In this lesson, we will discuss your takeaway.
Your takeaway is critical as it sets the stage for the rest of your swing. If, for example, you take the club too outside, too inside or do some fancy wrist maneuver during the takeaway, then the rest of your swing will require hard work. If, on the other hand, you initiate the takeaway with your big muscles like your chest and back and allow your tension free hands and arms to go along for the ride, then you are setting the stage for easy peasy.
The main component of your takeaway is connection. A connected takeaway is when your hands, arms, and shoulders are working together as one unit and not independently. I like to feel my left arm against my chest during the takeaway to ensure I stay connected. One of my tendencies is to get the front arm way from my chest. When that happens, I am done. My backswing plane will be off and the rest is just hard work.
To cure my ailment, my golf professional placed a shaft in the ground to help groove a better takeaway. We need the clubhead to stay outside our hands and the shaft to be parallel to the target line at this point in the swing. Another great drill is the Towel Drill and the Bungee Drill to work on connection. Look for these drills in the Yellow Book’s digital edition and be sure to work with your golf professional to groove a better takeaway.