No. Not sure what you mean. Yes, you need the legs to lead. You really should be coiling to get the club to the top. The wrists will set by the time you are up there by making sure they fully hinge and working on this position. Once you hit the top it is all about uncoiling. I guess you are feeling it in the hands going back and setting it. Not quite sure?
Hi Paul,
I really like your techniques and the teaching method makes a to of sense, however Im having difficulty with not using arms. I find I either block severely to right or sssshank. I just can get the hang of not using arms especially in the pitch shots which I sssshank a lot. I’m playing of 11 and my game has now gone to pieces totally.
Everyone has difficulty hitting with arms. This is because of human nature telling you to hit the object, years of hitting the object and years f ingrained swing flaws. You need to keep working on your swing positions. Do tons of practice swings hitting the position and making them perfect. You need to do the drills to learn how to use the legs and hips. You need to also slow down, relax the arms and hit easy shots then build it up with the legs and hips. This is a whole different way to swing. You are not good at it. You need to do exactly opposite to what you have done for many years.
Shank – hitting with arms weight going to toes in the downswing. If you are doing this with pitching you are too tilted at set up and you trying to hit. Watch my pitching technique here:
Are you not using the dashboard? The tips would be found under CURES and SHORT GAME > PITCHING
Also, on slide 1 of FULL SWING are the 8 lessons I teach everyone. Start there and ONLY work on them. Make the positions perfect. You cannot expect to do something totally different and be great at it. You need to work on each piece. As you put the pieces together you get it. If you are working on one or two things how can you expect to play great golf. When you do you will see some good shots. This is what is coming in the future if you put the pieces together. FORGET THE BALL. Focus on each position and mastering it.
Scores have been going down since the last time I talked to you about two weeks ago. 90, 85, 86, and it’s all due to powerless arms, and a lot of practice. However, I do need to work on my “Touch the Head” (TTH) postion. But I’ve discovered that as long as I touch my knees, even if my TTH postion isn’t perfect, my ball striking is still 100% better than it used to be. I’m totally confident whenever I’m over a shot because I know what I need to do to execute a good shot. Thanks again!
Just do this position swinging towards a mirror. This way you can see yourself doing it. It has to be a fluid path to the back of the head. In other words you can’t go down your back then touch your head. Touching your head means you are on plane, you swinging with a wide arc, you’re squaring the face, wrists are loose etc. so really focus on perfecting it. This is vital in a great swing.
Paul, I’m still trying and in a lot of cases, I still use my arms. In starting the swing, I noticed that in the setup, your arms a straight. So, in the downswing, if I straightened both my arms, I might get rid of that nasty chicken wing. Because of all of your tips I watched, I never understood the swing like I do now. When I hit an errant shot, I know what is going on. Now, I have to slow down.
Yes, you need your arms straight at setup. If you set up with your elbows bent why would you even straighten them in the downswing. If you did you would hit every shot fat because the arc won’t fit. So definitely extend them fully at address but don’t lock them.
I am really struggling with the slice with the driver I remember a drill you showed me with a tee approx. 2 feet in front of the ball and I actually was hitting quite straight and long can you recall that drill.
If you are slicing the face is open. You need to closed it way earlier than necessary. Get it hooking. Then you use body rotation to straighten it out.
You might suggest to your students the method that I learned to turn off my arms. I told you about it after one of your other tips and has been very effective for me. That is letting the wrists hinge naturally from the weight of the club when turning the shoulders in the back swing, helpings me do a fully-hinged 90 degree back swing where uncoiling with the lower body feels automatic. I mess it up when I rush and use the arms in the back swing instead of my shoulders to push the weight of the club.
Dear Pete ,a suggestion ,try the “HIDEKI MATSUYAMA” swing ,with a marked pause at the top (Count one,two ,three ),with the wrists fully loose ,your hinging the wrists will be beautiful!
