Elbow Training At Home
Golf Elbows Together Drill for Better Arm Motion
This golf elbows together drill helps you feel how your arms and shoulders should work throughout the swing. Hold each elbow with the opposite hand to monitor your movement and build better mechanics at home.
After this video, you'll be able to:
- Identify how your trail arm should move during the backswing
- Understand the correct elbow positioning for a more effective downswing
- Develop better awareness of your arm movements to improve swing consistency
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 --> 00:00:03.840
This drill is monitoring the elbows at home.
2
00:00:03.840 --> 00:00:08.170
So the elbows are a good reference point for what's going on at the shoulder
3
00:00:08.170 --> 00:00:09.480
and then obviously
4
00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:12.320
anything else happening at the hands is coming from the forearms.
5
00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:16.830
So a good way to train what the arms are doing while working at home is to take
6
00:00:16.830 --> 00:00:17.320
turns
7
00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:20.120
paying attention to what each arm is doing individually.
8
00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.430
So we're going to get in the golf posture and you're going to take your left
9
00:00:23.430 --> 00:00:23.880
hand and
10
00:00:23.880 --> 00:00:25.280
place it under your right elbow.
11
00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:28.240
So for right hand and golfer we're going to start with the trail arm.
12
00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:32.390
So now during the backswing what should happen is this arm is going to stay
13
00:00:32.390 --> 00:00:33.360
relatively in
14
00:00:33.360 --> 00:00:39.080
front of my chest and it's just going to rotate a little bit.
15
00:00:39.080 --> 00:00:43.770
Now if it starts to fly away that's not the worst thing but I want to make sure
16
00:00:43.770 --> 00:00:44.320
that it's
17
00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:47.620
not going all the way behind my shirt seams which would be very uncomfortable
18
00:00:47.620 --> 00:00:48.000
with me
19
00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.160
holding on with the left arm.
20
00:00:50.160 --> 00:00:53.760
So it stays in front you can now allow a little bit of rotation.
21
00:00:53.760 --> 00:00:57.740
Now as we start down you want to make sure that this elbow is not straightening
22
00:00:57.740 --> 00:00:58.320
straight
23
00:00:58.320 --> 00:00:59.320
away.
24
00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:04.960
You'll see that it works a little bit more in front of my body and then as I go
25
00:01:04.960 --> 00:01:05.440
into
26
00:01:05.440 --> 00:01:08.800
the release that elbow is going to straighten.
27
00:01:08.800 --> 00:01:14.510
So in one movement kind of works there doesn't straighten during that phase and
28
00:01:14.510 --> 00:01:15.920
then straightens
29
00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:18.200
during the release.
30
00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:20.810
Now looking at the left arm this time we're going to take the right elbow and
31
00:01:20.810 --> 00:01:21.240
place it
32
00:01:21.240 --> 00:01:22.880
under the left.
33
00:01:22.880 --> 00:01:25.760
Next swing is still going to be more of a rib cage dominant thing.
34
00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:30.760
All I'm going to feel is that there's a little bit of rotation kind of like so.
35
00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:35.430
Now as I start down I'm going to feel that this arm actually works slightly
36
00:01:35.430 --> 00:01:36.120
across my
37
00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:39.840
chest and rotates a little bit more kind of like that.
38
00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:45.460
So it's going to work across my chest and rotates and then as I go to start the
39
00:01:45.460 --> 00:01:46.160
release
40
00:01:46.160 --> 00:01:49.360
so when that right elbow would be coming across that elbow is still going to
41
00:01:49.360 --> 00:01:50.080
stay kind of
42
00:01:50.080 --> 00:01:54.000
facing in the direction of the target until the hand gets about here and then
43
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:54.640
it's going
44
00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:57.320
to allow a little bit of rotation.
45
00:01:57.320 --> 00:02:03.990
So when one movement comes across right through there it releases kind of in
46
00:02:03.990 --> 00:02:05.560
one movement.
