2" and "Catapult Power" videos from my "You Tube Shawn" page of my website; I would also get my dvd as there is all this info and more in priority sequence on this...

Thanks for the question! Shawn

[bennyhill88888]

This guy talks more sense than 99.9% of teaching pros I have met and played with. Amateurs looking to get down to category one should find his teaching of great practical use.

[THEEMERALDTABLET]

hi shawn,in the finish would you have your elbows the same level,or the left one lower? i dont know if you have addressed this ive looked through a lot of your videos cant find it-you have so many!also have you considered showing the swing to the students with a swing to target line view,great instruction as always,thankyou shawn-peter.

[clemshaw]

Hi Peter;

Good question!

The left arm does do it's share of folding slightly out of the way post impact, but should not collapse against the body...the positions will be different because of the way the body rises up into a taller finish because of the forces of momentum and how the body responds by getting out of the way; you will see how everything should release in my "Golf Pro lesson Arm Motion" though...and yes, it will feel pointed down post impact; the rest depends on the shot!

[jeetang]

Hi Shawn,

I was wondering if you're supposed to completely let your deltoid muscles loose to let gravity do the job. I'm trying to let the gravity do the work but my grip becomes loose. I injured my left pinky (right hand golfer)years back, and it's not flexible enough to wrap around the grip. and I don't want to lose my wrist hinge. So I think I subconsciously let it loose to hinge because you showed us how important wrist hinges are. Thanks

[clemshaw]

Grip pressure should be around 4 to 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 at the start and into the backswing; then as you gradually pick up momentum in the downswing, that pressure will go up to 10 through impact before relaxing a bit back to 4 in the finish; try the 2 ball drill in the "Through the ball video" and see what happens to your grip pressure...Shawn

[honketyhank]

Shawn, I notice in this video (and others) that you have some kind of a "head dip" as you apply power into impact. I think maybe it is coming from a flex of your knees. Could you tell us what is going on there? Is it a compensation or a conscious move?

[clemshaw]

Great question;

You will see this to some extent with many great players; Moe did it a bit and Tiger does it a lot (too much with the driver). The reason you see this is because I am bracing against the left side before the downswing and trying to match the brace to the intensity of the shot at hand; Sam Snead was renoun for his squat in the downswing and had that slight head drop too...the head sits on the spine which sits on the pelvis>knees>feet...get it? Watch the "transition" video...

[lacr0ss3ph3n0m]

Hey i was wondering if the elbow is supposed to be vertical at the top of the backswing(down the line) and if you can let it go behind your body while keeping it vertical??? pretty confused on this one. thanks

[clemshaw]

To really understand how "your instrument" (your body) is designed to swing a golf club, have a look at my "No Bones About it" and "Be a Solid Ballstriker" videos...you will see that having the arms or elbow behind you is a sign of a collapse; Shawn

[jenhaoyen]

yeah..i think that's why i've been hitting fat lately. Backpain ouch!

[jenhaoyen]

i'm really skinny..hit 9 irons about 140.

[clemshaw]

I noticed your swing and it does look good; you could use a bit more fold downward with the right elbow to get more sling effect in the swing; have a look at the technique I use in the "Left Arm Straight?" video you will see the purpose of the use of the right arm in the swing; then blend it all together with the "Perpetual motion drill"...Shawn

[snsstarnes]

Hey shawn. Thanks for the video. I'm new to the sport and all is appreciated. I am wondering how far I should be hitting a 9 iron. I am hitting it about 100 yds.

[clemshaw]

Good place to start!

A good goal to get to is 7 iron at 150 yards; this means that the 8 iron will be at 135 yards and the 9 iron about 120 to 125 yards; at this distance, you can play some nice courses at around 6500 yards in total distance;

Welcome to Golf! I would recommend you getting my dvd series which has all the major components of all my you tube videos and more you have not seen and all in priority sequence and in much better video and audio of course; everything on my website!

[quixoticfox]

Hey Shawn, great video as usual (the best on the web IMHO).  I've been taping my swing and what i've found is that once my arms reach 3/4, my momentum continues to carry the club (if you look down the line, the shaft points right of target w/ the club head sometimes right of my head). I could swear I stop at the 10:30 position but inevitably the club just keeps going. The head cover drill helps, but isn't great (as you describe). I want to maintain linkage, but can't. Any thoughts?

[clemshaw]

Thanks for the comment and kind words!

Yes, go to my "Golf swing Medicine", "Momentum toss" part 1 and 2 and just in case, have a look at the proper spine tilt angle which talks about the overswing;

They are all on my website's "you tube Shawn" page; Shawn

[cmsima]

I also struggled with this. I tried Shawn's "momentum toss" but couldn't seem master it. I was always lifting my arms with muscle instead of "throwing" them into the backswing. Then I discovered how important it was to use your butt (i.e counterweight). Make sure it swings to the target on your backswing. The movement of my butt to the target allows my arms to be thrown into the backswing with out really using any arm muscle. It feels strange at first, but my overswing is gone!

