Elbow Fold Down
The Elbow Fold Golf Drill for Straighter Drives
The elbow fold golf drill is a powerful way to orient your lead arm for a cleaner release with the driver. This simple adjustment helps improve your swing path and straighten your ball flight to reduce slices.
After this video, you'll be able to:
- Identify the proper elbow orientation to keep your swing path on target
- Feel how folding your elbow down can influence club direction and ball flight
- Use simple checkpoints to ensure your lead arm is positioned correctly during your swings
Tyler Ferrell. Golf Digest Best Teachers in California, 2026-27. The only person named to both Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers in America and Best Golf Fitness Professionals lists. Author of The Stock Tour Swing.
Video Transcript
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.880
This driver drill is elbow fold down. So elbow fold down is basically looking
2
00:00:05.880 --> 00:00:06.000
at
3
00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:12.480
the orientation of this left or lead arm during the release. So if this arm
4
00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:12.960
tends
5
00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:17.120
to be facing up towards the sky or bending, kind of getting into this
6
00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:22.000
chicken wing position, I would call that folding up, where if I let that arm
7
00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:22.480
kind
8
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:26.640
of rotate and try to get it pointing more down towards the ground, that's going
9
00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:26.640
to
10
00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:30.550
be more of this elbow fold down. This is a higher priority for the longer clubs
11
00:00:30.550 --> 00:00:30.720
,
12
00:00:30.720 --> 00:00:36.120
mostly because it keeps the path moving out to the right. So if I'm doing it
13
00:00:36.120 --> 00:00:36.280
from
14
00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:41.840
down here, what you'll see is the more that this elbow starts working up, it
15
00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:46.600
tends to, all things being equal, cause the club to swing more to the left. The
16
00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:50.960
more that I get that elbow to fold down, you can see that that club is actually
17
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:56.640
traveling more out to the right. That's part of why I feel like the tip of
18
00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:01.920
letting those forearms roll over each other worked for a lot of people. It
19
00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:04.950
wasn't that it was closing the club face, it was that it was keeping the path
20
00:01:04.950 --> 00:01:05.240
going
21
00:01:05.240 --> 00:01:10.560
out to the right, which helped straighten out slices. So focus on this when you
22
00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:10.600
're
23
00:01:10.600 --> 00:01:15.040
doing either your 9 to 3 and you can actually check it and look at the elbow
24
00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:20.320
and say is that pointed down or is that pointed up? Or if you're doing full
25
00:01:20.320 --> 00:01:24.640
swings, you'll have to use video in order to look at it and see if your elbow
26
00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:24.880
is
27
00:01:24.880 --> 00:01:29.000
actually staying down. Just know that that's a really good metaphor or a
28
00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:33.720
really good checkpoint for if my arms are going to extend and keep the club
29
00:01:33.720 --> 00:01:38.640
moving out to the right, or if my arms are going to more chop and move the club
30
00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:42.840
more to the left. With the driver, we want to make sure that the club is going
31
00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:42.840
a
32
00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:46.200
little bit more in out because of the fact that we're hitting flat or slightly
33
00:01:46.200 --> 00:01:51.480
up in order to have a similar flight or straight shot the way that we'd want
34
00:01:51.480 --> 00:01:54.160
with the irons.
1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.880
This driver drill is elbow fold down. So elbow fold down is basically looking
2
00:00:05.880 --> 00:00:06.000
at
3
00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:12.480
the orientation of this left or lead arm during the release. So if this arm
4
00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:12.960
tends
5
00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:17.120
to be facing up towards the sky or bending, kind of getting into this
6
00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:22.000
chicken wing position, I would call that folding up, where if I let that arm
7
00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:22.480
kind
8
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:26.640
of rotate and try to get it pointing more down towards the ground, that's going
9
00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:26.640
to
10
00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:30.550
be more of this elbow fold down. This is a higher priority for the longer clubs
11
00:00:30.550 --> 00:00:30.720
,
12
00:00:30.720 --> 00:00:36.120
mostly because it keeps the path moving out to the right. So if I'm doing it
13
00:00:36.120 --> 00:00:36.280
from
14
00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:41.840
down here, what you'll see is the more that this elbow starts working up, it
15
00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:46.600
tends to, all things being equal, cause the club to swing more to the left. The
16
00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:50.960
more that I get that elbow to fold down, you can see that that club is actually
17
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:56.640
traveling more out to the right. That's part of why I feel like the tip of
18
00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:01.920
letting those forearms roll over each other worked for a lot of people. It
19
00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:04.950
wasn't that it was closing the club face, it was that it was keeping the path
20
00:01:04.950 --> 00:01:05.240
going
21
00:01:05.240 --> 00:01:10.560
out to the right, which helped straighten out slices. So focus on this when you
22
00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:10.600
're
23
00:01:10.600 --> 00:01:15.040
doing either your 9 to 3 and you can actually check it and look at the elbow
24
00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:20.320
and say is that pointed down or is that pointed up? Or if you're doing full
25
00:01:20.320 --> 00:01:24.640
swings, you'll have to use video in order to look at it and see if your elbow
26
00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:24.880
is
27
00:01:24.880 --> 00:01:29.000
actually staying down. Just know that that's a really good metaphor or a
28
00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:33.720
really good checkpoint for if my arms are going to extend and keep the club
29
00:01:33.720 --> 00:01:38.640
moving out to the right, or if my arms are going to more chop and move the club
30
00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:42.840
more to the left. With the driver, we want to make sure that the club is going
31
00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:42.840
a
32
00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:46.200
little bit more in out because of the fact that we're hitting flat or slightly
33
00:01:46.200 --> 00:01:51.480
up in order to have a similar flight or straight shot the way that we'd want
34
00:01:51.480 --> 00:01:54.160
with the irons.
