How to Fix a Narrow Backswing and Collapsing Arms
By Paul Harris · Swing Kinematics Lead · Updated
⚡ Quick Answer & Diagnosis
A narrow backswing happens when the arms fold and the hands crowd the trail shoulder at the top, usually because the trail shoulder pushes forward instead of pulling back. Width comes from trail shoulder retraction and steady spacing between the elbows, not from locking the lead arm straight. Check whether the narrow top costs you speed or strike before rebuilding it.
| Biomechanical Root Cause | Corrective Action & Fix |
|---|---|
| The trail shoulder pushes forward instead of pulling backIn a wide backswing the trail shoulder blade retracts back toward the spine, which moves the trail shoulder away from the hands. If it protracts (pushes forward toward the chest) instead, the shoulder packs in close to the hands, the arms have to bend to fit, and the turn itself is restricted. This is the most common source of a narrow top. | Create width from the trail shoulderUse Athletic Motion Golf's Shoulder Push. As you swing back, move the trail shoulder away from your hands, feeling the trail shoulder blade retract toward your spine. Imagine someone pushing your trail shoulder away from the hands: the hands spread out, the lead arm straightens without being locked, and the club sits in a shallower spot for the transition. |
| The trail arm folds before the body has turnedIf the trail elbow bends early in the backswing, before the chest has done much turning, the hands come in toward the body and the arc narrows from that point on. The lead arm usually collapses with it, and the turn often stops short because the arms have already reached the top on their own. | Set the trail arm, then turnAthletic Motion Golf's Trail Arm Retraction drill builds the position in order. With the trail arm straight, pull it back into the shoulder socket, then bend it to 90 degrees, then make your full body turn. At the top the trail shoulder should sit further behind your head, the lead arm should be straighter, and you should feel a full turn of the rib cage and shoulders rather than an arm swing. |
| The elbows pull apartWidth also depends on the arms keeping roughly the same spacing they had at address. When the elbows spread apart going back, the arms lose their structure, the trail arm collapses and the lead arm bends. The arms are no longer a unit, so the radius and the strike both get less predictable. | Hold the spacing between your armsAdam Bazalgette's Weighted Ball Drill trains the arm structure. Place a small soft ball between your arms just below the elbows and make backswings without a club, keeping it secure so the elbows cannot spread and slightly away from your shirt so the arms keep their distance from the chest. Hold the top for two seconds. No ball? Use his Hand-to-Hand Connection exercise: back of the trail hand against the back of the lead hand, 10 to 15 turning backswings without losing contact. |
| Trying to create width with the elbows instead of the shouldersGolfers told to 'get wider' often lock the lead elbow or push the hands away from the body. That adds tension and tends to disconnect the arms from the turn. The movement that makes the arms look longer happens at the shoulder socket, not the elbow, and until you can feel that difference it is hard to create width without stiffening up. | Learn the shoulder move with the Frankenstein DrillAthletic Motion Golf's Frankenstein Drill teaches where width comes from. Stand with both arms held straight out in front of you and keep the chest and hips as still as you can. Without pulling with the arm, retract one shoulder and protract the other, feeling that the movement comes from the shoulder blade and not the elbow. Putting a hand against a wall gives you something to push against. This is body awareness, not a swing, so spend a few minutes on it before the next two steps. |
A narrow backswing is one where the arms collapse in toward the chest on the way to the top. The lead arm bends, the hands finish tucked close to the trail shoulder or the head, and the radius of the swing shrinks. It often comes with a feeling of being cramped at the top and having to throw the club out to get it back to the ball.
Width is usually a contributor, not the root. A narrow top matters when it changes what happens next: a cast from the top, a steep downswing, lost speed, or strikes that wander across the face. Some golfers play well with a softer lead arm and a compact top because their delivery is sound. So check whether the narrow position actually costs you strike, direction or speed before you change it.
If it is, the fix is rarely 'straighten your arm'. Width comes from the shoulders, and from the arms holding their spacing as the body turns. A swing video or an AI swing analysis can show whether your trail shoulder is pushing forward, your trail arm is folding before the turn, or your elbows are pulling apart, and each points to a different drill. Directions here are for right-handed golfers; left-handers reverse them.
Why it happens
The trail shoulder pushes forward instead of pulling back
In a wide backswing the trail shoulder blade retracts back toward the spine, which moves the trail shoulder away from the hands. If it protracts (pushes forward toward the chest) instead, the shoulder packs in close to the hands, the arms have to bend to fit, and the turn itself is restricted. This is the most common source of a narrow top.
The trail arm folds before the body has turned
If the trail elbow bends early in the backswing, before the chest has done much turning, the hands come in toward the body and the arc narrows from that point on. The lead arm usually collapses with it, and the turn often stops short because the arms have already reached the top on their own.
The elbows pull apart
Width also depends on the arms keeping roughly the same spacing they had at address. When the elbows spread apart going back, the arms lose their structure, the trail arm collapses and the lead arm bends. The arms are no longer a unit, so the radius and the strike both get less predictable.
