Jeff Ritter on Controlling Short Game Trajectory with "Arm Length" (Video)

This is a very cool technique that Jeff explains very simply. And I'm going to really 'dumb it down' to give you the basics very quickly. You can pick up the details from the video.



Here are the two basic concepts you want to learn.

• To get more consistency with your contact and your trajectory in your short game, you make a bigger shoulder turn and keep your arms extended. That gives you a bigger swing arc with less wrist flex. In other words, you're using the big muscles in your torso for more control.
• To get a bit more creative and gain the ability to hit the ball higher when you want, you make a smaller shoulder turn and let your arms bend at your elbows. That gives you a shorter swing with more wrist flex. In other words, you're using the smaller muscles in your hands and wrists for more feel and versatility.

So you use either long sweeping arm motions or short 'U-shaped' arm motions to create the shot you want.

Yes, that's a dramatic oversimplification of the principles but if you understand those two, you'll be able to create more kinds of shots when you need them.

And just to get you started, here's a link to a video I posted a couple of years back on how to make a 'soft arm' swing for bunker shots. That's the basic technique for the 'short arm' swing Jeff is talking about. The 'long arm' swing is the basic chipping and pitching technique you're probably already familiar with.

Have fun!