[golfgnome]

I have been traveling and not able to post. In fact I wish the other post was unlocked so I could respond. However it is probably best to just give my thoughts on the importance of the right forearm and its involvement in the swing, especially in start-up.

I was teaching a group of college kids the other day and a girl with a fairly descent motion was really struggling with a pitch shot. Everything looked fine yet her club was FOLLOWING her pivot around her body, coming in under plane, and she was hitting fat shots and tops.

Once I placed a dowel, [yes those wonderful wooden training aids] on the ground as the base of her plane and had her trace it, THE BALL WAS STRUCK PERFECTLY TIME AFTER TIME. when I asked her what was different she said, "I just feel like my arms are tracing the line and my body is making a little turn. In fact it feels very easy to just pick the club up like this. Nobody ever said to do that before."

The next student had a similar problem yet her arms were folding up. I gave a simple explanation of extensor action, placed the dowel on the ground and within a few shots, the sound of compression and another happy co-ed.

Is the right forearm important? ABSOLUTELY!!!! Is the pivot important? ABSOLUTELY!!!! Are all of the components important? You get the idea.

Understanding "the magic of the right forearm" has been vital in my teaching and even more important in my own game.