Connect with us

Instruction

The proper sequence of an efficient takeaway

Published

on

The first few feet the club swings back is one of the most critical parts of the golf swing. How we start our takeaway will dictate how our body moves and will set the tone for the entire swing.

In order to have the most efficient swing possible, the club head and shaft must move first to start your golf swing. I say club head and shaft because based on your current takeaway, FEELING one move first then the other may be more beneficial to you.

There is no one correct way to swing a club, and everyone’s takeaway can be slightly different. There are many different takeaways you see each week on Tour, but players who don’t start the takeaway with the club head moving first have what I call “sequence moves” in their golf swing. In other words, they have found the right combination of moves to sequence their swing to get back to impact.

So why does the club head need to move first? To start, the club head travels the farthest in our swing in relation to our body once we grip the club. Imagine looking at your swing face on. The arc or circle the club head is traveling on is much longer then the arc or rotation of your body. In order to have the proper kinematic sequence to be efficient, the club head would have to start moving first, since it travels a longer route to the top.

Second, getting the shaft and club head moving first will help you generate shaft speed. Concentrating more on swinging the shaft will help generate speed for most players. The average PGA Tour player’s 6 iron club head speed is 92 mph, while the average Tour player body rotates between 7 to 12 mph. Focusing more on swinging the shaft properly will produce more speed and consistency.

Below are pictures of the first two major winners of this year

Dustin Johnson (2016 U.S. Open winner)

1-DJ

Danny Willett (2016 Masters winner)

2-Danny Willett

Having a proper set up is the root to an efficient swing. Starting with your right shoulder below your left, having angle in your right wrist and a soft right arm is imperative to get the proper sequence.

3

Once we have the proper setup, we can then move the club head first and allow our right arm to properly fold. This is done by moving the club head/shaft and folding the right arm. The club head will have looked to travel first, without the use of excessive wrist hinge (the club head does not move first by just cocking your wrists). In the picture below, my shoulders have already started to move around my body, just by moving the shaft and my arms. I have not physically tried to rotate my shoulders yet. My arms will eventually pull me into a coil position.

4 and 5

A player that starts their swing by physically trying to rotate their chest and shoulders to start their swing will almost always result in a swing that is too long, as the club head has to play catch up to the body. I call these players “over rotators.” Often, in this move, the club gets too far behind their body as a result. A great feel to correct this is to keep your chest over the ball as you start your takeaway.

6 and 7

Another common fault is a player’s hands dragging the club head back with their arms and shoulders. This is very common with players attempting a “one-piece take away.” The right arm locks up and the player’s spine will tilt toward the target as a result. The player will usually have to make a very late wrist hinge as a sequence move and a hip slide back into the ball as a result from the tilt.

8

A great drill to rehearse a proper takeaway is to take your left hand off the club, hold your upper right arm to your chest (for a right-handed golfer) and get the feeling of the club head moving. The club head should move farther than your hands when you look down. Make this a subtle move, where the club head doesn’t travel much farther than knee or waist high. Your left hand should keep your right arm in a folding position. Once you set the club, you can then put your left hand on the club. Take note of the position your arms are in and your shoulders.

9

Use a mirror to check your positions at home or take advantage of your smart phone on the range. You can also download a swing app or use video on your phone to check your positions. Swing analysis software used to be in the thousands of dollars, now it’s free, or just a few bucks.

Your Reaction?
  • 341
  • LEGIT53
  • WOW20
  • LOL12
  • IDHT8
  • FLOP10
  • OB13
  • SHANK92

Kelvin is a Class A PGA golf professional in San Francisco, California. He teaches and has taught at some of the top golf clubs in the Bay Area, including the Olympic Club and Sonoma Golf Club. He is TPI certified, and a certified Callaway and Titleist club fitter. Kelvin has sought advice and learned under several of the top instructors in the game, including Alex Murray and Scott Hamilton. To schedule a lesson, please call 818.359.0352 Online lessons also available at www.kelleygolf.com

38 Comments

38 Comments

  1. Ken

    Dec 16, 2019 at 3:47 am

    What a great article. I can’t believe I hadn’t read it before. Very helpful stuff here. Thank You.

  2. ndj

    Aug 26, 2016 at 10:40 am

    HI Kelvin,

    This little drill and key has significantly helped my ball striking. I’m interested what other instructors you recommend to continue refining the swing with this takeaway in mind? Thanks!

    • ndj

      Aug 26, 2016 at 10:52 am

      Whoops, ignore the this post. I didn’t realize the last one went through. Looking forward to the next article!

  3. ndj

    Aug 24, 2016 at 4:03 pm

    Hi Kelvin,

    Great stuff. I’ve incorporated this takeaway key into my swing and my irons have been flush. Still struggling with directional control on drives though. Do you recommend any other WRX authors who mirror your views on the golf swing? I’ve read your three articles and enjoyed them and looking to continue down the rabbit hole.

