Leverage or Rotation? Depends on Your Arms in the Golf Swing

Understanding how much shoulder elevation — or more precisely, arm elevation — you need in the golf swing is one of the most overlooked keys to generating consistent power and protecting your body from injury. Let’s break down exactly what elevation does and how to dial it in for your game.

We’ve covered the concept of elevation before: it refers to the vertical movement your arms make in front of your body during the backswing. At address, your hands sit roughly at belt height. By the top of the swing, they’ve risen to chest or shoulder height depending on your style, flexibility, and what you’re trying to accomplish with your ball flight.

Shoulder elevation is a variable in the Rotary Swing Tour system — and in any golf swing, for that matter. It is not locked to a single “correct” position.

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The movement of your arms is not a fundamental of the golf swing because it is dependent on what your body does first. By definition, a fundamental is the primary driver of motion. Since arm movement responds to body rotation and torso positioning, it qualifies as a dependent variable rather than a root cause.

We do have clear guidelines for how high we prefer to see you raise your arms, but the ideal height will still depend on factors like your physical condition, how aggressively you use your body, and what kind of shot shape you’re targeting. Below, we’ll walk through the full range of elevation options and explain why you might favor one end of the spectrum over the other. If you want to see exactly how your current arm position affects your scores, try a free AI swing analysis to get an instant breakdown.

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Read the full article: Leverage or Rotation? Depends on Your Arms in the Golf Swing