takeaway drills

[richard_warwick76]

Hi folks,as the years go on I am getting more and more confused about the takeaway.my main issue in my swing is the first 6 inches where I roll the wrists ,fan open the club face and get inside immediately. I know I have been doing this a long time and I need drills I can take to the range which will give me feedback on whether my takeaway is improving.researching u tube I am seeing so many contradictions.from the rotary swing (turning the right shoulder away & behind immediately) ,the one piece takeaway,moving club head first and cocking wrists early,to name but a few ! Which one I am best focusing on given the symptoms mentioned above ? Any help much appreciated

 

[hovis]

I had a identical problem. The two drills that worked for me:

Durring the first half of your takeaway try and feel the club face stays pointing at the ball

Put a small water bottle 10 inches behind your ball and knock the bottle over with your club. If you rotate your forearms too early you miss the bottle

 

[richard_warwick76]

Thanks will give that a go. Any advice on moving away with shoulders first ,arms first,cocking wrists early ? There are so many contradictions on the web

 

[HomerJSimpson]

This is interesting and something I agree with. Within reason it doesn't matter too much about what goes on during the swing back, but what happens in the impact zone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tChaKgJML3U&feature=youtu.be

 

[London mike 61]

I sympathise with your problem and I know how hard it is to find good info and drills on the web, have a read of this article with special interest to lesson 6 it may help you although the whole article is very interesting.

Welcome to the forum BTW
http://www.golftoday.co.uk/proshop/tuition/lesson6.http

 

[richard_warwick76]

Thanks for the welcome Mike.can you check the link you posted as it doesn't seem to work for me.just so frustrated at the minute.42pts on Saturday off 14 then go out last night and hit the ball absolutely awful.I suppose everyone can sympathise with that !

 

[the_coach]

A thing consider is, in a golf swing the arms need to have connection with the body turn both back & through.

Check you have a good neutral grip, so handle in fingers not in palms, the "V''s between right & left hand, thumbs & forefingers, both point to middle right shoulder.
If the grip isn't good, say the right hand a ways too far under the handle it's easy to use the hands from the get go & roll them over so the swing plane is straight away going behind the legs some & is a good ways too flat.

Ideally the shoulders & arms move the 'arm triangle' away with no hand/wrist movement from the get go, the 'set & hinge" doesn't start to happen until the triangle has moved so the hands are opposite the right thigh.

There's a position called 1st parallel, when the shaft of the club gets to the position (hands around hip height) the shaft is both parallel to your ball/target line, parallel to the ground & also parallel to your toe line. (if you roll away the shaft to this point the shaft will then point a good ways inside behind your legs the butt end of the handle will also point out over & across the ball/target line.) Shaft should be parallel (as explained below) the butt end pointing parallel left towards target.

Good drill to this first parallel position (you're not hitting balls, just moving the club away to get to this shaft parallel to position)

So put a ball down so you can get address right, then directly behind the ball put an alignment stick down (or other club) that's pointing directly down the target line, put your club face square to target line take parallel left square address position, note where your right little toe is, then place another alignment rod (other club) starting opposite where the little toe is & completely parallel to the rod (club) you placed behind the ball.

Drill; So you get the feeling, is while keeping your legs/hips solid, move the club away with arms/shoulder/chest as one movement, keeping the slightly angled left wrist you had at address, so very quiet hands/wrists they don't roll or set from the get go of movement, keep the same hand angle relationship to the shaft.
So you just turn & move the 'triangle' until the hands are around hip height, the shaft then should be parallel to both the rods (club shafts) you put on the ground and pretty parallel to the ground also. If they are not start again. just make a smooth controlled move away, until you can repeatedly hit this position.

From here in a full golf swing motion all that then happens is that the left thumb 'sets upwards' to point at the sky as the right arm folds, right elbow pointing to the ground as the body/shoulders turn until the body & shoulders cannot turn anymore, Wherever that point is, it all stops, thats the top of the back swing, there's no independent lifting motion away with the arms to get the club further back.

Here's a vid I've put up a few times lately (with good reason it's sound advice), this drill would also be a good thing to do.

Place the club on the ground in exactly the same place & note where the handle he's swinging gets to in relation to the handle on the ground. Note the shaft is parallel too (as spoken about above)
This vid also a good guide to what the top of the swing looks like in relation to how the spine angle tilts away from target at top, also it shows how the handle coming back through to impact is in a different relationship to the one on the ground than it was going back in the takeaway. (This handle position working back to target is how you 'keep' lag so speed & power in the downswing)

[video=youtube_share;xvMiZQo70-E]http://youtu.be/xvMiZQo70-E[/video]

 

[the_coach]

Good explanation here of how the left hand/wrist works a little ways differently to how the right hand/wrist hinges back a little ways some.

