All golf shots, from drive to putt, are made with the arms. The body provides support for the arms, but it is the arms that swing the club, not the body. The arms must be completely relaxed to do their best job. This lets the arm swing be a true swing, and not a hit.

Stand up straight and bend forward just enough so your arms dangle down in front of you. Now swing them from side to side, loosely, effortlessly. Notice how relaxed they feel. Notice also how relaxed your shoulder joints feel. Keeping your shoulder joints relaxed is what keeps your arms relaxed.

You might think this is all right for putting, because no power is needed in that stroke. But it’s the same for a drive. You don’t need power in your driver swing. You need speed. Speed comes from relaxation. Tense muscles feel powerful, but they slow down movement.

In all the different types of golf strokes, it is a given that the arms and shoulder joints should be completely relaxed throughout the stroke.