Arm Swing
The arm swing is the movement of the arms across and around the body during the golf swing, which must coordinate with body rotation to produce a consistent, powerful arc.
The arms swing on a plane across the body, lifting and rotating while the torso turns beneath them. Too much arm swing with too little body turn produces a narrow, steep motion; too much body turn with passive arms creates a flat, disconnected path. The ideal is synchronized: the body turns and the arms swing in complement, creating a consistent low point and face delivery. Arm-dominant versus body-dominant tendencies both have characteristic fault signatures that respond to different training approaches.
Example
A player whose arms swing too far around (flat) and whose body barely turns produces a path that goes wildly in-to-out — too much arm swing without rotation.
Related terms
- ConnectionConnection is keeping the arms and body moving together during the swing so the arms never get ahead of or behind the body's rotation, maintaining a consistent arc and face delivery.
- Shoulder TurnShoulder turn is the rotation of the thoracic spine and shoulders during the backswing. A full shoulder turn (near 90°) is the primary source of swing arc and coil — the engine of a powerful backswing.
- Hip TurnHip turn is the rotation of the pelvis around the spine during the golf swing. In the backswing it resists the shoulder coil; in the downswing it leads the kinetic chain to generate speed.
- Swing PlaneSwing plane is the tilted circle the club travels on around your body during the swing. A consistent plane makes it easier to return the club squarely and on path at impact.
Related guides & benchmarks
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.