Hi Paul making great progress following Tips , still feel alot of arms in my swing , arms feel tight at top of follow through, seem to have to force that last bit of touch the head. would playing several rounds at 40 % swing speed be a quick way of getting powerless arms faster.at 40% shots still should be similar trajectory to my normal shots. my game has gone from awful to good but still feel alot of arms.
Exactly. I say 50%. Just got out and try it. I guarantee you will hit shots that blow your mind. Until you do something different it’s never going to change. Along with change comes different feelings that you need to get used to. Doesn’t take long. You can do it.
I have a problem with my left wrist as I fractured the schaphoid bone in my left hand two years ago. At the moment my left wrist is a little sore, can I still play golf using the effortless arms?
Powerless arms would be the only swing I would be trying to do. Be careful. If you are having pain or can’t do it then just do practice swings. I took a guy from 95 to 75 in 2 months. He never hit one practice ball. This way you can make sure your swing look great too.
Paul I practice as you say .I play three times a week ,18 holes .When I don’t play on the golf course ,I practise at home without a ball,dry runs ,only swings “in the air” ,100 swings . I chip 100 chips and I put 200 puts from various distances ,2 feet to 25 feet .Driving ,chips and puts are therefore very good on the golf course .Where I am inconsistent is with the fairway woods ,main fault ,thinning the ball or sending the ball too low ,not topping it .When this happens ,I believe (I am not sure !) ,I don’t move fast enough on my front leg .To cure this defect ,I do what you recommend ,I swing at 80% with soft arms:it works,but on the golf course I am always tempted to “hit “and not swing ,therefore thinning occasionnaly .
In the training sessions at home ,should I incorporate swings “brushing the ground” with a fairway wood or hitting a low tee ,to not deteriorate my very nice lawn (My wife would strongly object !) .Any thoughts to get me improving ?
Thin fairway woods are you just trying to get too much out of it. Just stick to swinging a little easier so you make pure contact. Once you do, you will gain more confidence to go a little faster. Right now, it doesn’t sound like you are confident with these clubs. So back off it until you get the confidence. If you know you are going to hit it pure before you hit it don’t you think you could go a little faster?
So to get this you may need to go down to 50%. Even at this pace I bet you will still hit it 80% of your best shots.
When I am swinging properly — powerless arms — should I be conscious of breaking my wrists? Or is this something that should happen automatically without me thinking about it. Thanks.
You would be working on consciously hinging your wrists (backswing) then rehinging (follow through). Once master the positions, you would then be turning them off and they would be going there without thinking about it.
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24 Responses to “Test Series – Do You Feel Your Arms”
May 18, 2015
IanCarolineHi Paul
Great series – a few things to work on
Regards
May 18, 2015
Paul WilsonIan,
Glad you liked it. Thanks,
January 5, 2018
MichaelBlockPaul:
I find hands must instantiate the swing with NO arm action.
I little more than a waggle Back and UP by index finger.
Sure kinesthetic action by legs is vital to a good swing.
Does that make sense to you?
January 7, 2018
Paul WilsonMichael,
No. Not sure what you mean. Yes, you need the legs to lead. You really should be coiling to get the club to the top. The wrists will set by the time you are up there by making sure they fully hinge and working on this position. Once you hit the top it is all about uncoiling. I guess you are feeling it in the hands going back and setting it. Not quite sure?
May 18, 2015
WarrenWalshHi Paul,
I really like your techniques and the teaching method makes a to of sense, however Im having difficulty with not using arms. I find I either block severely to right or sssshank. I just can get the hang of not using arms especially in the pitch shots which I sssshank a lot. I’m playing of 11 and my game has now gone to pieces totally.
Warren Walsh
May 18, 2015
Paul WilsonWarren,
Everyone has difficulty hitting with arms. This is because of human nature telling you to hit the object, years of hitting the object and years f ingrained swing flaws. You need to keep working on your swing positions. Do tons of practice swings hitting the position and making them perfect. You need to do the drills to learn how to use the legs and hips. You need to also slow down, relax the arms and hit easy shots then build it up with the legs and hips. This is a whole different way to swing. You are not good at it. You need to do exactly opposite to what you have done for many years.