47
00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:09.690
Now I've got a sense I can do this you know dozens of times kind of feeling
48
00:02:09.690 --> 00:02:10.480
what's happening
49
00:02:10.480 --> 00:02:16.240
at each individual arm and I can put my hands together kind of make those
50
00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:17.840
movements happen
51
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:20.640
together.
52
00:02:20.640 --> 00:02:25.480
Once I have a comfortable feeling of what the arms are doing then I can add the
53
00:02:25.480 --> 00:02:26.880
golf club
54
00:02:26.880 --> 00:02:33.440
try to do that same movement pattern but let the club brush the ground.
55
00:02:33.440 --> 00:02:38.240
So I'm focusing on what my elbows are doing so that I have a sense of what my
56
00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:39.000
shoulders
57
00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:40.000
are doing.
58
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.560
The shoulders are really important gateway from what's happening with the body
59
00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:44.080
to what's
60
00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:47.270
going to happen at the hands so using the elbows is a really good reference
61
00:02:47.270 --> 00:02:47.800
frame for
62
00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:51.140
when you're training your shoulders at home by feeling what your elbows are
63
00:02:51.140 --> 00:02:51.680
doing.
1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.840
This drill is monitoring the elbows at home.
2
00:00:03.840 --> 00:00:08.170
So the elbows are a good reference point for what's going on at the shoulder
3
00:00:08.170 --> 00:00:09.480
and then obviously
4
00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:12.320
anything else happening at the hands is coming from the forearms.
5
00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:16.830
So a good way to train what the arms are doing while working at home is to take
6
00:00:16.830 --> 00:00:17.320
turns
7
00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:20.120
paying attention to what each arm is doing individually.
8
00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.430
So we're going to get in the golf posture and you're going to take your left
9
00:00:23.430 --> 00:00:23.880
hand and
10
00:00:23.880 --> 00:00:25.280
place it under your right elbow.
11
00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:28.240
So for right hand and golfer we're going to start with the trail arm.
12
00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:32.390
So now during the backswing what should happen is this arm is going to stay
13
00:00:32.390 --> 00:00:33.360
relatively in
14
00:00:33.360 --> 00:00:39.080
front of my chest and it's just going to rotate a little bit.
15
00:00:39.080 --> 00:00:43.770
Now if it starts to fly away that's not the worst thing but I want to make sure
16
00:00:43.770 --> 00:00:44.320
that it's
17
00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:47.620
not going all the way behind my shirt seams which would be very uncomfortable
18
00:00:47.620 --> 00:00:48.000
with me
19
00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.160
holding on with the left arm.
20
00:00:50.160 --> 00:00:53.760
So it stays in front you can now allow a little bit of rotation.
21
00:00:53.760 --> 00:00:57.740
Now as we start down you want to make sure that this elbow is not straightening
22
00:00:57.740 --> 00:00:58.320
straight
23
00:00:58.320 --> 00:00:59.320
away.
24
00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:04.960
You'll see that it works a little bit more in front of my body and then as I go
25
00:01:04.960 --> 00:01:05.440
into
26
00:01:05.440 --> 00:01:08.800
the release that elbow is going to straighten.
27
00:01:08.800 --> 00:01:14.510
So in one movement kind of works there doesn't straighten during that phase and
28
00:01:14.510 --> 00:01:15.920
then straightens
29
00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:18.200
during the release.
30
00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:20.810
Now looking at the left arm this time we're going to take the right elbow and
31
00:01:20.810 --> 00:01:21.240
place it
32
00:01:21.240 --> 00:01:22.880
under the left.
33
00:01:22.880 --> 00:01:25.760
Next swing is still going to be more of a rib cage dominant thing.
34
00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:30.760
All I'm going to feel is that there's a little bit of rotation kind of like so.
