The takeaway is the cheapest part of the swing to fix, because it happens slowly and you have time. It also decides how much rescuing you have to do later.
The definition
A one-piece takeaway means hands, arms, shoulders and club start back together as one unit, driven by the turn of the torso rather than by the hands lifting or the wrists hinging early.
Two ways it goes wrong
- Inside and flat. The hands roll the club behind you immediately. The club then has to lift, which steepens the downswing and produces an over the top move.
- Outside and steep. The arms lift the club away from the body. Same problem by a different route.
The checkpoint
Stop when the shaft is parallel to the ground. The shaft should be roughly parallel to your target line, the clubhead should be outside your hands, and your chest should have turned. If your hands are still in front of your zipper and only your arms moved, it was not one piece.
Training it without thinking about it
- Hold a constraint that ties your arms to your chest, so the only way to start the club back is to turn.
- Make ten slow takeaways to the checkpoint, pausing each time.
- Remove the constraint and make ten more, reproducing the feel.
- Then hit shots without thinking about it at all.
What you should expect
A correct one-piece takeaway usually feels wide, slow, and more outside than you expect. That feeling is normal. Trust the checkpoint on video, not the sensation.
