“You do that when you’re putting and you’ll be TERRIBLE!!!”….I laughed out loud on that one…I’ve said it before, but I love the brutal honesty and lay men’s method to you teaching. No filter. Love it.
Thanks for this, I have been guilty of turning everything on my takeaway. After watching this tip I looked at a video of my swing, paying attention to the takeaway. I think I now understand why, if nothing else, I lose power on some of my shots. As always, a great tip.
Yes, turning everything is a problem. You will not create enough torque. Don’t see your body as you body. See it as a spring. The top of the spring moves the most. If you turned the top the middle and halfway between the middle and the ground would barely move if you only turned it back a small amount. Glad you see it. This will make your swing way tighter which will give the spring-like effect.
Hi Paul;
This tip seems to contradict what all pros teach; that the swing starts from the ground up, not the arms & shoulders 1st. So, by conventional teaching,even keeping the Y as 1 piece, starting from the ground up is not the proper takeaway?
The shoulders move the most. Why would you move something that is not moving the most? Coil the shoulders and the lower will be pulled into perfect position every time.
Excellent lesson ,Paul:the best part of your fine demonstration is when you show the similarity of the takeaway between the putter and any club in your bag .
My own mental image is GREG NORMAN ,who had a beautiful takeaway ,long and wide ,to create a maximum arc :I also picked up a BOBBY JONES idea in that I “drag “more or less the clubhead going back :STEVE ELKINGTON ,who has beautiful swing also , said this “dragging “is the most important move in the golf swing :it enables to arrive at the top completely relaxed in the wrists .
Of course ,I’ve heard many golf teachers who say they hate this dragging move…
Think of everyone with a late set. What were they known for? Distance and accuracy.
Davis Love
Fred Couples
Jack Nicklaus
Tiger (2001-2003)
Greg Norman
Byron Nelson
Sam Snead
Some pretty big names there. I find it funny when people bash the stuff the best golfers of all time did. Why would you want to do anything but what they did. This is crazy.
Paul, one of the things I try and do in the take away is stay very loose. I do start with the why position and do a few waggles to keep everything loose. In fact in my take away my club head lags a bit. In your video you seem to keep your arms extended and it seems a bit stiff. Is my approach in correct? Should I focus a little more controlled technique?
You can extend your arms without them being stiff. Just try it. Stay up. Extend your arm. Turn.
So you need the arms extended but not tight. Keep in mind that you are extending your arms to pre-determine the maximum width of your arc. So make sure they are fully extended at address.
Paul,I should add That THE drill with THE ” SMART BALL” you insert between your forearms is very bénéficial to teach you to keep THE Arms close together and THE upper Arms close to THE chest when starting THE takeaway .
This must be the answer to my not to be able to take my swing on the range on to the course!
Other players and my friends come and watch me on the range as I hit shot after shot dead slolid and can land the ball almost anywhere they point. When I play on the course the comments are often “where is the swing you use on the range” or “you are scratch on the range and all over the place on the course”
I try everything to copy my range feeling and succeed about 30% of the time I swing from low 80’s to low 90’s based on how well my short game comes to the rescue?
It very well could be my takeaway as I do not have the feeling. You have just explained.
Going over to the golf club right now will advise.
YOU ARE HITTING! GUARANTEED!!! You need to be thinking positions out there until you get it. This means you need to FORGET THE BALL and STOP CARING ABOUT YOUR SCORE!
Go out without your friends and just do the movement. Start at 50% and DO NOT go faster until you get it. If this takes you 10 rounds who cares. Just do it.l
Greetings Coach Need Help just came in from back yard hit about 30 balls short chip shots /out of the 30 maybe 5 or 6 balls went straight the rest i shanked /this started yesterday/I watched your shank tip i stayed back on heels no help this time/one thing i noticed was on all shanks the face of the 9 iron was always turned in /hooded i think its called /i changed the position of my right hand to way left on the club no help / i dont know /this was not always a problem last week i was short chipping great/what do you think?
