Mastering the Trail Arm for Better Ball Striking
If you’ve ever struggled with inconsistent golf contact or weak shots, your trail arm might be the culprit. How to hit a golf ball with consistent, crispy contact starts with leading with the right arm (for right-handed golfers) correctly. This start of the downswing is a hallmark of elite ball strikers—and how you can train your swing to master this move for yourself.
Performance Golf coach Eric Cogorno breaks down how to hit a golf ball and improve your downswing in this video by showcasing two key golf swing movements.
We’ll also cover a simple alignment stick drill to help you internalize the correct downswing feel so you can repeat this motion again and again for better solid contact.
Why the Right Arm Matters in the Downswing
Great ball strikers consistently get their trail arm and elbow forward in the downswing, which moves the club handle ahead of the clubhead at impact. This forward shaft lean is what creates crisp, powerful contact. In contrast, high handicappers often leave the right arm behind, leading to fat shots, thin shots, and a lack of distance.
By getting the right elbow to lead, everything else—hand, grip, and ultimately the clubhead—falls into the correct position for a solid strike.
Two Key Movements: Abduction and External Rotation
These essential movements help you perfect your downswing and lead with the trail arm, so let’s cover them now.
1. Arm Abduction
This is the act of moving the right bicep closer to the chest (specifically, the pectoral). As the bicep squeezes in, it helps move the arm and handle forward into a better impact position (as shown above).
2. External Rotation
This movement involves rotating the right elbow closer to the left elbow during the downswing. Picture trying to “lose an arm-wrestling match”—this is the kind of rotation you want. It reduces the space between the elbows, getting your trail arm more in front and preventing it from getting stuck behind the body.
A Simple Golf Drill to Groove the Feel
To reinforce these movements, we suggest using an alignment stick placed under the right armpit with most of it extending forward. As you swing down to the left arm parallel position, you should feel the stick press into your lead arm if you’re doing it correctly. If the stick pulls away from your body, it’s a sign that your elbow is trailing behind.
This drill can be used with or without hitting balls, on or off the course, and is great for developing the feel of both abduction and external rotation.
Don’t Forget About the Importance of Clubface Control
One important caveat: getting the right elbow in front can slightly open the clubface. To compensate, you may need to add a bit of forearm rotation or “twisting” to help close the clubface through impact. Don’t worry—this is a normal adjustment even for high-level players.
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