How To Stop Lifting Arms In Backswing

on August 11, 2022
Getting into a full backswing is one of the many areas many golfers, especially the amateurs struggle with. To make a powerful backswing, amateurs tend to make the common mistake of going too high up or over the top. The most common misconception is thinking it will give them enough room in the downswing and gather more power.

However, what you purposely add in the backswing is the reason why you’ve been chunking on your shots. Professionals say, to keep hands low in backswing. But how do you do that? How to stop lifting your arms in the backswing?

 

 

What happens if you lift your arms in the backswing?

Lifting your hands and arms too high in the backswing could result in multiple errors in your swing and golf shots.

  • Tendency to pull down the club on the downswing
  • Reduced lag
  • Too much lateral movement
  • Tendency to slide through impact
  • Reduced downswing rotation
  • Going outside the swing plane
  • Lacking in power

Lifting your arms too high does not give you more room in the downswing. Instead, it prevents you from rotating and throws you off your swing plane. How does that happen? When your arms are too high, the tendency is to pull down to make up for your timing and create speed. The higher you go, the more you pull down, which leads to erroneous shots.

Coming down from an over-the-top backswing means you go out of your swing plane as soon as you rotate. This is because your angle went too steep and the rotation makes it go way off the swing path. To compensate for the mistake, many players resort to sliding and tilting their lower body, some even going up and thrusting their hips forward to get a functional ball flight. 
 

 

On the other hand, not lifting your hands provides you with a smoother and clearer path to rotate in the downswing and through impact. This is because you are able to produce lag and there is no interruption with your movement, allowing you to uncoil your body through rotation and gather speed and power through impact.


How to stop lifting arms in backswing?

#1. Proper takeaway

The takeaway is the most crucial part of the backswing. A perfect takeaway should be smooth, slow, with proper rotation, wrist hinge and elbow bend. The position should move back parallel to the ground while your arms and body moving as one like a connected triangle.

#2. Body rotation

From backswing to downswing, you should be able to smoothly coil and uncoil your body. Your hips should not rotate more than 45 degrees and your shoulder turn should be at 90 degrees away from the target line. Keeping the right angle maintains your spine in position and prevents you from early extension.


#3. Hand positioning

Your hand positioning plays a vital role in getting more control of your clubface. Therefore, it is important to maintain a relaxed grip. Ideally, most players prefer the left-hand grip with 2-3 knuckles at the set up with the left thumb covered by the right hand and the right palm facing the target.

#4. Other elements to work on includes:

  • Weight shifts
  • Knee positions
  • Extension through impact
  • Staying low

 

Learn how to stop lifting arms in backswing with these drills.

Using the popular SwingPro Plus is one sure way to properly get yourself in the correct position, alignment and angle with just 15minutes a day!

With SwingPro Plus, you will be able to feel the proper coiling and uncoiling of your body as you execute your golf swing. The design instantly prevents you from lifting your arms and keep hands low in backswing. It also effectively guides your upper body rotation and sets you in the right position to prevent lifting your arms, over bending your elbow and even the early extensions.

Take your first 20 swings with SwingPro Plus before going to the driving range and feel the improvement in your swing.

If you are a serious golfer looking to improve your golf swing and add extra 30 yards of accurate distance and consistency to slash 7-10 strokes off your game, you need to get our Ultimate Golf Bundle that contains all the golf training aids you need to improve different aspects of your swing! 

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