Golf instruction has been largely focused on the body’s role in the swing over the years. Arm and hand action are now largely secondary.
It is assumed that, as long as the correct grip, posture, and body rotation are followed, the hands will be automatically able to work properly, without conscious effort from the player. “The hands will merely hold onto the club… “
Only a few players and instructors have the luck of having an accurate hand and arm movement from the first time they took up a club. For them, the arm and hand action are taken for granted. They may take the arm movement and hand action as automatic, or perhaps even subconscious. The hand motion may be something they don’t notice or of critical importance in the swing. They teach this.
However, for golfers who are unable to swing properly due to a weak hand or arm movement, (which is most of the population), you can simply turn the body by using your hands. “hands and arms doing nothing”Their problems will be made worse by this. They will lose their ability to participate in the game.
Consider your average player, who has a swing that is too aggressive. Because he knows that the swing can be improved upon, this player will take the club to the very top of his backswing. “body driven”Oder “pivot driven”Oder that “the most important part of the swing is the lower body”Oder that “the hands and arms just go along for the ride”He then simply rotates his body, doing “nothing”He uses his hands and arms to make sure he is hitting the target. His pivot then throws his arms across the line. He cuts right to the left when he comes down with his club.
The player then attempts to improve his game by recognizing that the swing of his is flawed. Because he is relying on the instruction in golf to diagnose his swing as a “body rotation fault”, he concludes that it is body-driven.
He has been told by great authorities that the “most important part of the swing is the lower body,”He really begins to exaggerate hip rotation. He doesn’t improve, but he keeps going over and above the rest. He can get frustrated but he keeps going in good faith. He becomes more aggressive as he gets frustrated. The club is pushed further and worsened by this. This makes the problem worse.
The swing becomes a mess at this stage and isn’t particularly efficient. The player might be very coordinated and athletic, but he doesn’t see the point. He blames lack of talent. Others go on for many years, or even decades. Some guys accept the fact that their swing is not up to par, even though they know they don’t have any other options.
Many players quit because of this. Some players continue to play the game, despite poor performance. Sometimes, they develop poor compensations that can lead to injuries. It happens to many players. Golf can suffer as a result of people not liking the game and no improvement.
However, none of these are the faults of the player. Hardly. Although he tried to learn proper instructions, he practiced the techniques and then played according to his teacher’s instruction. Problem is that the instructions he received didn’t correct his actual problem. It was more in the way he handled the hand and arm movements. To fix the problem, our player did not need to rotate his hips leftward or turn in a barrel. He needed a proper hand and arm action that gave him the leverage to strike into the ball crisply with power, control and feel… along with body rotation.
Many instruction says the arms and hands will work correctly by themselves if the player rotates correctly. For the majority of players, this is not true. We find the exact opposite. When the right hand and arm actions are implemented, the body will be able to move correctly through the golf swing.
It is evident that proper body rotation plays a significant role in a successful golf swing. However, the action of the hands, arms and wrists also plays a part in a successful golf swing. All components should work together in a golf swing. Just like in our practice swings. The hands and arms are crucial in the golf swing. As shown, a bad action could cause a complete sabotage.
No matter what level you are at, golfers can certainly learn the proper hand-arm action.