Why "Dropping Your Arms" Is The Worst Advice For Amateur Golfers

PGA instructor Jonathan Chown explains why manually pulling or dropping your arms in the downswing ruins sequencing, lowers the swing arc prematurely, and leads to early extension. He demonstrates how leaving the arms passive allows proper lower-body rotation to shallow the club effortlessly. Chown provides two core practice exercises—the Ragdoll Drill and the Step-Through Drill—to help golfers develop effortless body-led transition mechanics.

• Manually pulling arms down drops the swing arc too early, forcing early extension and chunked shots.
• True shaft shallowing is a result of lower-body and torso rotation initiating the downswing, not manual hand manipulation.
• The Ragdoll Drill removes arm tension to allow rotation to deliver the clubhead through impact naturally.
• The Step-Through Drill forces early weight shift onto the lead side to prevent upper-body dominant downswings.