Tyler Ferrell. Golf Digest Best Teachers in California, 2026-27. The only person named to both Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers in America and Best Golf Fitness Professionals lists. Author of The Stock Tour Swing.
Elbow Fold Down
The Elbow Fold Golf Drill for Straighter Drives
The elbow fold golf drill is a powerful way to orient your lead arm for a cleaner release with the driver. This simple adjustment helps improve your swing path and straighten your ball flight to reduce slices.
After this video, you'll be able to:
- Identify the proper elbow orientation to keep your swing path on target
- Feel how folding your elbow down can influence club direction and ball flight
- Use simple checkpoints to ensure your lead arm is positioned correctly during your swings
Video Transcript
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.880
This driver drill is elbow fold down. So elbow fold down is basically looking
2
00:00:05.880 --> 00:00:06.000
at
3
00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:12.480
the orientation of this left or lead arm during the release. So if this arm
4
00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:12.960
tends
5
00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:17.120
to be facing up towards the sky or bending, kind of getting into this
6
00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:22.000
chicken wing position, I would call that folding up, where if I let that arm
7
00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:22.480
kind
8
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:26.640
of rotate and try to get it pointing more down towards the ground, that's going
9
00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:26.640
to
10
00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:30.550
be more of this elbow fold down. This is a higher priority for the longer clubs
11
00:00:30.550 --> 00:00:30.720
,
12
00:00:30.720 --> 00:00:36.120
mostly because it keeps the path moving out to the right. So if I'm doing it
13
00:00:36.120 --> 00:00:36.280
from
14
00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:41.840
down here, what you'll see is the more that this elbow starts working up, it
15
00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:46.600
tends to, all things being equal, cause the club to swing more to the left. The
16
00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:50.960
more that I get that elbow to fold down, you can see that that club is actually
17
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:56.640
traveling more out to the right. That's part of why I feel like the tip of
18
00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:01.920
letting those forearms roll over each other worked for a lot of people. It
19
00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:04.950
wasn't that it was closing the club face, it was that it was keeping the path
20
00:01:04.950 --> 00:01:05.240
going
21
00:01:05.240 --> 00:01:10.560
out to the right, which helped straighten out slices. So focus on this when you
22
00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:10.600
're
23
00:01:10.600 --> 00:01:15.040
doing either your 9 to 3 and you can actually check it and look at the elbow
24
00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:20.320
and say is that pointed down or is that pointed up? Or if you're doing full
25
00:01:20.320 --> 00:01:24.640
swings, you'll have to use video in order to look at it and see if your elbow
26
00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:24.880
is
27
00:01:24.880 --> 00:01:29.000
actually staying down. Just know that that's a really good metaphor or a
28
00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:33.720
really good checkpoint for if my arms are going to extend and keep the club
29
00:01:33.720 --> 00:01:38.640
moving out to the right, or if my arms are going to more chop and move the club
30
00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:42.840
more to the left. With the driver, we want to make sure that the club is going
31
00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:42.840
a
32
00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:46.200
little bit more in out because of the fact that we're hitting flat or slightly
33
00:01:46.200 --> 00:01:51.480
up in order to have a similar flight or straight shot the way that we'd want
34
00:01:51.480 --> 00:01:54.160
with the irons.
1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.880
This driver drill is elbow fold down. So elbow fold down is basically looking
2
00:00:05.880 --> 00:00:06.000
at
3
00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:12.480
the orientation of this left or lead arm during the release. So if this arm
4
00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:12.960
tends
5
00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:17.120
to be facing up towards the sky or bending, kind of getting into this
6
00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:22.000
chicken wing position, I would call that folding up, where if I let that arm
7
00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:22.480
kind
8
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:26.640
of rotate and try to get it pointing more down towards the ground, that's going
9
00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:26.640
to
10
00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:30.550
be more of this elbow fold down. This is a higher priority for the longer clubs
11
00:00:30.550 --> 00:00:30.720
,
12
00:00:30.720 --> 00:00:36.120
mostly because it keeps the path moving out to the right. So if I'm doing it
13
00:00:36.120 --> 00:00:36.280
from
14
00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:41.840
down here, what you'll see is the more that this elbow starts working up, it
15
00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:46.600
tends to, all things being equal, cause the club to swing more to the left. The
16
00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:50.960
more that I get that elbow to fold down, you can see that that club is actually
17
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:56.640
traveling more out to the right. That's part of why I feel like the tip of
18
00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:01.920
letting those forearms roll over each other worked for a lot of people. It
19
00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:04.950
wasn't that it was closing the club face, it was that it was keeping the path
20
00:01:04.950 --> 00:01:05.240
going
21
00:01:05.240 --> 00:01:10.560
out to the right, which helped straighten out slices. So focus on this when you
22
00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:10.600
're
23
00:01:10.600 --> 00:01:15.040
doing either your 9 to 3 and you can actually check it and look at the elbow
24
00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:20.320
and say is that pointed down or is that pointed up? Or if you're doing full
25
00:01:20.320 --> 00:01:24.640
swings, you'll have to use video in order to look at it and see if your elbow
26
00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:24.880
is
27
00:01:24.880 --> 00:01:29.000
actually staying down. Just know that that's a really good metaphor or a
28
00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:33.720
really good checkpoint for if my arms are going to extend and keep the club
29
00:01:33.720 --> 00:01:38.640
moving out to the right, or if my arms are going to more chop and move the club
30
00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:42.840
more to the left. With the driver, we want to make sure that the club is going
31
00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:42.840
a
32
00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:46.200
little bit more in out because of the fact that we're hitting flat or slightly
33
00:01:46.200 --> 00:01:51.480
up in order to have a similar flight or straight shot the way that we'd want
34
00:01:51.480 --> 00:01:54.160
with the irons.
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