[sengmau]

highly appreciate your instructions; most precise and concise ones i have seen. love the hogan move (butt on mirror) and the braced tilt. tiger knows just about everthing with his swing but i wonder if he knows that some of his problems may be solved by what you described, in light of his knee problems... may be i should text him to give him a shout about your stuffs! leadbetter, mcclean, etc. either don't know how to teach or don't want to give anything away - got nothing out of them...cheers

[clemshaw]

Hey, if you can text him or Ernie Els I have what they need in spades! Hank is a swing plane expert and gave Tiger what he needed there but Tiger's Platform is, and has been, in shambles with the longer clubs since I can remember; Butch did not fix, Hank did not fix and Leadbetter would not know how either because Ernie has the same spinning out issue with the front foot through impact as well and he left for Butch! Man, just give me a week with those guys! :)

Thanks for the comment! Shawn

[DIRU382]

Hey Shawn,

I recently recorded my swing and I noticed that I begin bending my elbow very early in the back-swing compared to you and others. Although I usually make solid contact, I believe that this might be one of the causes of a lack of consistency and a ball that jumps out to the right (not necessarily a slice). When would you say should the right elbow begin noticeably starting to bend?

thanks, Dane

[clemshaw]

Hi Dane; thanks for the comment;

There are other factors to consider before answering the whole question, but the short answer is about waist high when the right arm is forced to fold; it is the lever that activates the hinging of the wrists and the weight of the club head finishes the job; check out the "Arm Motion", "Takeaway and Starting the swing" and "momentum Toss" part 1 and 2 videos from my "you tube Shawn" page of my website;

Shawn

[jdotson]

Hey Shawn love all the videos! I have been taught that keeping my left elbow down and connected to my lat and let my right arm fire through impact is a great way to go. This helps me from not chicken winging it. Are you saying this is not the correct way?

[clemshaw]

Thanks for the comment and question!

First, do not try to fix what is not broken; what you perceive you do is often different than what is going on; to answer the question, like in the video, you would not connect the elbow to your side when throwing any kind of object; there is a specific biomechanical way to do it and you can also get a better understanding of it in my "Arm Motion" and chicken wing across the line" vids from the "you tube shawn" page of my website...Shawn

[pecky1234]

was it jimmy ballad-esq person who taught you that?

aounds alot like what he teaches everyone

[jdotson]

Yes, my teacher came from the Key Largo area of Florida and has worked with Jimmy Ballard. :) Very good guess! hehe.

[pecky1234]

im just too good :) haha

[clemshaw]

Not at all! Look at Martial arts, baseball (swinging a bat), throwing a ball or a stone; this is not rocket science but is pretty close :)

Shawn

[Scampern]

Maybe thinking something and doing it is not the same. I have struggled with a severe out to in swing over the 8 months ive been playing golf.

Just went outside and tryed to keep my elbow connected to my hip/stomach during the downswing and making sure that it didn't pry apart during the backswing either.

Suddendly the club came from the inside every time, like I wanted it to and I felt much more power for some reason.

Can I think like this as long as I don't do it on the follow through?

[clemshaw]

You have more power because you are coming from a position to swing through the ball towards the target; your right arm should extend past the ball not AT the ball so the energy is is not wasted too early...Sounds like you are on the right track!

Shawn

[WilsonStaffCPGA]

shawn your swing is amazingly fluid. I cant wait till we get back on our lessons again.

[812ekoms]

serrez pour commencer tout au loin et centré jusqu au dessus de mon oscillation, me fait la sensation que mon dos est les revêtements immobiles la cible quand le talon gauche roule en arrière à plat de sorte que je puisse obtenir à une sensation de traction au fouet le club à travers. Vous êtes le meilleur, Shawn -- mercis !

[rannantommie]

Hi Shawn,

I've been working on the above video with good results. More consistency and more solid hits. My distance with an 8 iron (140 yard average) is unchanged but I am hitting the ball much higher. How do you explain that?

[clemshaw]

Hey Rannantommie! Sorry I did not get with you sooner...

Still Hitting it higher? Was it wind, open face or a change in grip, or was it ball position? There are many factors for that...

Shawn

[clemshaw]

Great! Now don't be shy about discussing these topics with your pro, the more we share the better things get for everybody! All the best from another Irishman! Shawn

[golfprov1x]

Thanks Shawn, we have at least 36 inches of snow here in wisconsin and i can't wait to start applying your instructions to my game; thanks

[Z1222]

Great instruction shawn. My left hand grip was coming apart at the top of the B-swing. Didn't realize my right elbow was prying itself away from the body. Another problem I found was when the right elbow comes apart, the release gets hosed up at impact. Feels like your going to stick the nose of the club into the ground.

Any comments on that? Thanks again....NZ

[clemshaw]

Hey NZ and thanks for the comment! the last part of your comment relates to tilt (Get out to your nearest lake or pond and skip some stones...)

This video goes hand in hand with the "arms in front of body" video as well as the "proper spine tilt" and "braced tilt" videos; you can find all of them on my website at shawnclementgolf dot com on the "You Tube Shawn" page; All the best, Shawn

[golfnutz99]

Thanx again shawn. I am having trouble with getting my arms to far behind me and I have to compensate on to hit the ball properly in turn developing a chicken wing on the follow through. Any suggestions?

[clemshaw]

Yes; Go to my website and watch the "Chicken Wing across the line" and the "Arms In Front" videos; They will help; Shawn

[itubeutude]

good video. thanks for clearing up that elbow thing.