Adopting right backswing position

After working on the address position and pivot motion it is time to get the arms into place throughout the swing.

We must position the arms in such a way that they are free to make an unencumbered swing into and beyond the ball. There are some common mistakes made on the back swing resulting in

poor hand and arm position making a good forward swing either difficult or impossible.

The first mistake is thinking about getting the hands too far

back, this leads to the hands being in a flat position (lower than the right shoulder). Another common mistake is swinging the arms up too high, leading to an upright position often causing the left arm to bend. The correct position is somewhere between the two and a good thought is keeping the hands in front of the body. This allows for full extension of the arms.

An effective exercise for the back swing is to adopt the address position and hold the left wrist as though you were holding a club. From this point turn the body and swing the arm until it is level with the ground. At this point the hands should be in front of the chest and a line through the hands and neck should point to the target.

With this drill you are swinging only to a point where the arms are level with the ground, in the speed of a full swing the hands will naturally swing up a little higher. This should not be manipulated but should be the result of momentum.

Terry Gingell is the Director of Instruction at Eagle Valley Golf Courses. Registration for sports camps and junior golf camps takes place on Saturday, April 27 between 2 and 4 p.m. at Eagle Valley. For more information call Gingell at 887-7174.