How to Keep Your Arms Extended in a Golf Swing

Chasing that feeling of a purely struck golf shot often leads down a rabbit hole of swing advice, with one of the most common refrains being keep your left arm straight. While well-intentioned, this advice is often misunderstood and can lead to a stiff, powerless, and disconnected swing. True arm extension isn't about locking your elbow, it’s about creating width and maintaining structure throughout the swing to deliver the clubhead with maximum speed and consistency. In this guide, we'll break down what arm extension really means and provide actionable steps to help you harness its power.

Understanding True Arm Extension in Golf

Before we can fix the problem, we need to redefine it. The goal is not a painfully rigid, locked lead arm (the left arm for a right-handed golfer). That kind of tension is a swing-killer. Instead, think about creating width. A wide swing arc is the source of effortless power.

There are two key moments where this width and extension are paramount:

• The Backswing: The goal here is to maintain the distance between your hands and the center of your chest for as long as possible. This creates a wide arc while your lead arm remains comfortably straight, but not stiffly locked.
• The Follow-Through: This is where real extension happens. After impact, as your body rotates toward the target, both arms should fully extend out towards the target line. This is a sign that you've released the club properly and transferred all your energy into the ball.

A bent lead arm in the backswing or the dreaded “chicken wing” in the follow-through are both symptoms of the same core issue: a loss of body connection and an over-reliance on the arms to power the swing.

Why Your Arms Are Bending (And How It Costs You Shots)

If you're struggling with bent arms, it's almost never an issue of arm strength. It's a signal that something else in your swing sequence is off. The arms are bending to compensate for a flaw. The most common culprits are:

• An "Arms Only" Swing: Many amateur golfers try to generate power by lifting and hitting with their arms. The body is passive. This forces the arms to fold and collapse because they can't create a big enough arc on their own.
• A Poor Setup: Standing too close to the ball or being too upright at address leaves no room for your arms to swing. They have no choice but to bend to make way.
• Lack of Body Rotation: The body is the engine of the golf swing. If your hips and shoulders aren't turning correctly, your arms will take over. A common fault is swaying side-to-side instead of rotating around your spine, which pulls the arms in tight to the body.

These flaws lead directly to inconsistency. A collapsing swing arc results in thin shots, fat shots, a massive loss of distance, and very little control over the clubface. Let's fix it from the ground up.

Step 1: Create Width from the Start with a Proper Setup

You can solve half your extension problems before you even start the swing. A good setup creates the space your arms need to swing freely and powerfully. It predisposes you to make a good turn.

How to Set Up for Width:

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart for a mid-iron.
2. Hinge from your hips, not your waist. This is the most important part. Push your butt back as if you were about to sit on a tall stool, allowing your chest to tilt forward over the ball. Your spine should remain relatively straight, just tilted.
3. Let your arms hang naturally straight down from your shoulders. There should be a good hand’s-width or more between the end of the grip and your thighs. If your hands are jammed up against your body, you haven't hinged enough from the hips.

This "athletic" position creates the necessary room. You've given your arms a clear path to swing on and made it easier for your body to rotate around your spine angle.

Step 2: Master the One-Piece Takeaway

The first few feet of the backswing set the tone for everything that follows. The best way to establish width early is with a "one-piece takeaway." This means your hands, arms, and chest all move away from the ball together as a single, connected unit.

Think of the triangle formed by your two shoulders and your hands. For the first few feet, that triangle should move back without changing its shape.

Drill: The Headcover Tuck

Here’s a fantastic drill to get the feel for this connected movement:

1. Place a spare headcover or a small towel under your lead armpit (left armpit for righties).
2. Take your setup and begin your backswing.
3. Your goal is to get to a position where the club is parallel to the ground without the headcover falling out.

If the headcover drops, it means your arm has separated from your chest and is working independently. If you keep it tucked by turning your torso, you’ll feel what true connection and width are all about. You’re using your big muscles to initiate the swing, not your small, twitchy hand and arm muscles.

Step 3: Fuel Your Backswing with Body Rotation

Now that you’ve started with a wide takeaway, how do you get to the top without your left arm collapsing? The answer is rotation.

Your left arm doesn’t stay straight because you force it to. It stays straight because your chest and shoulders are turning and pulling it across your body. Golfers who lift the club with their arms will always struggle with a bent elbow. Golfers who turn their chest to bring the club to the top will find it far easier to maintain their arm structure.

A Simple Swing Thought:

Instead of thinking "bring the club back," think "turn my back to the target." Center your thoughts on rotating your upper body. As you turn, your lead arm will naturally be carried up and across your chest into a powerful, wide position at the top.

Don't forget the right arm's role. While the left arm maintains structure, the right arm should fold nicely. Think of it like a waiter carrying a tray at the top of the swing - the elbow points down towards the ground and the palm supports the club. This creates leverage you can unleash on the downswing.

Step 4: The Secret to Post-Impact Extension

Powerful extension through the ball is the hallmark of a great ball-striker. When you see a pro swinging, their arms look incredibly long and fully extended right after the ball is gone. This is not something they consciously do, it's the result of a correct sequence.

You can’t force this extension. If you try to simply straighten your arms and "steer" the club through impact, you'll lose all your speed and probably hit a weak slice. Extension comes from one thing: unwinding your body aggressively through the shot.

As you start the downswing by shifting your weight and rotating your hips, the club naturally trails behind. As your body continues to turn through impact, it pulls the arms with it, and centrifugal force flings the clubhead out and away from you. Your arms are just along for the ride, and they fully extend as a consequence of this powerful rotation.

Drill: Throw the Club to the Target

This drill helps you find that feeling of release and extension without thinking about mechanics.

1. Go to an open field or a safe area at the range (without anyone in front of you!).
2. Take an old club you don’t mind getting scuffed up.
3. Take your normal swing, but on your follow-through, actually let go and throw the club down the target line.

To throw the club effectively towards the target, you have to let your arms extend. You will naturally feel your body rotating through and your arms releasing, rather than holding on and trying to guide the shot. This teaches your body what a free-wheeling, powerful release feels like. After a few throws, pick up a normal club and try to replicate that same feeling of release without letting go.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to keep your arms extended is a game-changer, and it starts by forgetting the idea of keeping them stiffly locked. Proper extension is the result of a swing powered by the body, not manipulated by the hands. By focusing on a good setup, a connected takeaway, and an aggressive body rotation through the shot, you'll create a wider, more powerful arc and unlock the consistency you’ve been looking for.

Understanding the proper "feels" can be tricky, and seeing the difference between a swing powered by rotation versus one dominated by the arms is often the first step to a real breakthrough. We designed Caddie AI to bridge that gap. With it, you get personalized analysis right in your pocket. You can ask for drills specifically to fix a "chicken wing" or for help understanding how body rotation fuels extension, getting simple, clear guidance that cuts through the noise and helps you feel the right movements in your own swing.