Shank – hitting with arms weight going to toes in the downswing. If you are doing this with pitching you are too tilted at set up and you trying to hit. Watch my pitching technique here:
How To Cure the Shanks: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-shanks/
How to Pitch: https://ignitiongolf.com/pitch-ball/
Are you not using the dashboard? The tips would be found under CURES and SHORT GAME > PITCHING
Also, on slide 1 of FULL SWING are the 8 lessons I teach everyone. Start there and ONLY work on them. Make the positions perfect. You cannot expect to do something totally different and be great at it. You need to work on each piece. As you put the pieces together you get it. If you are working on one or two things how can you expect to play great golf. When you do you will see some good shots. This is what is coming in the future if you put the pieces together. FORGET THE BALL. Focus on each position and mastering it.
Work On The Movement: https://ignitiongolf.com/work-on-the-movement/
How Long To Make Swing Changes?: https://ignitiongolf.com/make-swing-changes/
May 18, 2015
tedvernonPaul,
Scores have been going down since the last time I talked to you about two weeks ago. 90, 85, 86, and it’s all due to powerless arms, and a lot of practice. However, I do need to work on my “Touch the Head” (TTH) postion. But I’ve discovered that as long as I touch my knees, even if my TTH postion isn’t perfect, my ball striking is still 100% better than it used to be. I’m totally confident whenever I’m over a shot because I know what I need to do to execute a good shot. Thanks again!
May 18, 2015
Paul WilsonTed,
Just do this position swinging towards a mirror. This way you can see yourself doing it. It has to be a fluid path to the back of the head. In other words you can’t go down your back then touch your head. Touching your head means you are on plane, you swinging with a wide arc, you’re squaring the face, wrists are loose etc. so really focus on perfecting it. This is vital in a great swing.
May 18, 2015
tedvernonThanks, will do.
May 18, 2015
KennthBovaPaul, I’m still trying and in a lot of cases, I still use my arms. In starting the swing, I noticed that in the setup, your arms a straight. So, in the downswing, if I straightened both my arms, I might get rid of that nasty chicken wing. Because of all of your tips I watched, I never understood the swing like I do now. When I hit an errant shot, I know what is going on. Now, I have to slow down.
May 18, 2015
Paul WilsonKen,
Yes, you need your arms straight at setup. If you set up with your elbows bent why would you even straighten them in the downswing. If you did you would hit every shot fat because the arc won’t fit. So definitely extend them fully at address but don’t lock them.
Really focus on full extension after the ball is hit and keep doing this nightly.
Wide Arc: https://ignitiongolf.com/wide-arc/
Gap In Elbows: https://ignitiongolf.com/maintain-gap-elbows-wider-arc
Power: How a Wider Swing Arc Affects Power: https://ignitiongolf.com/wider-arc-power/
Power: How a Wider Swing Arc Affects Power: https://ignitiongolf.com/wider-arc-power/
DRILL: Another Way To Widen The Arc: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-widen-arc/
DRILL: Try To Hit Chair: https://ignitiongolf.com/try-to-hit-chair/
DRILL: Another Way To Widen The Arc – 3/4 Stretch Arms: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-widen-arc/
May 18, 2015
StevenThomasHi Paul,
I am really struggling with the slice with the driver I remember a drill you showed me with a tee approx. 2 feet in front of the ball and I actually was hitting quite straight and long can you recall that drill.
May 18, 2015
Paul WilsonSteven,
If you are slicing the face is open. You need to closed it way earlier than necessary. Get it hooking. Then you use body rotation to straighten it out.
Here are the 2 steps:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4vz9q0wff0
https://ignitiongolf.com/cs2/
Do step 1 then do step 2.