35
00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:35.430
Now as I start down I'm going to feel that this arm actually works slightly
36
00:01:35.430 --> 00:01:36.120
across my
37
00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:39.840
chest and rotates a little bit more kind of like that.
38
00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:45.460
So it's going to work across my chest and rotates and then as I go to start the
39
00:01:45.460 --> 00:01:46.160
release
40
00:01:46.160 --> 00:01:49.360
so when that right elbow would be coming across that elbow is still going to
41
00:01:49.360 --> 00:01:50.080
stay kind of
42
00:01:50.080 --> 00:01:54.000
facing in the direction of the target until the hand gets about here and then
43
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:54.640
it's going
44
00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:57.320
to allow a little bit of rotation.
45
00:01:57.320 --> 00:02:03.990
So when one movement comes across right through there it releases kind of in
46
00:02:03.990 --> 00:02:05.560
one movement.
47
00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:09.690
Now I've got a sense I can do this you know dozens of times kind of feeling
48
00:02:09.690 --> 00:02:10.480
what's happening
49
00:02:10.480 --> 00:02:16.240
at each individual arm and I can put my hands together kind of make those
50
00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:17.840
movements happen
51
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:20.640
together.
52
00:02:20.640 --> 00:02:25.480
Once I have a comfortable feeling of what the arms are doing then I can add the
53
00:02:25.480 --> 00:02:26.880
golf club
54
00:02:26.880 --> 00:02:33.440
try to do that same movement pattern but let the club brush the ground.
55
00:02:33.440 --> 00:02:38.240
So I'm focusing on what my elbows are doing so that I have a sense of what my
56
00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:39.000
shoulders
57
00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:40.000
are doing.
58
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.560
The shoulders are really important gateway from what's happening with the body
59
00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:44.080
to what's
60
00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:47.270
going to happen at the hands so using the elbows is a really good reference
61
00:02:47.270 --> 00:02:47.800
frame for
62
00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:51.140
when you're training your shoulders at home by feeling what your elbows are
63
00:02:51.140 --> 00:02:51.680
doing.
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 Training At Home
Golf Elbows Together Drill for Better Arm Motion
This golf elbows together drill helps you feel how your arms and shoulders should work throughout the swing. Hold each elbow with the opposite hand to monitor your movement and build better mechanics at home.
After this video, you'll be able to:
- Identify how your trail arm should move during the backswing
- Understand the correct elbow positioning for a more effective downswing
- Develop better awareness of your arm movements to improve swing consistency
Video Transcript
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.840
This drill is monitoring the elbows at home.
2
00:00:03.840 --> 00:00:08.170
So the elbows are a good reference point for what's going on at the shoulder
3
00:00:08.170 --> 00:00:09.480
and then obviously
4
00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:12.320
anything else happening at the hands is coming from the forearms.
5
00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:16.830
So a good way to train what the arms are doing while working at home is to take
6
00:00:16.830 --> 00:00:17.320
turns
7
00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:20.120
paying attention to what each arm is doing individually.
8
00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.430
So we're going to get in the golf posture and you're going to take your left
9
00:00:23.430 --> 00:00:23.880
hand and
10
00:00:23.880 --> 00:00:25.280
place it under your right elbow.
11
00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:28.240
So for right hand and golfer we're going to start with the trail arm.
12
00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:32.390
So now during the backswing what should happen is this arm is going to stay
13
00:00:32.390 --> 00:00:33.360
relatively in
14
00:00:33.360 --> 00:00:39.080
front of my chest and it's just going to rotate a little bit.
15
00:00:39.080 --> 00:00:43.770
Now if it starts to fly away that's not the worst thing but I want to make sure
16
00:00:43.770 --> 00:00:44.320
that it's
17
00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:47.620
not going all the way behind my shirt seams which would be very uncomfortable
18
00:00:47.620 --> 00:00:48.000
with me
19
00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.160
holding on with the left arm.
20
00:00:50.160 --> 00:00:53.760
So it stays in front you can now allow a little bit of rotation.
