Golf Pro Jack Nicklaus: Flying Right Elbow (Video) - by Pete Styles
Golf Pro Jack Nicklaus: Flying Right Elbow (Video) - by Pete Styles

So now let’s look at the flying right elbow. Now the most famous flying right elbow in golf, is Jack Nicklaus. Now what can I say about Jack? He has won 18 major championships, so I can hardly criticize his golf swing, but there is a little quirk in his golf swing, that I think most golfers would be better advised to do with out.

Now, from a good address position, Jack makes his movement of the right elbow coming quite high in the back swing, the right elbow detaches away from the body and sometimes points the club slightly across the line as well. The problem with this movement is, it’s far too easy from here than to come in front, to let the right arm lead the way and come over the top, ultimately causing a bit of a slice. Jack got away with it, as does John Daly, by making a very good dropping in movement, really getting that right arm deep into that right hip pocket, coming much more from the inside and they do attack the ball from the right position. But I think I got to give a word of caution for club golfers, that when this right elbow gets to high, too far away from you, it can be a bit of a struggle.

Now good exercise to make sure your right elbow isn’t doing this flying movement to the top is just placing something underneath your right armpit, be it a head cover, a glove or a towel. Dropping a head cover under there, making a nice back swing to the top, and you should feel that you can actually keep it connected and keep the towel or the head cover underneath your right arm. If the right arm starts to move away, clearly the towel would drop out.

So from this angle, as we make a nice connected turn to the top, the right elbow stays below the shoulder, the right armpit stays quite tight, the club stays a little bit more behind and may be even slightly laid off, and it certainly stops the elbow getting away, flying, crossing the path and getting too long. So, nice connected movement to the top, makes it far easier to pull the club down on the right line, and turn in to the golf ball, coming in from the inside path. And if you got a flying right elbow, try that towel drill, to try and keep it in one position, and that should improve your down swing nicely.

[playerProfile url="https://golf-info-guide.com/pga-players/jack-nicklaus/"][/playerProfile] 2012-04-25

So now let’s look at the flying right elbow. Now the most famous flying right elbow in golf, is Jack Nicklaus. Now what can I say about Jack? He has won 18 major championships, so I can hardly criticize his golf swing, but there is a little quirk in his golf swing, that I think most golfers would be better advised to do with out.

Now, from a good address position, Jack makes his movement of the right elbow coming quite high in the back swing, the right elbow detaches away from the body and sometimes points the club slightly across the line as well. The problem with this movement is, it’s far too easy from here than to come in front, to let the right arm lead the way and come over the top, ultimately causing a bit of a slice. Jack got away with it, as does John Daly, by making a very good dropping in movement, really getting that right arm deep into that right hip pocket, coming much more from the inside and they do attack the ball from the right position. But I think I got to give a word of caution for club golfers, that when this right elbow gets to high, too far away from you, it can be a bit of a struggle.

Now good exercise to make sure your right elbow isn’t doing this flying movement to the top is just placing something underneath your right armpit, be it a head cover, a glove or a towel. Dropping a head cover under there, making a nice back swing to the top, and you should feel that you can actually keep it connected and keep the towel or the head cover underneath your right arm. If the right arm starts to move away, clearly the towel would drop out.

So from this angle, as we make a nice connected turn to the top, the right elbow stays below the shoulder, the right armpit stays quite tight, the club stays a little bit more behind and may be even slightly laid off, and it certainly stops the elbow getting away, flying, crossing the path and getting too long. So, nice connected movement to the top, makes it far easier to pull the club down on the right line, and turn in to the golf ball, coming in from the inside path. And if you got a flying right elbow, try that towel drill, to try and keep it in one position, and that should improve your down swing nicely.

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