Stop trying to keep your lead arm straight

Trying to keep your lead arm straight is one of the most common swing thoughts in golf and it's actively working against you. Stiffening the arm to hold it straight creates tension that travels all the way through the swing. But here's the thing: you don't need to hold it there. Momentum does it for you. When the body initiates the backswing and the arms slack out with speed, centrifugal force pulls the lead arm straight naturally. It's not a position you create. It's a reaction to what's already happening. Think wingspan, not straightness. Think width, not length. Swing it away from you and let the weight of the club and the weight of your arms do the rest. The golfers who have straight lead arms at the top aren't thinking about their lead arm at all. They're thinking about swinging.