21
00:00:53.760 --> 00:00:57.740
Now as we start down you want to make sure that this elbow is not straightening
22
00:00:57.740 --> 00:00:58.320
straight
23
00:00:58.320 --> 00:00:59.320
away.
24
00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:04.960
You'll see that it works a little bit more in front of my body and then as I go
25
00:01:04.960 --> 00:01:05.440
into
26
00:01:05.440 --> 00:01:08.800
the release that elbow is going to straighten.
27
00:01:08.800 --> 00:01:14.510
So in one movement kind of works there doesn't straighten during that phase and
28
00:01:14.510 --> 00:01:15.920
then straightens
29
00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:18.200
during the release.
30
00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:20.810
Now looking at the left arm this time we're going to take the right elbow and
31
00:01:20.810 --> 00:01:21.240
place it
32
00:01:21.240 --> 00:01:22.880
under the left.
33
00:01:22.880 --> 00:01:25.760
Next swing is still going to be more of a rib cage dominant thing.
34
00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:30.760
All I'm going to feel is that there's a little bit of rotation kind of like so.
35
00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:35.430
Now as I start down I'm going to feel that this arm actually works slightly
36
00:01:35.430 --> 00:01:36.120
across my
37
00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:39.840
chest and rotates a little bit more kind of like that.
38
00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:45.460
So it's going to work across my chest and rotates and then as I go to start the
39
00:01:45.460 --> 00:01:46.160
release
40
00:01:46.160 --> 00:01:49.360
so when that right elbow would be coming across that elbow is still going to
41
00:01:49.360 --> 00:01:50.080
stay kind of
42
00:01:50.080 --> 00:01:54.000
facing in the direction of the target until the hand gets about here and then
43
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:54.640
it's going
44
00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:57.320
to allow a little bit of rotation.
45
00:01:57.320 --> 00:02:03.990
So when one movement comes across right through there it releases kind of in
46
00:02:03.990 --> 00:02:05.560
one movement.
47
00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:09.690
Now I've got a sense I can do this you know dozens of times kind of feeling
48
00:02:09.690 --> 00:02:10.480
what's happening
49
00:02:10.480 --> 00:02:16.240
at each individual arm and I can put my hands together kind of make those
50
00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:17.840
movements happen
51
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:20.640
together.
52
00:02:20.640 --> 00:02:25.480
Once I have a comfortable feeling of what the arms are doing then I can add the
53
00:02:25.480 --> 00:02:26.880
golf club
54
00:02:26.880 --> 00:02:33.440
try to do that same movement pattern but let the club brush the ground.
55
00:02:33.440 --> 00:02:38.240
So I'm focusing on what my elbows are doing so that I have a sense of what my
56
00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:39.000
shoulders
57
00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:40.000
are doing.
58
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.560
The shoulders are really important gateway from what's happening with the body
59
00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:44.080
to what's
60
00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:47.270
going to happen at the hands so using the elbows is a really good reference
61
00:02:47.270 --> 00:02:47.800
frame for
62
00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:51.140
when you're training your shoulders at home by feeling what your elbows are
63
00:02:51.140 --> 00:02:51.680
doing.
1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.840
This drill is monitoring the elbows at home.
2
00:00:03.840 --> 00:00:08.170
So the elbows are a good reference point for what's going on at the shoulder
3
00:00:08.170 --> 00:00:09.480
and then obviously
4
00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:12.320
anything else happening at the hands is coming from the forearms.
5
00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:16.830
So a good way to train what the arms are doing while working at home is to take
6
00:00:16.830 --> 00:00:17.320
turns
7
00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:20.120
paying attention to what each arm is doing individually.
8
00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.430
So we're going to get in the golf posture and you're going to take your left
9
00:00:23.430 --> 00:00:23.880
hand and
10
00:00:23.880 --> 00:00:25.280
place it under your right elbow.
