Elbow-to-Elbow Connection & Trail-Arm Takeaway Drill
Drill by Harry Shaw Golf
Why this drill works
A trail elbow that stays rigid in the backswing tends to drift too far behind the torso, trapping the arm and forcing a stuck downswing that produces blocks or snap hooks. Feeling the trail elbow fold toward the lead elbow (both in a standalone rehearsal and in a trail-arm-only takeaway) trains it to stay connected and pass in front of the chest on the way down, instead of getting stuck behind the body and needing a compensatory 'save' through impact.
How to do it
- 1
Checkpoint - Trail Elbow Folding & Path (2:44-3:18): let the trail elbow fold naturally in the backswing instead of keeping it rigid — a rigid arm drifts too far behind the torso. In the downswing, feel the trail elbow pass in front of your chest rather than getting stuck behind the body.
- 2
Drill 1 - Elbow-to-Elbow Feel (3:31-4:18): without a club, swing to the top of your backswing and squeeze the trail elbow toward the lead elbow, as if trying to touch them together. This keeps the trail arm connected to the body and stops it flaring away.
- 3
Avoid the 'save' (5:40-6:15): don't fix a stuck downswing by forcing the club path low-and-left (low-and-right for a lefty) — that just masks the elbow positioning problem instead of correcting it.
- 4
Drill 2 - Trail Arm-Only Takeaway (6:20-6:45): take your trail arm only, elbow folded in toward the body, and place your lead hand on the trail arm's tricep. Start the backswing with just that arm, feeling it fold correctly while staying connected.