I think you need to check your setup that you are tall enough and not too close to the ball.
Chipping and pitching are 2 completely different things.
Pitching you need to do a taller setup as I teach. For short pitches you would be gripping down 2 inches on your club. Into the backswing you HINGE. To come down your TURN. HINGE/TURN this is all you should be doing. I get the feeling you are not doing this or even thinking about doing this. You need to immediately watch these pitching tips:
Hey Paul I should keep this tip on repeat!
It is critical as you say. I also found it difficult to get the correct level of looseness of my shoulders and subsequent force right required to start the takeaway.
A takeaway thought that helps me is thinking of the shoulder relaxation and gentle force I would need to move a lace curtain so I could peer on the neighbours without being spotted. (Not sure if this is one of yours but it helps immensely)
Anyway this helps me slow down and gradually build up the torque in my backswing.
Thanks Paul as always!
You are focusing on the one piece takeaway, like putting. The weight shift is not immediately to the right in a full swing, there is a gradual shift and in the first few feet of the swing you would not have a feeling of any weight shifting immediately.
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20 Responses to “Feelings Series – Takeaway”
September 10, 2014
BryanRhoades“You do that when you’re putting and you’ll be TERRIBLE!!!”….I laughed out loud on that one…I’ve said it before, but I love the brutal honesty and lay men’s method to you teaching. No filter. Love it.
September 10, 2014
Paul WilsonBryan,
Glad you liked it. Believe me. I hold back to what I really want to say. Now, that would be really funny!
September 10, 2014
IanNewnhamPaul,
Thanks for this, I have been guilty of turning everything on my takeaway. After watching this tip I looked at a video of my swing, paying attention to the takeaway. I think I now understand why, if nothing else, I lose power on some of my shots. As always, a great tip.
Regards
Ian
September 10, 2014
Paul WilsonIan,
Glad you liked it. Thanks.
Yes, turning everything is a problem. You will not create enough torque. Don’t see your body as you body. See it as a spring. The top of the spring moves the most. If you turned the top the middle and halfway between the middle and the ground would barely move if you only turned it back a small amount. Glad you see it. This will make your swing way tighter which will give the spring-like effect.
September 10, 2014
MichaelRodrickHi Paul;
This tip seems to contradict what all pros teach; that the swing starts from the ground up, not the arms & shoulders 1st. So, by conventional teaching,even keeping the Y as 1 piece, starting from the ground up is not the proper takeaway?
September 10, 2014
Paul WilsonMichael,
I don’t want to teach what other pros teach.
The shoulders move the most. Why would you move something that is not moving the most? Coil the shoulders and the lower will be pulled into perfect position every time.
September 10, 2014
RaymondCHASTELExcellent lesson ,Paul:the best part of your fine demonstration is when you show the similarity of the takeaway between the putter and any club in your bag .
My own mental image is GREG NORMAN ,who had a beautiful takeaway ,long and wide ,to create a maximum arc :I also picked up a BOBBY JONES idea in that I “drag “more or less the clubhead going back :STEVE ELKINGTON ,who has beautiful swing also , said this “dragging “is the most important move in the golf swing :it enables to arrive at the top completely relaxed in the wrists .
Of course ,I’ve heard many golf teachers who say they hate this dragging move…
September 10, 2014
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Glad you liked it.
Think of everyone with a late set. What were they known for? Distance and accuracy.
Davis Love
Fred Couples
Jack Nicklaus
Tiger (2001-2003)
Greg Norman
Byron Nelson
Sam Snead
Some pretty big names there. I find it funny when people bash the stuff the best golfers of all time did. Why would you want to do anything but what they did. This is crazy.
September 10, 2014
PeterSaPaul, one of the things I try and do in the take away is stay very loose. I do start with the why position and do a few waggles to keep everything loose. In fact in my take away my club head lags a bit. In your video you seem to keep your arms extended and it seems a bit stiff. Is my approach in correct? Should I focus a little more controlled technique?
