How to Achieve a Proper Golf Swing Takeaway

The most important thing budding players need to cultivate in them is the art of performing a proper golf swing takeaway. Think of your golf swing as a kind of chain reaction. How good the swing is at the beginning can tremendously affect the finish and the outcome. If you can perform your takeaway and backswing accurately, you will hit the ball accurately with enough power. Failing to do get a proper golf swing takeaway will result in less distance and a mis-shot. Think of the takeaway as the coordinator of golf swing. Ultimately, the takeaway can only decide the nature and quality of the swing during impact. In fact, expert golfers stress on the importance of the first 30 inches of the takeaway, in deciding the quality of the swing.

In order to do this properly, you must sweep the club back low with a slow movement while turning your left knee, hip and shoulder to the right. At this point, you must shift your weight onto the right foot, gradually giving way to a feeling that the move was ‘all arms’. Hold your chin up and take the club away allowing a full turn of your left shoulder.

Even accomplished players handle their left heel position differently from each other. There are no strict rules about directing the left heel to be planted firmly during the takeaway, because players can lift it if they feel comfortable. But it is advisable that they maintain it planted firmly as long as possible during the swing. This will create the resistance necessary. However, you will have to automatically lift your left heel in order to complete the body turn. The whole thing depends on the extent of your flexibility.

Until the time the club comes to the height of your hip, the wrists should remain passive. At this point, cock your wrists and complete your body turn. Your left forearm should be at a right angle with the shaft. If your wrists have formed a 90 degree angle and if the club remains on a plane, then you would have performed a proper golf swing takeaway.

And until you come to the top of your swing, you must continue turning your arms and your body. You will find your weight on the right foot with the club close to horizontal. Both your thumbs will remain under the shaft.

You now move to a transition point that you need to execute skillfully without any hurry in order for your swing to remain broad. Commence your downswing by gradually shifting your weight to the left side while getting your right arm close to your body at the same time. This is a subtle but very profound move that can flatten the swing plane at a considerable level, forming the ideal position needed to swing the club on the correct path. All this will help you keep the clubhead squared to the ball with adequate power.

Now the only thing left is the downswing that will follow as a reaction to what was performed earlier. Make it a point to retain the 90 degree angle between the left forearm and club. Also, maintain the flex in your knees and the gap between them, when the club moves down. Settle your weight on your left side gradually and ensure your body remains behind the ball on impact.

After following these instructions, you will have successfully performed a proper golf swing takeaway and downswing. But you will not come back to the normal position you had as you started the swing; the rest will follow naturally with the swing.