After years of teaching new golfers, I have come to one conclusion. Bad advice runs rampant on the golf course and it causes new golfers more harm than good. I can’t tell you how many new golfers, especially ladies, come in to our learning center and look like the photo on the left. This is 100% caused by their friends telling them to “keep your head down”. This single piece of advice can ruin a golf swing if not explained fully and correctly.
So many of these golfers keep their heads down too long and are forced to bend their arms through impact because your arms just cannot stay straight as they swing to the side of your body. BENT ARMS CAUSE THIN SHOTS.
The only way to control the low point of your swing arc is to control the radius of the swing arc. That radius is your left arm and club. The only way to have straight arms through impact like the picture on the right is to allow your chest and belly to come up or bend back as you move into the follow through. Your arms can only be straight, and together, in one place, right in front of your chest.
The fix is easy. Hit a bunch of partial shots where you stop at the picture on the right. Your belly button should be sticking out towards the target and your arms and club should be in a straight line. Once you can hit the ground and the ball every time with this follow through, slowly lengthen it and add speed.