[video=youtube_share;STA6p8J1WiE]http://youtu.be/STA6p8J1WiE[/video]

 

[the_coach]

Worth taking a look at this too. Gives a good handle how the levers, hands & wrists work.

[video=youtube_share;N2imbfCntZc]http://youtu.be/N2imbfCntZc[/video]

Hope you get something from them all, & welcome, any questions, just ask, play well.

 

[richard_warwick76]

Thanks for this I just started following these guys a few days ago ! I am already starting to think a bit differently.I was concentrating fully on takeaway and a nice looking swing but the most important thing is the downswing and impact position maybe this is what my focus should be

 

[London mike 61]

Sorry Richard, must have been a technical hitch try this;

http://www.golftoday.co.uk/proshop/tuition/lesson6.htm

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Thanks for this I just started following these guys a few days ago ! I am already starting to think a bit differently.I was concentrating fully on takeaway and a nice looking swing but the most important thing is the downswing and impact position maybe this is what my focus should be

Loads of imperfect swings (Furyk, Mika Singh, Jimenez, Trevino etc) but they all got it back to a square position at impact. The ball doesn't care what it looks like on the way back. It just cares what path the club is on as it makes contact

 

[the_coach]

Thanks for this I just started following these guys a few days ago ! I am already starting to think a bit differently.I was concentrating fully on takeaway and a nice looking swing but the most important thing is the downswing and impact position maybe this is what my focus should be

For sure impact is where it all comes together, ball only reacts to collision.

But to get to a good impact position within the swing motion. It helps a bunch if the takeaway & backswing are pretty neutral, generally as a thought the swing plane of a good swing going back is slightly steeper, then it drops & shallows some from the top back down to give those good impact conditions.
That ways you have to make none or fewer compensatory moves in the 2/10's of a second it takes from the top of the swing to impact, so it's easier to get repeatable sound impact conditions.

Few people have the talent to be able to make those compensatory moves in that short space of time back to the ball, like say a Furyk, Bubba, Dustin Johson, Brendon de Jonge in a repeatable good way if the backswing is a good ways too funky & out of position. The ams, club players who can would be the ones who could naturally always play to a good standard, people with swing issues who are still searching & haven't found themselves able to get back to good impact to score well would benefit a real good ways in trying to more normalize their motions some from address, grip & takeaway & backswing.

One thing that helps is at address you'll feel contact of the upper arms to the upper chest, so being conscious of that contact as the takeaway starts, so the triangle moves intact that upper arms & chest contact will be there with both arms until more or less that 1st parallel, hands at hip height just past the right thigh.
Then as the right arm folds you lose that right side upper arm/chest contact, but the left upper arm stays in contact with the chest all the way up to the top & the left arm contact & support is still there all the way down to & just through impact.

 

[richard_warwick76]

Sorry Richard, must have been a technical hitch try this;

http://www.golftoday.co.uk/proshop/tuition/lesson6.htm

Thanks mike interesting read.again goes against some other things I have read about the shoulders making the first move but think this makes more sense to me

 

[richard_warwick76]

For sure impact is where it all comes together, ball only reacts to collision.

But to get to a good impact position within the swing motion. It helps a bunch if the takeaway & backswing are pretty neutral, generally as a thought the swing plane of a good swing going back is slightly steeper, then it drops & shallows some from the top back down to give those good impact conditions.
That ways you have to make none or fewer compensatory moves in the 2/10's of a second it takes from the top of the swing to impact, so it's easier to get repeatable sound impact conditions.

One thing that helps is at address you'll feel contact of the upper arms to the upper chest, so being conscious of that contact as the takeaway starts, so the triangle moves intact that upper arms & chest contact will be there with both arms until more or less that 1st parallel, hands at hip height just past the right thigh.
Then as the right arm folds you lose that right side upper arm/chest contact, but the left upper arm stays in contact with the chest all the way up to the top & the left arm contact & support is still there all the way down to & just through impact.

Am I correct in thinking you need some degree of wrist cock to get the club parallel at hip height ? What would your trigger be to starting the wrist cock ?

 

[the_coach]

Am I correct in thinking you need some degree of wrist cock to get the club parallel at hip height ? What would your trigger be to starting the wrist cock ?

My take, ideally not, if you keep connection between arms & body turn, hands wrist quiet as that 'triangle moves.

