One of the first things people hear when they pick up a golf club is "keep your left arm straight". It is a basic golf swing concept.
But what exactly does it mean to keep your left arm straight? Should it be locked stiff or should the arm be free of tension?
Most of what you read in golf books suggests that you must be free of tension at address. To accomplish this, you must leave your left elbow in an unlocked state.
To lock your elbow naturally causes tension. If tension is a bad thing, then locking your elbow must be a bad thing. I think not.
Most of the players I see allow the left arm to bend at the top of the backswing. It gives the illusion of a longer swing and requires an exact correction on the downswing for a successful shot.
A firmly locked elbow prevents the bending at the top and eliminates the compensation needed on the downswing. All you need to do is swing your locked left arm down the line you want to hit the ball on, with the approach coming from the inside.
If you can do that, your hands and wrist will naturally do what they need to do. They will naturally rotate and you will hit the ball straighter and more solidly than you ever have.
