Ross Dec 09, 2014
Hi Spartan
The back arm does NOT attach to the side of the body. The arms are controlled by the shoulders. Yes the back arm does bend a little, but the main goal for the arms are for the elbows to stay close together. This helps defeat the arms from working on their own or lifting on their own (which disconnects from the body/shoulders). If the shoulders are allowed to control the arms/club, the large muscles can take control and easily return the arms/club back to impact correctly (essentially, how they started).
Usually, you can learn with short backswings and then lengthen as the shoulders take more and more control. As you lengthen, you will usually find a point where the arms/hands take over trying to add more… that’s when things break down. The more you can control that “break down”, the more consistent your swing will become.