Then as you turn you'll find (as long as you don't strangle the handle with too much pressure so the forearms muscles tense right up) that connection will as the hands get to around just past the right thigh, at around hips height, the right hand will begin to soften back on itself some. (the hinge Ted speaks to in the vid)

So then as the body turn continues the right arm has to fold, both the softening back of the right hand & right arm folding means then the left hand/wrist has to set upwards it has no real other option, though at this point if it helps some from here you can feel {if the left hand is on the handle correctly pad on top} the pad feels like it's pressing down some on the handle so the left thumb then points skywards, If you can get my meaning.

 

[richard_warwick76]

My take, ideally not, if you keep connection between arms & body turn, hands wrist quiet as that 'triangle moves.

Then as you turn you'll find (as long as you don't strangle the handle with too much pressure so the forearms muscles tense right up) that connection will as the hands get to around just past the right thigh, at around hips height, the right hand will begin to soften back on itself some. (the hinge Ted speaks to in the vid)

So then as the body turn continues the right arm has to fold, both the softening back of the right hand & right arm folding means then the left hand/wrist has to set upwards it has no real other option, though at this point if it helps some from here you can feel {if the left hand is on the handle correctly pad on top} the pad feels like it's pressing down some on the handle so the left thumb then points skywards, If you can get my meaning.

Many thanks for the advice.when I try it it seems so different from the normal swing,but as I know my takeaway is so bad that is hopefully a good sign.need to put in the reps at the range. I remember a pro telling me the issue was in the takeaway 15 years and after a recent lesson it still seems to be the case.hard to fix something when you have been swinging for so long incorrectly but I guess it's just putting in the reps.one last question.if you could advise me on one swing thought to concentrate on when playing in comps,what would it be ?

 

[garyinderry]

Loads of imperfect swings (Furyk, Mika Singh, Jimenez, Trevino etc) but they all got it back to a square position at impact. The ball doesn't care what it looks like on the way back. It just cares what path the club is on as it makes contact

[video=youtube;tChaKgJML3U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tChaKgJML3U[/video]


mark crossfields thoughts

 

[the_coach]

Many thanks for the advice.when I try it it seems so different from the normal swing,but as I know my takeaway is so bad that is hopefully a good sign.need to put in the reps at the range. I remember a pro telling me the issue was in the takeaway 15 years and after a recent lesson it still seems to be the case.hard to fix something when you have been swinging for so long incorrectly but I guess it's just putting in the reps.one last question.if you could advise me on one swing thought to concentrate on when playing in comps,what would it be ?

My take would be a couple of pre swing thoughts. First off breathe, folks gets nervous breathing quickens some plays havoc with everything, makes you do thing a ways too quick. (that doesn't mean you slow down to hold folks up) just try to stick to your normal rhythm of life.
Aim from behind the ball, ball, spot 12" in front of ball in line with target, pick a definite target. Studies show the brain works better organizing motions necessary for target games when given the narrowest possible target.

Align club face square to that target line whatever club, aim body parallel left of ball/target line, if zero is loose & 10 over tight keep hold on club around 5 so the arms shoulders don't tense, but keep a solid leg base. Turn don't sway right away from target.

Keep a good posture right way through the backswing, downswing to target. Backswing is just to place the club at the top smoothly, not to build speed up with, from the top swing downwards not out to the ball.

Bit more than you asked I know.

But for swing assuming all of the above. Then over the ball, breathe out & start, just think rhythm smooth timing & balance.
If you can keep a smooth rhythm & make a balanced end position you goal for every swing, feel you watch the club just 'swing through' the ball. Banish thinking hit, or hard for the whole round.

Balance, timing, rhythm & 'swing' just let the ball be something you move through not at.

 

[the_coach]

Am I correct in thinking you need some degree of wrist cock to get the club parallel at hip height ? What would your trigger be to starting the wrist cock ?

Good drill if you're struggling some with the takeaway, although from first look it might seem to have anything to do with it as you are not holding a club to do it.

But look at it from the point of, many folks struggle with the takeaway/backswing because their movement results in the right arm not folding correctly going back it flies away from the body some ending up with the right elbow pointing behind them a ways, & not right elbow pointing downwards to the ground, so the right arm angle more echoes the spine angle if done correctly.

So how this drill relates to the left hand/wrist 'setting upwards' is - if you can get this right arm fold going a ways as it should, you'll then find as you take the club away (hands quiet -to my earlier post) as long as you stay 'in posture' as you turn (not sway) back, the correct right arm folding movement will make the left hand/wrist setting as the hands get past the right thigh to hip height as good ways more 'automatic'.

So do this drill a few times, then take say an 8i making the backswing you felt in the drill, intersperse drill without club, with backswing with club a few times, then once you have that feeling a bit step up & at 50% do the same with a ball. Hit a couple at this slow speed, then back to drill etc.

[video=youtube_share;TcudNZaU7ZQ]http://youtu.be/TcudNZaU7ZQ[/video]