Correcting Your Takeaway for a More Consistent Golf Swing

It is often said that impact is the ‘moment of truth’ in the golf swing. That makes sense, of course, because that is the moment when all of your hard work is put to the test, and the ball will be sent off somewhere into the distance.

There is no arguing that the moment of impact is crucial, but don’t overlook the takeaway as a key piece of the puzzle.

Once the takeaway begins, there is no turning back – the club is in motion and it’s time to make a great swing. If you can get the takeaway right and put the club in a good position early on, everything will get a little easier from there.

Common Golf Swing Takeaway Problems

It’s a sad reality that many golfers have their swings go wrong right from the start. The takeaway is a common point of struggle for many amateur players, and some of the same mistakes are seen over and over again.

#1 Too Much Hand Action

This is the big one. Countless golfers start to move the club away from the ball by hinging their wrists.

That’s a problem for a couple of reasons. For one, it is going to move the club out of position, too far to the inside of the path. Also, it is usually a quick action, so it causes trouble from a tempo perspective, as well.

#2 Body Slide

With this mistake, the player allows his or her body to slide away from the target along with the club. This is a disaster from a balance perspective. You will probably have trouble making a full turn when you slide like this, and even if you do make your turn, you will be off balance at the top of the swing.

#3 Rushing Things

Sometimes, this mistake goes along with using too much hand action, but not always. For some players, even if the basics of their technique are okay, the takeaway goes wrong because it is performed far too quickly.

Remember, rushing the start of your swing likely means you will rush the rest of the action, as well.

Understanding the Goal

What are you trying to do in your takeaway? If you can’t answer this question clearly, you’ll struggle to create a move that sets you up for success.

Fortunately, the answer is relatively simple, even if it does have two parts:

1. The first goal of the takeaway is to move the club back away from the ball on the proper path.
2. The other important goal during the takeaway is to initiate the shoulder turn which will take you the rest of the way through the backswing.

For the first point, you likely want to swing the club back directly away from the ball, on an extension of the target line. Some players use other paths and manage to find success, but those players tend to be the exception.

By swinging the club straight back in the takeaway, you’ll keep things simple and hopefully make it easier to deliver the club on a good path when impact comes around.

While swing path is important, it’s possible that the second point is even more crucial than the first.

To make a good backswing, you need to execute a proper shoulder turn. It is the shoulder turn that is the engine of the backswing, and a good one sets you up for a powerful and accurate downswing.

It’s common for players to use only their hands and arms for the takeaway, putting the shoulders behind immediately. Focus on getting your shoulders started right away so they can lead the way in the backswing and lead you to a beautiful position at the top.

A Simple Takeaway Practice Drill

It’s one thing to understand how your takeaway should work – it’s something different to actually execute that move. If you are struggling to get on the right track, try the simple drill below.

Step 1: Find a place to safely make some practice swings. You can do this drill at the range, but you won’t be hitting any actual shots, so you can even do it at home if you have space.

Step 2: Using one of your mid-irons, place a golf ball on the ground and take your stance. Instead of placing the ball in front of the clubhead as usual, place it behind the clubhead.

Step 3: Start your swing and attempt to roll the ball back on an extension of the target line. For a right-handed golfer, this means the ball would be rolling to the right as you look down from above.

Step 4: As the ball rolls away, continue through the backswing, downswing, and into the finish. You aren’t going to hit the ball, but still focus on making a quality practice swing and hold a balanced position at the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The goal here is to make a quiet, controlled takeaway that has the club moving directly back along the target line. If you are able to roll the ball straight back, you will know that your club is staying relatively low to the ground and tracing a good path.

If this drill gives you trouble at first, it’s likely because you are using your hands too actively in the takeaway. Put control over the takeaway into your shoulders instead of your hands and the results should improve.

Prepare for Success

Given the importance of the takeaway, it would be smart to include some work on this part of your swing within your pre-shot routine. In fact, it’s possible to simply make a practice takeaway right before you do the real thing.

Once you have addressed the ball, go through your takeaway once, stopping the club only a few inches behind the ball. With that complete, reset your address position and hit the shot. This move should only take a couple of seconds and it can help remind you of the keys needed for a good takeaway.

From a rules perspective, be sure not to improve anything about your lie in the process, such as clearing away some long grass. Practice adding this to your process on the range before you try using it on the course.