    • Kelvin Kelley

      Aug 25, 2016 at 4:43 pm

      Ndj,

      Glad you enjoyed the articles. I have another article coming here shortly. I will also be setting up a swing analysis link so you can send me your swing if you need me to take a look.

  4. Terry

    Aug 1, 2016 at 8:57 pm

    Interesting. But I’m still confused about how to move the club head first without first using the hands and or forearms to get the club head moving. So my take…is this right???….move your hands/forearms to get the club head moving and continue to keep these (hands/forearms/clubshaft) moving until the shoulders kind of follow along and rotate at some point while the right elbow is bending? Feel kind of dim not understanding this.

    • Kelvin Kelley

      Aug 2, 2016 at 12:51 pm

      Terry, you are correct, you can just move your hands and allow your right arm to fold which will get you in correct position, a slight wrist hinge is okay as well. Your shoulders will have naturally moved.

      • Terry

        Aug 5, 2016 at 5:28 pm

        Thank you for replying Kelvin. Currently I start my backswing by turning my upper chest and shoulders with hands/arms moving in unison. I don’t over swing. Can’t due to physical issues. If anything I have a short backswing. Is this OK as I generally hit the ball decent. I am contemplating trying to start the backswing as described in the article in the hope of lengthening my >swing a bit. Thanks again for taking the time.

        • Kelvin Kelley

          Aug 6, 2016 at 4:04 pm

          Terry, you don’t need to lengthen your swing to produce more power. Example, JB Holmes and Jon Rahm. This takeaway will give you the chance to produce more arm speed and hit it further. Let your arms pull you into a coil position. Hope this helps! Keep me posted.

          • Terry

            Aug 7, 2016 at 5:22 pm

            Thanks again Kelvin. In my post immediately above, think I didn’t explain my backswing, and ask my question, in the the proper order. So I’ll try again. Currently I start my backswing by turning my upper chest and shoulders with hands/arms moving in unison. Is this OK if I avoid over swinging, which I can’t do because of chronic left shoulder issues. If anything I now have a short backswing.
            Just looked at my backswing, face on, in a mirror. At waist high I look very much like you ( I assume) in picture 5. Not at all like the incorrect picture 6 where you talk about over rotators starting back with chest and shoulders. In pic 6, at waist high, it looks like you already have your left shoulder pointed at the ball whereas at waist high in my swing my shoulders have barely moved, much like picture 5. I must move my arms more than I’m aware of in my backswing. I’ll monitor this and experiment with starting backswing with hands and arms only. I know I originally started turning my chest to start the backswing because I felt it was more precise, controllable and repeatable than any other method I tried.
            Thanks again for taking the time. Appreciate it.
            Terry

            • Kelvin Kelley

              Aug 17, 2016 at 3:07 am

              Terry, sounds like you are on the right track, feel free to send me your swing through a Twitter message to have me take a look if you would like

  5. Kenny

    Aug 1, 2016 at 11:15 am

    So, what body part should you use or feel to begin the process of moving the club back first. I’ve been taught to move the club with my larger body parts (shoulders & chest). But, when I do use the larger muscles I tend to create a lag effect where everything starts to move and the shaft/club follow last. I’ve been trying to do the opposite and initiate the swing by pulling the club back first with the hands and everything moves after. Seems to be working. Thoughts?

    • Kelvin Kelley

      Aug 2, 2016 at 12:49 pm

      Kenny, it is not a pulling motion but more of just getting the clubhead to move first. When you do his, you will notice your hands will move and your right arm will fold. So to answer body part, don’t feel it in your chest, feel it in your right arm. Hope this helps

      • Kenny

        Aug 2, 2016 at 2:04 pm

        Pull or Move, same thing. So, basically use your hands to get the club moving first to start the backswing.

  6. Moe Norman

    Jul 29, 2016 at 4:42 pm

    The average tour player will have their shoulders 50* closed and 30* tilted when the shaft is parallel with the ground in the takeaway…

  7. Mitch

    Jul 24, 2016 at 7:42 pm

    Always the smartest guy in the room.

  8. Jim

    Jul 24, 2016 at 6:38 pm

    Looking back over my shoulder I see at least 100 golf swing books that would call the club head moving first a joke….there is maybe 3 that instruct a hand controlled swing that may buy this….How many millions of swing training clubs with a hing in them were sold in the 80’s that call this a death move peroid….?

    • BD57

      Jul 24, 2016 at 10:04 pm

      Really?

      Gee, someone better tell DJ & Willett that the shaft should still be pointing at their belly, because this business of them setting the club with their hands – making the club head go faster than a mere arm swing would allow – is a “death move.”