Peter
September 10, 2014
Paul WilsonPeter,
You can extend your arms without them being stiff. Just try it. Stay up. Extend your arm. Turn.
So you need the arms extended but not tight. Keep in mind that you are extending your arms to pre-determine the maximum width of your arc. So make sure they are fully extended at address.
September 10, 2014
RaymondCHASTELPaul,I should add That THE drill with THE ” SMART BALL” you insert between your forearms is very bénéficial to teach you to keep THE Arms close together and THE upper Arms close to THE chest when starting THE takeaway .
September 10, 2014
Paul WilsonRaymond,
That is fine. You can use this.
September 10, 2014
GeraldJoyceHey Paul,
This must be the answer to my not to be able to take my swing on the range on to the course!
Other players and my friends come and watch me on the range as I hit shot after shot dead slolid and can land the ball almost anywhere they point. When I play on the course the comments are often “where is the swing you use on the range” or “you are scratch on the range and all over the place on the course”
I try everything to copy my range feeling and succeed about 30% of the time I swing from low 80’s to low 90’s based on how well my short game comes to the rescue?
It very well could be my takeaway as I do not have the feeling. You have just explained.
Going over to the golf club right now will advise.
Best regards,
JJ
September 10, 2014
Paul WilsonJay Jay,
YOU ARE HITTING! GUARANTEED!!! You need to be thinking positions out there until you get it. This means you need to FORGET THE BALL and STOP CARING ABOUT YOUR SCORE!
Go out without your friends and just do the movement. Start at 50% and DO NOT go faster until you get it. If this takes you 10 rounds who cares. Just do it.l
September 10, 2014
johnhoyleGreetings Coach Need Help just came in from back yard hit about 30 balls short chip shots /out of the 30 maybe 5 or 6 balls went straight the rest i shanked /this started yesterday/I watched your shank tip i stayed back on heels no help this time/one thing i noticed was on all shanks the face of the 9 iron was always turned in /hooded i think its called /i changed the position of my right hand to way left on the club no help / i dont know /this was not always a problem last week i was short chipping great/what do you think?
September 10, 2014
Paul WilsonJohn,
I think you need to check your setup that you are tall enough and not too close to the ball.
Chipping and pitching are 2 completely different things.
Pitching you need to do a taller setup as I teach. For short pitches you would be gripping down 2 inches on your club. Into the backswing you HINGE. To come down your TURN. HINGE/TURN this is all you should be doing. I get the feeling you are not doing this or even thinking about doing this. You need to immediately watch these pitching tips:
How to Pitch: https://ignitiongolf.com/pitch-ball/
How to Hit a Short Pitch Shot: https://ignitiongolf.com/short-pitch-shot/
December 17, 2014
TomHey Paul I should keep this tip on repeat!
It is critical as you say. I also found it difficult to get the correct level of looseness of my shoulders and subsequent force right required to start the takeaway.
A takeaway thought that helps me is thinking of the shoulder relaxation and gentle force I would need to move a lace curtain so I could peer on the neighbours without being spotted. (Not sure if this is one of yours but it helps immensely)
Anyway this helps me slow down and gradually build up the torque in my backswing.
Thanks Paul as always!
December 17, 2014
Paul WilsonTom,
Yes, if you are too tight to start with you are putting yourself behind the 8 ball.
Are You Behind the 8 Ball?: https://ignitiongolf.com/8-ball/
November 17, 2020
mikeschickWhat you don’t mention in this video is that the weight starts to shift right away also, as you note in other videos. So it is not quite like putting!
November 23, 2020
Paul WilsonYou are focusing on the one piece takeaway, like putting. The weight shift is not immediately to the right in a full swing, there is a gradual shift and in the first few feet of the swing you would not have a feeling of any weight shifting immediately.