Ben Hogan's Magic Elbow - The Best Ball Striking Tip I've Ever Received

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In today's video I'm going to share the BEST ball striking tip I've ever received. It's inspired from a tip in Ben Hogan's classic, Power Golf.

The trail arm plays a crucial role in the golf swing, yet many amateur players get it completely wrong.

The proper action of your arm get your club on plane, creates forward shaft lean at impact, and ensures you rotate through the shot for maximum power.

In today’s lesson I'll show you a simple drill that will help you get the proper action in your right arm.

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▶︎ ABOUT ZACH ALLEN ◀︎
Hi I'm Zach, thank you for visiting my channel. My goal here is to help you play the best golf of your life while having as much fun as possible!

I'm a PGA-certified golf instructor and have been coaching since 1997. I've been named a Golf Digest "Best Young Teacher," a GolfTips Magazine "Top 25 Golf Instructor," and Southern California PGA's Teacher of the Year. I've worked with golfers of all ages and levels, from 4-year-old beginners on up through touring professionals. My students have included nationally-ranked juniors, touring pros, celebrities, and CEOs, but wherever you're at on your golfing journey, my goal is always the same... to help YOU play your best golf!

I started playing competitive golf at a young age, ultimately reaching #3 in the California junior golf rankings - just behind another promising young golfer named Tiger Woods. I also played collegiate golf at the University of Southern California and professional golf on the Omega Asian Tour.

[smwpujq]

An invaluable swing tip. How on earth the majority of golf teachers don't mention this is unbelievable.
This keeps the path of the takeaway constant and stable.

[Bruiser]

Zach. This is beyond belief. The downswing and release are now grooved and automatic. Thanks a million!!!

[GC-cxew]

I took this to the driving range today with dramatic results. Only playing about 2 yrs. Started hitting balls with the usual inconsistencies, but I really concentrated on this one thing and it absolutely turned my ball striking around. Single biggest tip/change I’ve ever had so far. This game has been extremely difficult but I feel like I made some serious progress. I’ll be following along. Thanks

[stevw]

these videos are a tremendous help, especially how you break the feel down. A lot of channels fly thru their instructions and it’s hard to see how they do what they do

[joshuawhittemore]

Great lesson! Lee Trevino spoke of something similar, pointing out that most people who can keep the right harm tucked and the inside forearm facing up typically are the ones who can hit farther and have a tendency to hit more draws.

[mikegoebel]

Great instruction!! I worked this change into my swing over the last 3 months and have gained a great amount of strike consistancy. Result, my handicap index has dropped from 12.5 to 9.5 in 2 months. A word of advise, practice half swings from left arm parallel until you want to scream. IT WORKS!! Thanks Zach for an outstanding video.

[ag]

This tip, i read it in hogan's book, really is important. It is so important for good golf. Ty for covering it.

[PaulWilliams-lsnx]

Simply gold, thanks Zach. A softer trail arm and the softer I try is key. Anything that prevents the right shoulder from spinning out early aids flusher contact

[jeffcicotte]

I kinda stumbled on tucking my right elbow in last season on my own. My swing was just to wide open and I wasn't generating any power. I can't remember what tipped me off to try tucking my elbow in, but whatever it was has now been confirmed by your video that I am onto somthing game changing. I'm very excited to get my 2024 season underway after my shoulder surgery gets fully recovered. Thx for the help!

[thomasfraser]

Love it! Could not agree more

At every set up and on every golf swing I simply lastly twitch my right elbow inward and then immediately swing my club. I call my routine: Aim, Twitch and Swing.

At at age 76 my swing is now priceles. Cheers👍🥂😊

[jefftrostad]

I have been using your right elbow/arm set-up for about 6 months because of a rotator cuff issue. I learned how to hit my ball straight again and with much more power and distance. After many months of worse and worse pain, finding a rotator cuff was now completely detached, I had surgery on January 16th, a couple of months before my 74th birthday. I am in the healing process and soon to be more and more into the physical therapy part. I can't wait to get back in shape and out on the golf course. I WILL STRICKTLY ADHERE TO YOUR TIP as I get back ready to hit my age.
Thank you for the great wish I had seen it a year ago
Jeff

[Aonghus]

Thank you Zach. Many golfers may already have this movement in their muscle memory from childhood without knowing it. Attempting to skim a flat stone on surface of water with underhand throw mimics exactly the trail arm (and hip!) action in golf downswing.

[Alex-zcnr]

I implemented this after studying Ben Hogans swing and it has completely changed my iron shots. Consistent, accurate, powerful.

[jsusna]

I also read Homer Kellye's book, The Golfing Machine. To say that it was a tough read is putting it mildly. You don't start at page 1 and read it in order. I can't locate my copy at the moment, but I do recall that the model for the book is a young lady who appears to be wearing penny loafers, a blouse and a pencil skirt that goes well below her knees. Those of you who have read it know what I mean. Do you grip the club normally with your right hand and then set the right elbow? It looks like that's what you do. I notice that if I set the elbow before taking the grip, my right hand is in a very strong position.

[goodguysgeneralcontractors]

My swing coach showed me this last week went from picking the ball to striping dollar bills sometimes partially behind the ball but i'll get used to the feel. This is sooo good

[FG-ghwv]

I struggle with getting the club naturally rotated and to the top on plane. This may help with the feel that is missing. Thank you Zack!

[willcc]

great advice...so important in the golf swing to get the trail arm open at address. makes the swing so much easier and can feel natural right away.

[pajenson]

I went to golftec for nearly a year and never received any information that helped me as much as this simple video. Thanks Zach!

[kenlarsen]

I've watched hundreds of videos and few have delivered results like keeping my elbow facing UP! MAGIC!!

[TeddyCavachon]

The magic is actually in the Vardon grip which puts the hands on the handle at address and impact in the middle of the range of rotation of forearm bones around each other — ulna and radius / pronation and supination.

In the takeaway sequence the grip first forces the trail wrist into maxed out extension 🫸 which then literally forces the trail arm to bend elbow-down then externally rotate. The bending of the trail arm in a V tucked into the side and maxed out extension in the trail wrist is what creates the leverage that allows the trail hand to control the path of the lead arm mass which drags the club head mass down to the ball, with additional acceleration created by the creation of radial deviation in the wrist to cock the club up 👍 and unlar deviation to release that lag as when casting a fly or cracking whip.

Something I realized when using Five Lessons 15 year ago to try to understand Hogan’s swing was that in the downswing the trail arm straightens and its forearm rotates very much like a palm-up / palm-down forearm rotating karate punch. Why is a rotating karate punch more powerful than a non-rotating palm down boxing jab? The rotation creates more acceleration. One does not get that acceleration in the downswing unless one tucks the trail elbows down in the backswing so it does straighten and rotate.

The straighten of the trail arm doesn’t push the club down at the ball it simply allow the mass of the lead arm to whip down at the ball dragging the radially deviated lagging club behind 😊