      Amazing the snark that people feel the need to post around here.

      • stephenf

        Jul 25, 2016 at 1:37 pm

        Exactly right, BD57.

        What people think they’re doing and what they theorize about, versus what they’re actually doing, are really different things.

        The “clubhead at belly” thing is OK therapy for somebody who isn’t moving his body well to support the swinging of the arms and club on the takeaway. But taken too far, it results in a overly torso-oriented swing with the body heaving and shoving and pushing the club around.

  9. Joe Brennan

    Jul 24, 2016 at 2:04 pm

    Another great article. This instruction helped me out in the Audi Quatro….

  10. M.

    Jul 24, 2016 at 10:02 am

    What a load of bs

  11. M.

    Jul 24, 2016 at 9:58 am

    …flip away…

  12. OH

    Jul 24, 2016 at 2:12 am

    Tried this tonight and was shocked to see that it really helped avoid my old overswinging tendencies. Also got me nicely on plane. Going to have to make this part of my practice and pre-shot routines.

    • Bob Edgar

      Jul 27, 2016 at 1:40 pm

      Tried this on the golf course yesterday. Best round of the year! It seems to help me get to a good position at the top. Results are surprising.

      • Kelvin Kelley

        Aug 2, 2016 at 12:52 pm

        OH and Bob, glad you enjoyed article!

  13. steve

    Jul 23, 2016 at 9:44 pm

    Basically you start the takeaway with the arms and the folding of the right arm “sets” the club, rather than intentional wrist hinge?

    • Kelvin Kelley

      Jul 24, 2016 at 1:56 am

      Steve,

      It’s the feeling of the clubhead moving first which will fold up your arm. A slight wrist hinge is okay, but is not a “wrist only” set. Hope this helps

  14. baudi

    Jul 23, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    So, Carl Lohren is completely wrong?

  15. Chris.C

    Jul 23, 2016 at 6:20 pm

    Best change ever made, it’s about keeping things simple in the swing and removing all the moving parts, the setup is also key by getting shape – get “Right Sided” peeps, it’s a much easier way to play and enjoy gold (Gary Edwin inspired) ????

  16. Steven

    Jul 23, 2016 at 1:26 pm

    I am a little confused. If I am reading this correctly, we shouldn’t use the chest to move the clubhead, but we also shouldn’t use the hands with an early wrist hinge. I understand the drill to feel the correct position, but how do we get into that position. I don’t understand how to move the clubhead without moving my chest or hands. Thanks for the help.

    • Kelvin Kelley

      Jul 23, 2016 at 3:08 pm

      Steven,

      If you have the correct wrist angle at address you can just move the clubhead and fold up your trail arm. Your hands will definitely move as in the photos. A slight wrist hinge is okay as well. Hope this helps

  17. AC

    Jul 23, 2016 at 12:55 pm

    Gosh darn it heck, for the last year i have been trying to start the back swing as “one piece” with shoulders/chest first and club. Now, if i understand this correctly, arms first up to between knee/waist then rotate?

    • Kelvin Kelley

      Jul 23, 2016 at 3:10 pm

      AC, I would prefer to feel your arms pull your body into a coil position at the top.

      • Snoopy

        Jul 25, 2016 at 1:14 pm

        Good write up, but I’ve also seen people talking about keeping the right arm straighter longer in the backswing to create width which should result in more power. Specifically I’ve seen this talked about referring to Adam Scott. So how do these two ideas, a straighter right arm vs folding the right arm quickly, interact with each other? Is it a simple tradeoff of power potential and consistency/efficiency? Or am I totally misinterpreting something? If you fold the right arm and keep the elbow close to the body early during the takeaway, when should the right arm move away from the body?

        • Kelvin Kelley

          Jul 25, 2016 at 1:36 pm

          Snoopy,

          Great question. You can still be “narrow” in the takeaway and then produce “width” and be “wide” at the top of your swing. So you can have both. As in the photos, the right arm has folded, hands close to body, but can still be wide at the top. A straight right arm in the take away will usually produce a tilt in shoulders and cause your body to work under too much.

          Hope this helps

        • BD57

          Jul 25, 2016 at 2:00 pm

          I know of what you speak. One of my faults is to pull the club toward me with the right arm by “over-folding” the right arm – causes my left arm to break down & I lose width. I’ve used a kid’s swimming arm float in the past as an aide to remind me where the folding is to stop.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

Published

on

Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW2
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK2

Continue Reading

Instruction

How a towel can fix your golf swing

Published

on

This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

Your Reaction?
  • 11
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW2
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP2
  • OB0
  • SHANK8

Continue Reading

Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

Published

on

You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

Your Reaction?
  • 0
  • LEGIT0
  • WOW0
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK2

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending