#737 Stop Squeezing Your Elbows: The Biomechanics of a Better Golf Transition

Many golfers struggle with an over-the-top swing or a steep shaft during transition. One common mistake is trying to copy professional golfers by squeezing the elbows together. But the elbow gap is a symptom, not the cause. Efficient movement begins with proper biomechanics and sequencing. 1. The Elbow Gap Is Not the Problem When the elbows separate during transition, the cause may be premature chest rotation, poor pelvic timing, or excessive upper-body dominance. Forcing the elbows together creates tension, restricts shoulder-blade movement, and can reduce rotational speed. The goal is natural connection, not forced restriction. 2. Reconnect Your Lead Arm During transition, the lead upper arm moves closer to the ribcage through adduction. This reduces the rotational radius and moment of inertia, allowing more efficient body rotation. However, the arm must remain dynamic. Pinning it against the chest restricts movement. Reconnect. Don't pin. 3. Stop Trapping Your Trail Elbow Driving the trail elbow straight down into the ribs can trap it behind the body. Instead, trail-shoulder external rotation helps move the elbow forward and down, into the space in front of the trail hip. This preserves room for the hands and club while allowing continuous torso rotation. 4. Shallowing Is a Result Trying to shallow the shaft through wrist manipulation can create clubface instability. When the lead arm reconnects and the trail shoulder externally rotates, the hands can move inward and downward. The shaft can then shallow naturally through coordinated movement. 5. Sequence Before Position An efficient transition follows a coordinated sequence: 1. Pelvis changes direction. 2. Ribcage begins rotating. 3. Lead arm reconnects. 4. Trail shoulder externally rotates. 5. Trail elbow moves forward. 6. Elbow gap narrows naturally. 7. Hands enter the delivery corridor. 8. Shaft shallows toward impact. Practice Drill Take a mid-iron and swing slowly to the top. Begin transition with light grip pressure. Reconnect the lead arm while externally rotating the trail shoulder. Let the trail elbow move forward and down without forcing it against your ribs. Pause when the lead arm reaches parallel to the ground. Perform 2–3 sets of 8–10 repetitions before progressing to 40% speed swings. Final Thought Stop chasing positions. Train the movement that creates them. Efficient golf swings are built through coordinated biomechanics, not artificial elbow positions. My Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Explainer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ecoach360.com⁠