Takeaway drills

[DANB]

Hi

I have found that my takeway is a little too outside of target, this is likely due to my alignment being too closed.

Having opened up/lined up parallel left I am finding it hard to break the habit of coming back too far outside and thus above plane.

Does anyone have some good drills to in grain the feeling of a takeway that is on plane.

I have tried putting a shaft in the ground to "run" the club up but there are only mats at the range so I can;t use this there.

Once the takeway is complete I do manage to get back on plane well, I just feel getting the takeway on plane will only improve consistency.

Cheers

Dan

[BrianW]

Re: Takeaway drills

Try This:

Address a mid iron. Raise your arms straight up so your hands are at belt level. Make a 90 degree turn of the shoulders to the right. You will now be in a perfect take away position. Get used to this position then aim to repeat it in the full takeaway.

[DANB]

Re: Takeaway drills

Thanks Brian

That is pretty much my swing thought, lifting the arms up rather than move them out or in and keeping the hands passive.

I suupose what I am looking for is the confidence factor that the shaft drill gives in knowing you are definitely on the correct plane when executing the move and hitting balls.

It should also give the muscle memory required to make this a natural move having been in a closed setup and coming outside on the way back.

Cheers

Dan

[Jeff Mann]

Re: Takeaway drills

I discuss the takeaway in great detail in the backswing section of my review

http://perfectgolfswingreview.net/backswing.htm

I think that the most important swing thought is taking the back of your right hand straight back (like trying to put the clubhead in a catcher's mitt if a baseball catcher was standing directly behind one). The clubhead will pass just inside the ball-target line - because the left shoulder is rotating around the spine axis at the same time, and it causes the clubhead swingarc to pass slightly inwards (instead of going straight back).

Thinking of taking the clubshaft upwards will result in a too steep and too narrow takeaway, and may even predispose one to reverse pivoting.

Jeff.

[guru88]

Re: Takeaway drills

Wow! Thanks for an encyclopedic treatment of the modern golf swing! You should find a publisher.

[DANB]

Re: Takeaway drills

Jeff

Thanks.

The site looks comprehensive, I am more of a feel player and do not let myself get too deep into technical detail and positions - been there and it almost killed my game!!

I work on feel, I could feel myself out of position once I got my alignment square again. The shaft drill gave me that feeling and I was just lookin for somne confidence check on the range......on reflection my ball flight shows this fine.

Cheers

Dan

[Scragger63]

Re: Takeaway drills

Where I remember to follow my own advice, I try to take the clubhead straight back along the target line for as long as is possible.

I'm told this gives me width...

Whatever that means...


Cheers

[DANB]

Re: Takeaway drills

This has a tendency to get the arms away from the body and become disconnected, plus if I do this I would come over the top of the plane and leads to me hooking/pulling the ball.

The clubhead, in my opinion, should travel back on a slightly inside line as this is the natural path (considering you are turning round a fixed point). Therefore it should be easy to do.....I still come a little too straight back which is what causes the bad shots.

Cheers

Dan

[BrianW]

Re: Takeaway drills

Referring back to my earlier post here where I explained a drill to find the correct position of the club at the end of the take away, I find it difficult to understand why so many people have problems with this part of the swing.

The take away is one of five compound operations used to get the club to the top of the backswing. It requires two basic moves to achieve this position, a rotation of the arms and shoulders of 90 degrees to the right and a lifting of the arms to waist high. It is possible to reach this position by carrying out these two movements in any order but the natural free-flowing order is a compound rotation and lifting.

[Scragger63]

Re: Takeaway drills

Given the rotation of the shoulders at the start of the backswing or with the start of the takeaway (whichever description works for you) as the left shoulder drops under your chin, this allows the clubhead to stay on line for anything up to 6 inches to a foot before going inside the line.

At least, this is how it was explained to me once some time ago.

Cheers

[trob2034]

Re: Takeaway drills

i worked this winter on my takeaway....i once got my swing analyzed and they showed me how to complete a 1 piece takeaway.....

place a chair that behind your right foot and move the club back without hitting the chair.....

what i did that helped me most was.....i have a mirror in my living room and i would just complete a takeaway stopping at the point in the mirror where the club head is parallel to the target and in that video that some people use you can draw a CIRCLE around your hands and the club head to check for alignment........

it really helped me and i hope it helps you

[DANB]

Re: Takeaway drills

Referring back to my earlier post here where I explained a drill to find the correct position of the club at the end of the take away, I find it difficult to understand why so many people have problems with this part of the swing.

Brian - I do not have a problem understanding the takeway, I knew I was off plane on my takeaway through feel having been on plane and in a good position for years and more importantly understand why this had changed.

My post was a request for drills where simply to help confidence once I had changed my alignment. Sorry if this was not clear.

However, it may in fact be part of the answer to your question, those that have poor setups are giving themselves little chance of executing a good takeway!

Dan

[vp27519]

Re: Takeaway drills

Brian,

Currently working on the takeaway. I was dipping the left shoulder rather than turning parrell (hard word to spell) and finishing the takeaway with the left shoulder over the right thy.

Coach has given me a drill similar to your's in your first comment.

Mine, I liken to a baseball swing. This gives me the feel of the shoulder turn, weight transfer and release of the hands BUT........

I can't get the feel of it when I've adressed the ball.

Everything is fine when I have the club in front of me head height and swinging like a baseballer, yet, when it comes to putting the club head on the ground - no feel.

[Timothy Slaught]

Re: Takeaway drills

Hello:

Interesting that there is not one reference to tempo on this thread.

All of the methods employed to start the club back require an even tempo. From Jack to Tiger, most pros talk about taking the club back slowly as a swing key. This initial tempo sets the timing for the entire swing. While everyone has a most effecient speed, overall, deliberate is better than rushed.

In adition to working on a takeaway that starts the club back on plane, it makes sense to think about the rate at which this happens.