The Left Arm High, Right Arm Low Drill for a Draw

06/22/2016

Whether you’ve been playing golf for a long time or are fairly new to the game, you’ve probably been told the importance of keeping your left arm straight during your swing.  The left arm holds the key to all your power in the swing, right?  Generally speaking, yes.

The range of motion in your upper back will greatly impact how straight you can keep your left arm to make a complete back swing.  The straighter you can keep it the better.  A severely bent left arm robs you of power and also produces inconsistent ball contact. Some players can play with a slightly bowed left arm. Take a look at Jordan Spieth at the top of his golf swing.

But are you aware your left arm can also help you shape your shots better?  It can, and it’s not hard to do.

In a drill called, left arm high, right arm low, you can easily shape your ball flight into a nice draw with only a minor modification to your swing. Todd Kolb explains more here:

When you set to the ball (assuming you’re right-handed by the way) make sure your left arm is positioned just a bit higher than your right. Why?  You’re then going to swing the club up and to the right which in turn will make the ball turn over and give you a nice draw to your shot. It’s all about managing the path and the face angle of the golf club.

For more information on how to do this and hit that controlled draw, we’ve got something that may interest you.

That’s it.  I told you it wasn’t hard to do.  You don’t have to change anything else.  Take your regular set-up, your regular stance and make your regular swing.  Don’t feel like you have to roll your wrists over at impact.  Just by keeping your lead arm (the left one) slightly higher than your right one, you’re going to make the ball turn over and draw.

Take this knowledge and try it out for yourself.  Like any new drill it might seem a little strange at first, but with practice and repetition you will see firsthand the results.