Trying to create width with the elbows instead of the shoulders
Golfers told to 'get wider' often lock the lead elbow or push the hands away from the body. That adds tension and tends to disconnect the arms from the turn. The movement that makes the arms look longer happens at the shoulder socket, not the elbow, and until you can feel that difference it is hard to create width without stiffening up.
How to fix it, step by step
- 1
Check whether the narrow top is hurting you
Film down the line and face-on and pause at the top. Look at the gap between your hands and your trail shoulder, the bend in the lead arm, and how far the chest has turned. Then look at the result: if you are casting from the top, coming down steep, or spraying strikes across the face, width is worth working on. If your strike is solid and the ball starts on line, a compact top may simply be your swing.
- 2
Learn the shoulder move with the Frankenstein Drill
Athletic Motion Golf's Frankenstein Drill teaches where width comes from. Stand with both arms held straight out in front of you and keep the chest and hips as still as you can. Without pulling with the arm, retract one shoulder and protract the other, feeling that the movement comes from the shoulder blade and not the elbow. Putting a hand against a wall gives you something to push against. This is body awareness, not a swing, so spend a few minutes on it before the next two steps.
- 3
Create width from the trail shoulder
Use Athletic Motion Golf's Shoulder Push. As you swing back, move the trail shoulder away from your hands, feeling the trail shoulder blade retract toward your spine. Imagine someone pushing your trail shoulder away from the hands: the hands spread out, the lead arm straightens without being locked, and the club sits in a shallower spot for the transition.
- 4
Set the trail arm, then turn
Athletic Motion Golf's Trail Arm Retraction drill builds the position in order. With the trail arm straight, pull it back into the shoulder socket, then bend it to 90 degrees, then make your full body turn. At the top the trail shoulder should sit further behind your head, the lead arm should be straighter, and you should feel a full turn of the rib cage and shoulders rather than an arm swing.
- 5
Hold the spacing between your arms
Adam Bazalgette's Weighted Ball Drill trains the arm structure. Place a small soft ball between your arms just below the elbows and make backswings without a club, keeping it secure so the elbows cannot spread and slightly away from your shirt so the arms keep their distance from the chest. Hold the top for two seconds. No ball? Use his Hand-to-Hand Connection exercise: back of the trail hand against the back of the lead hand, 10 to 15 turning backswings without losing contact.
- 6
Add the club back gradually
Width that holds in a rehearsal often disappears the moment there is a ball to hit. Go from slow half swings to three-quarter swings to full swings, filming the top at each stage. If the hands crowd the trail shoulder again at full speed, drop back a level and repeat the Shoulder Push feel before moving up.
The best drills for this fault
Start with the first drill and move down the list if it doesn't fit your swing. Each drill page has step-by-step instructions and the coach's video.
1Shoulder Push (Width & Retraction)
by Athletic Motion Golf
2Trail Arm Retraction (90-Degree Turn)
by Athletic Motion Golf
3Backswing Arm Width: Weighted Ball Drill
by Adam Bazalgette
4Backswing Arm Width: Hand-to-Hand Connection Exercise
by Adam Bazalgette
5Frankenstein Drill (Shoulder Isolation)
by Athletic Motion Golf
Training aids that help
Optional. Every drill above works with a club and an alignment stick - these just make the feedback harder to ignore.
Rypstick Speed Trainer
A variable weight overspeed training stick. Designed specifically to increase clubhead speed for players struggling with distance.
View on AmazonImpact Tape Labels
Stickers for your clubface that show exactly where you hit the ball. The only way to diagnose consistent toe or heel strikes (Shanking).
View on AmazonSwing Wing
Wind resistance trainer for strength and constant lag.
Search on AmazonAs an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Should my lead arm be perfectly straight at the top?
No. A lead arm that is fairly straight but not locked is the goal. Width is about the distance between your hands and your chest, which comes from the shoulders, not about forcing the elbow rigid. A locked lead arm adds tension and usually shortens the turn, which narrows the swing in a different way.
Is a narrow backswing the same as a short backswing?
No. A short backswing stops early but can still be wide, with the hands well away from the trail shoulder. A narrow backswing can even be long: the arms fold so much that the club drops past parallel. Width is about the radius of the arc, length is about how far it travels.
What is the difference between width and reaching?
Reaching is the hands pushing out away from the body, usually in the takeaway, which disconnects the arms from the turn. Width is the arms keeping their spacing and staying in front of the chest while the trail shoulder retracts. If you feel your arms working away from your body on their own, you are reaching, not widening.
Can a narrow backswing cause a steep downswing?
It can. When the trail shoulder packs in and the arms fold, the club often sits in a steeper spot at the top, and the quickest way down from there is out and over. Retracting the trail shoulder is part of what puts the club in a shallower position for transition, which is why the Shoulder Push drill matters for steep players too.
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