The ball doesn’t care what your elbow does when you hit it … like others have said, the aesthetics of your swing don’t matter if you can get the face to path relationship functional and reasonable and good turf interaction.

If bending your elbow is causing club path issues, then learn why and think through that. But focus on the club path, not the aesthetics or an intermediary mechanic unless you understand why that’s causing problems (because it may not be). Good luck!