Using the Golfer’s Elbow Technique for Power

Arnold Palmer’s Tip on Golfer’s Elbow

My grandfather, Homer Q. Boatright, received a letter from his cousin P.J. Boatwright, Sr., about golfers elbow technique, a TIP given to President Eisenhower by Arnold Palmer. This was not referring to golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, but taking an advantage of the golfer’s natural biomechanics. It focused on a conversation on the practice range between President Eisenhower and Mr. Arnold Palmer about using the elbow technique. This was at the American Heart Association Pro-Am Charity.

Arnold Palmer noticed that President Eisenhower’s right elbow was separating from his right side. Arnold Palmer asked the president if he noticed that his right elbow was separating from his right side. Arnold Palmer informed the president that if he kept the elbow tuck into his right side at the first part of his takeaway and right before impact, that he (President) would realize more power and club head speed. The President did such a great job tucking his elbow that he wore a blister on the medial side of his elbow.

A Letter From P.J. to my Grandfather

My Grandfather at Yellowstone National Park in 1925

P.J. thought that my grandfather would be interested in this tip that Arnold Palmer gave President Eisenhower. The tip especially was what my grandfather included in his coaching sessions to synchronize the elbow with the shoulders. President Eisenhower was my grandfather’s favorite president based on the collection of books my grandfather had in his library, that I inherited.

On Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 6:00 pm Eastern time, Fox News will be airing a special reported by Bret Baier entitled, “Three Days in January.” This will be looking at the final three days of President Eisenhower’s term before the Inauguration of President-Elect John F. Kennedy. This is based on the book by Bret Baier by the same name.

President Eisenhower was one of my most fascinating presidents of the United States. This was mainly due to his enormous responsibilities he held as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during WW-2 and civil rights. He oversaw the planning and commanded the D-Day Invasion at Normandy on June 6, 1941. Even Churchill told Eisenhower leading up to the D-Day Invasion, “That even God must pause at the enormous responsibility that one man had to bare for the freedom for the entire world.”

If the D-Day Invasion had failed, the whole world we live in today would be a totally different place. He also started the interstate system we have today and supported civil rights by sending troops to support integration of Central High School in 1957. This was in a strongly help Democratic state of Arkansas.

2005 Golf Digest Survey about Presidents

In 2005, Golf Digest conducted a survey asking their readers, “If you could have played golf with any president, who would it be?” Bill Clinton (30 percent) was the winner, followed by John Kennedy (24 percent), and George W. Bush (14 percent).

What would have been a better question to ask readers would have been, “If you had to fill out your foursome, including yourself to play golf with any four presidents, who would they be?” From the answers above that Golf Digest survey conducted, having a low-handicap was not a prerequisite, due to the president receiving the highest votes. President Eisenhower actually had a 12 handicap.

My Foursome of Presidents

If I were going to fill my foursome of four presidents to play golf with, the foursome would be the following:

1. President David Eisenhower (Ike), mid-teens handicap.
2. Franklin Roosevelt, club champion at Campobello Island Golf Club.
3. Abraham Lincoln, Handicap unknown.
4. Theodore Roosevelt, Handicap unknown.

I didn’t select these four presidents based on their ability to play golf, but the three-and-a-half hours the presidents spent discussing American and world History. Not so much me asking them questions, but the conversations these men would have between themselves. I would have to discard my scorecard and take notes of the conversations these men had with each other.

But the golfers elbow tip that Arnold Palmer gave President Eisenhower I would think would come up more than once between these presidents. If there is one golf tip that the average golfer could gain an advantage from, it would be keeping their dominant elbow tucked near their side. For the right-hander, this would be tucking their right elbow near their right rib cage, as noted in the Golfers Elbow Figure.

My book, The ESPY Golf Swing Coach, focuses on taking advantage of the golfer’s elbow synchronizing with the shoulders to set up sprockets, like on a ten-speed bicycle. The golfer using the golfers elbow technique can:

• Create power in the takeaway with the elbow (small sprocket) turning or coiling the shoulders (larger sprocket).
• Create speed in the downswing with the shoulders (large sprocket) turning or uncoiling (smaller sprocket).

Sprocket Mechanics 101 in Golf

This is basic physics 101 of sprocket mechanics. The golfer using the golfers elbow technique will find that they don’t have to swing harder that causes the other golfer’s elbow (like tennis elbow) to occur. The golfer can learn to swing nice-and-easy. This takes stress off their elbows and especially the lower back by just synching the elbows with the shoulders and by syncing and presetting the lead wrist.

The golfers elbow technique creates a compact swing that places less stress on the muscles and joints. Stress causes small tears in the muscles. The closer a joint is to the center mass of the body, the less stress that is developed this is the basis of Ergonomics.

The Sync/Preset Technique is performed with a basic maneuver that is set with the following procedure for a right-handed golfer:

• SYNC- The left Hypothenar is hinged toward the right elbow in a Palmar flex movement.
• PRESET- Due to the direction of how the Hypothenar is hinging, or Palmar flex, the left wrist naturally Pronates. This places the left pinky knuckle pointing toward the right big toe. This points, or locks, the small nodule just above the left thumb toward the right shoulder. This nodule is called the Radial Styloid Process (RSP).

The illustrations below shows the left wrist executing the SYNC/PRESET maneuvers:

 

You SYNC/PRESET your wrist in this manner and you will have more consistent golf shots with more power and club head speed.  The SYNC maneuver will tuck your right elbow toward your right side according to the tip that Arnold Palmer gave to President Eisenhower. This will work for you as well.

For more information on the Golfers elbow, purchase your copy of The ESPY Golf Swing Coach from the following links or your local bookstore: