Alright folks, lemme tell you about today’s little adventure on the range. Woke up thinking I finally cracked the code on keeping my right arm steady, but yeah… turned into another round of trial and error.
The Starting Mess
Grabbed my trusty 7-iron, did my usual setup like always. Felt fine at first. Swung back, trying real hard to lock that right arm stiff as a board like some old-school coach shouted at me once. Felt awkward, like I was forcing it. Smacked the ball – thing went screaming sideways, way right, almost took out the guy practicing putting. Whole mess felt like trying to drive with flat tires.
Time to Mix It Up
Figured, screw this “always straight” idea. Maybe bending it wasn’t pure evil. Next shot, I let the elbow just do its thing, bent kinda soft and natural feeling on the way back. Didn’t try to control it much. Took the club back, felt… different. Smoother maybe? Contact was better. Still not dead center, but at least it went vaguely towards the green instead of the parking lot. Progress? Maybe.
So I started messing around:
- Saw where the clubface was pointing: When I stiff-armed it? The clubface opened up like a tin can. Not helpful.
- Checked my shoulder turn: Locking that arm felt like it actually stopped my shoulders from turning properly. Made me feel all twisted up.
- Listened to the contact sound: The “clank” of a straight-arm strike sounded weak. That little bit of elbow bend? Sounded a bit more solid, less tinny.
Ended up hitting a whole bucket trying slight bends. Noticed something key: It wasn’t about forcing a huge bend or being rigid. It was more about letting it happen without getting all tense. The feeling? Think letting your arm hinge a little, like you’re holding a tray without spilling drinks, not like you’re arm wrestling. That position also kept the clubface squarer for longer without me even thinking about it.
What Stuck (For Now)
Honestly? Forcing it totally stiff is a killer. Feels unnatural and wrecks everything else. Letting that elbow have just a bit of soft bend? Felt way more athletic, like my body could actually turn without fighting itself. Contact was definitely cleaner, more consistent. Still spraying the odd one, sure, but way less than before. Whole thing felt less like I was battling the club.
Biggest takeaway? That “Keep it straight!” advice is kinda garbage for me. Needs a little give. Still tweaking how much bend feels just right – feels like a Goldilocks situation. Less feels better than more. Gonna keep beating balls tomorrow and see if this holds up. Range squirrels are probably getting tired of dodging my strays!
