The Flying Right Elbow

For ages golf instruction has been painted through dogma and even some would say politics. Controversy has never been in short supply when talking about how a golf swing should ideally function. If you are a golfer enthusiast, you will most certainly recognize the names of Jack Nicklaus, Jim Furyk and the most recent golf swing of Matthew Wolff, who is played in this week’s 2020 US Open at Winged Foot. The commonality between these players begins with the right arm in the golf swing, also known as a flying right elbow. Without question these notable PGA tour legends have shown their competency beyond comparison. The thing you and everyone else in the golf world is asking, are these outliers doing something that will change the way golf instruction is seen for the rest of time? In short, we can only hope so. 

In 1957, the book, “5 Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf,” was written by Ben Hogan. His book created a major interest in how golf instruction was being taught; inadvertently it also led to a detriment for many golfing enthusiasts over the next 70 years. Watching Jack Nicklaus win 18 majors (while coming in second in almost just as many) and watching Jim Furyk shoot a 58 in competition, it’s needless to say that keeping your right elbow tucked to your side is not a necessity to play great golf. To the contrary, the lower that your right elbow stays the more that your overall arch size will shrink, stealing from your natural power, and making it exceptionally difficult for you to ever reach your full potential. Allowing your club to reach higher in the sky, will give you more time to utilize gravity and build momentum into the downswing. This will also give you more time to let your body fall into your front leg (axis) for an optimal rotation.

There have been a plethora of golf swings that have won US Opens, Masters, PGA Championships, British Opens and every other coveted golf tournament throughout history…however the swing that is right for you, is the one that you can live with. If you are spending time reading this blog and you are interested in improving your natural abilities, it is time to work with the laws of motion and feel the freedom that comes when you’re willing to reach for the sky. 

Daniel Lee