11
00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:28.240
So for right hand and golfer we're going to start with the trail arm.
12
00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:32.390
So now during the backswing what should happen is this arm is going to stay
13
00:00:32.390 --> 00:00:33.360
relatively in
14
00:00:33.360 --> 00:00:39.080
front of my chest and it's just going to rotate a little bit.
15
00:00:39.080 --> 00:00:43.770
Now if it starts to fly away that's not the worst thing but I want to make sure
16
00:00:43.770 --> 00:00:44.320
that it's
17
00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:47.620
not going all the way behind my shirt seams which would be very uncomfortable
18
00:00:47.620 --> 00:00:48.000
with me
19
00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.160
holding on with the left arm.
20
00:00:50.160 --> 00:00:53.760
So it stays in front you can now allow a little bit of rotation.
21
00:00:53.760 --> 00:00:57.740
Now as we start down you want to make sure that this elbow is not straightening
22
00:00:57.740 --> 00:00:58.320
straight
23
00:00:58.320 --> 00:00:59.320
away.
24
00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:04.960
You'll see that it works a little bit more in front of my body and then as I go
25
00:01:04.960 --> 00:01:05.440
into
26
00:01:05.440 --> 00:01:08.800
the release that elbow is going to straighten.
27
00:01:08.800 --> 00:01:14.510
So in one movement kind of works there doesn't straighten during that phase and
28
00:01:14.510 --> 00:01:15.920
then straightens
29
00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:18.200
during the release.
30
00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:20.810
Now looking at the left arm this time we're going to take the right elbow and
31
00:01:20.810 --> 00:01:21.240
place it
32
00:01:21.240 --> 00:01:22.880
under the left.
33
00:01:22.880 --> 00:01:25.760
Next swing is still going to be more of a rib cage dominant thing.
34
00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:30.760
All I'm going to feel is that there's a little bit of rotation kind of like so.
35
00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:35.430
Now as I start down I'm going to feel that this arm actually works slightly
36
00:01:35.430 --> 00:01:36.120
across my
37
00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:39.840
chest and rotates a little bit more kind of like that.
38
00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:45.460
So it's going to work across my chest and rotates and then as I go to start the
39
00:01:45.460 --> 00:01:46.160
release
40
00:01:46.160 --> 00:01:49.360
so when that right elbow would be coming across that elbow is still going to
41
00:01:49.360 --> 00:01:50.080
stay kind of
42
00:01:50.080 --> 00:01:54.000
facing in the direction of the target until the hand gets about here and then
43
00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:54.640
it's going
44
00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:57.320
to allow a little bit of rotation.
45
00:01:57.320 --> 00:02:03.990
So when one movement comes across right through there it releases kind of in
46
00:02:03.990 --> 00:02:05.560
one movement.
47
00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:09.690
Now I've got a sense I can do this you know dozens of times kind of feeling
48
00:02:09.690 --> 00:02:10.480
what's happening
49
00:02:10.480 --> 00:02:16.240
at each individual arm and I can put my hands together kind of make those
50
00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:17.840
movements happen
51
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:20.640
together.
52
00:02:20.640 --> 00:02:25.480
Once I have a comfortable feeling of what the arms are doing then I can add the
53
00:02:25.480 --> 00:02:26.880
golf club
54
00:02:26.880 --> 00:02:33.440
try to do that same movement pattern but let the club brush the ground.
55
00:02:33.440 --> 00:02:38.240
So I'm focusing on what my elbows are doing so that I have a sense of what my
56
00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:39.000
shoulders
57
00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:40.000
are doing.
58
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.560
The shoulders are really important gateway from what's happening with the body
59
00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:44.080
to what's
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00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:47.270
going to happen at the hands so using the elbows is a really good reference
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00:02:47.270 --> 00:02:47.800
frame for
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00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:51.140
when you're training your shoulders at home by feeling what your elbows are
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doing.
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