May 18, 2015
PeterEspositoPaul,
You might suggest to your students the method that I learned to turn off my arms. I told you about it after one of your other tips and has been very effective for me. That is letting the wrists hinge naturally from the weight of the club when turning the shoulders in the back swing, helpings me do a fully-hinged 90 degree back swing where uncoiling with the lower body feels automatic. I mess it up when I rush and use the arms in the back swing instead of my shoulders to push the weight of the club.
Pete
May 18, 2015
Paul WilsonPeter,
Yes, this is a feeling a lot of people have to get used to. I may do a tip on it. Going to shoot a few tomorrow. Thanks,
January 6, 2018
RaymondCHASTELDear Pete ,a suggestion ,try the “HIDEKI MATSUYAMA” swing ,with a marked pause at the top (Count one,two ,three ),with the wrists fully loose ,your hinging the wrists will be beautiful!
May 19, 2015
golfer99Hi Paul making great progress following Tips , still feel alot of arms in my swing , arms feel tight at top of follow through, seem to have to force that last bit of touch the head. would playing several rounds at 40 % swing speed be a quick way of getting powerless arms faster.at 40% shots still should be similar trajectory to my normal shots. my game has gone from awful to good but still feel alot of arms.
May 20, 2015
Paul WilsonBarry,
Exactly. I say 50%. Just got out and try it. I guarantee you will hit shots that blow your mind. Until you do something different it’s never going to change. Along with change comes different feelings that you need to get used to. Doesn’t take long. You can do it.
May 23, 2015
NazninKarimHi Paul
I have a problem with my left wrist as I fractured the schaphoid bone in my left hand two years ago. At the moment my left wrist is a little sore, can I still play golf using the effortless arms?
Regards
Naz
May 24, 2015
Paul WilsonNaz,
Powerless arms would be the only swing I would be trying to do. Be careful. If you are having pain or can’t do it then just do practice swings. I took a guy from 95 to 75 in 2 months. He never hit one practice ball. This way you can make sure your swing look great too.
January 6, 2018
RaymondCHASTELPaul I practice as you say .I play three times a week ,18 holes .When I don’t play on the golf course ,I practise at home without a ball,dry runs ,only swings “in the air” ,100 swings . I chip 100 chips and I put 200 puts from various distances ,2 feet to 25 feet .Driving ,chips and puts are therefore very good on the golf course .Where I am inconsistent is with the fairway woods ,main fault ,thinning the ball or sending the ball too low ,not topping it .When this happens ,I believe (I am not sure !) ,I don’t move fast enough on my front leg .To cure this defect ,I do what you recommend ,I swing at 80% with soft arms:it works,but on the golf course I am always tempted to “hit “and not swing ,therefore thinning occasionnaly .
In the training sessions at home ,should I incorporate swings “brushing the ground” with a fairway wood or hitting a low tee ,to not deteriorate my very nice lawn (My wife would strongly object !) .Any thoughts to get me improving ?
January 7, 2018
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Thin fairway woods are you just trying to get too much out of it. Just stick to swinging a little easier so you make pure contact. Once you do, you will gain more confidence to go a little faster. Right now, it doesn’t sound like you are confident with these clubs. So back off it until you get the confidence. If you know you are going to hit it pure before you hit it don’t you think you could go a little faster?
So to get this you may need to go down to 50%. Even at this pace I bet you will still hit it 80% of your best shots.
January 27, 2018
LeeDanekerWhen I am swinging properly — powerless arms — should I be conscious of breaking my wrists? Or is this something that should happen automatically without me thinking about it. Thanks.
January 29, 2018
Paul WilsonLee,
You would be working on consciously hinging your wrists (backswing) then rehinging (follow through). Once master the positions, you would then be turning them off and they would be going there without thinking about it.
When To Use Your Arms: https://ignitiongolf.com/when-to-use-arms/