I received a question from a reader the other day that had me pondering a bit about how to answer. Jonathan C. asked about the relationship between the arms and suggested that, as a lefty, he needed to work on his left arm through the release at impact. That made me go "Hmmmmmm," but here is my advice, Jonathan — and anyone else who might be thinking about this aspect of the swing.

I am a firm believer that the lead arm (your right arm as a left-handed golfer, Jonathan) must be the leader through impact. A firm lead-arm is the only way to ensure consistent control of the clubhead path, in my opinion. The human body is a remarkable thing in that your inner ear and other magical parts will keep you from falling over. If you get into golf posture and have a friend push against your chest and then the small of your back, you will see that it only takes an inch or so of movement to rock you onto your toes or heels. So, why is that important?

During the swing, this magical quality of balance will keep you from falling over, quite simply. You will swing around a centered, balanced pivot — no matter how fundamentally sound (or not) it might be. So, if you keep your lead arm firm throughout the swing, you have the best chance of returning the club to its starting position — which was at the ball. Does this make sense?

Now, about the trailing arm. Because I have viewed thousands of swing sequence photos and videos, I am also a firm beliver that the trailing arm MUST BE UNDERNEATH THE PLANE OF THE LEAD ARM. If the trailing arm (your left arm has you concerned, Jonathan) gets "on top" of the lead arm, only bad things can happen. The clubface will likely (but not necessarily) be shut and the swing path will be way outside to in, which produces a slice. The path will be too steep, which sucks away swing power. And the relationship between the body core and lead arm will be compromised, which prevents impact consistency.

So, Jonathan, I hope this gives you some perspective on the relationship between the arms. But there is one more thing. If you study Mr. Ben Hogan's book, Five Lessons – The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, you will see his guidance that the forearms should stay somewhat connected throughout the swing. In other words, the spacing between them stays pretty consistent.

Thanks for writing in for some input, Jonathan, and good luck in getting those arms working together and improving your golf!