Online Instruction

Faults and Fixes 1: The Takeaway

A common problem with club golfers involves their first movement away from the ball (the 'moveaway').

In this scenario, very often the clubhead is picked up by the hands and taken outside the ball to target line into a very steep top of the backswing position. At this position the hands are very high, the amount of shoulder turn is minimal and the shaft is pointing to the left of the target (laid off).

From this position, it is extremely likely that the club will then be returned back to the ball from outside the ball to target line, causing a slice or a pull to the left, depending on the position of the clubface at impact.

If this problem is familiar to you to correct it you need to improve your 'moveaway' and take the club back in more of a one-piece movement – where the body and arms move more in sync with each other.

Here’s how to improve that movement.
Place a head cover underneath your right arm. If you take the clubhead away from the ball incorrectly with your hands and pick the club up outside the ball to target line, the arms will move away from the body and the head cover will drop to the ground.
Therefore, you should try to feel that you are moving the arms and body more together, allowing the clubhead to move inside the ball to target line on the way back until your hands reach your right shoe.

From your right shoe position, the arms should move upwards as the shoulders turn and the wrists set (hinge). This is where the head cover should drop down, as keeping it under your arm will create a flat swing due to the fact that the arms should travel on a slightly higher plane than that on which the shoulders turn.

At the top of the backswing, the shoulders should have turned fully, the club should be on line (parallel to the ball to target line) and the hands should be at a good height (roughly level with the top of your head).

Now you are ready to unwind your downswing.