The Golf Swing – Review Takeaway

“Low and Slow.” A mantra to encourage the smooth and deliberate start to the swing.

Low and Slow

The Foundation of Power: Mastering Your Golf Swing Takeaway

Jack Nicklaus says the first couple of seconds of your takeaway are the most important part your golf swing – it sets you up for the rest of your swing.

When I returned to golf after a long absence it was as though I had forgotten the lessons of those early years. Lessons I read in Jack’s book back in the 1970s. Yep, I’m still a tryer decades later.  The importance of the takeaway was lost to me because I had forgotten “low and slow” in the initial phase of the backswing.

The success of the rest of your swing hinges on the very first move; just two seconds or no more than a foot or two in the takeaway. After the initial phase of the backswing, when the club leaves the ground and begins its journey upward, it sets the stage for everything that follows. A well-executed takeaway promotes proper sequencing, establishes a good swing plane, and ultimately contributes to consistent, powerful shots. Neglect it, and you're fighting an uphill battle from the start – those dangerous shanks came from a speedy, messy, uninformed initial takeaway.

Here are the fundamental principles of a great golf swing takeaway.

1. One-Piece Unit: Club, Arms, and Shoulders Moving Together

The hallmark of an effective takeaway is the feeling of a "one-piece unit." This means your club, arms, and shoulders should initiate the movement together, as if they are fused. Avoid any independent hand or wrist action in the very beginning. When your hands take over too early, it often leads to the club moving inside the target line and getting laid off, making it difficult to maintain width and control.

Think of it this way: As you begin your takeaway, imagine a triangle formed by your arms and shoulders. Strive to maintain the integrity of this triangle as long as possible. This synchronous movement keeps the club on a wide arc and on the correct plane, setting you up for a powerful rotation.

2. Controlled Low and Slow Motion

Patience is a virtue in the golf swing, and nowhere is this more evident than in the takeaway. Resist the urge to snatch the club away quickly. A slow, deliberate, and controlled takeaway allows you to feel the movement and ensure you're staying on track. A quick takeaway often leads to jerking motions and a loss of control, throwing your entire swing off balance before it's even begun.

In the initial phase of the takeaway, I keep the clubhead "low" to the ground. Tom Watson in his initial phase of the takeaway, always checks that the clubhead is in front of his hands. Others in their initial phase keep the butt of the handle synced with their belly button. Do not drag the club but ensure it doesn't immediately lift steeply. Maintaining a low path helps promote a wider arc and keeps the club on plane, preventing it from getting too steep too early.

3. Maintaining Clubface Square to the Arc

While the overall goal is to rotate the club around your body as in a circle, the clubface itself needs to remain relatively "square to the arc" during the initial takeaway. This means avoiding excessive opening or closing of the clubface with your hands and wrists. If you open the clubface too much, you'll likely struggle with slices. If you close it too much, hooks will be your nemesis.

A good way to visualize this is to imagine a dinner plate balanced on the clubface as you take it away. You want to keep that plate from spilling its contents. This sensation helps maintain a neutral clubface position, which is crucial for delivering the club squarely to the ball at impact. As your body rotates and your wrists naturally hinge later in the backswing, the clubface will naturally rotate with the arc, but the initial takeaway should prioritize this "square to arc" feeling.

4. Body Rotation as the Primary Driver

The takeaway isn't just an arm movement; it's a body movement. Your shoulder turn and hip rotation should be the primary drivers of the club's initial movement. As your shoulders turn, your arms and the club will naturally follow. This emphasizes the importance of a coordinated effort between your upper body and the club.

Think of your chest turning away from the target as the catalyst. This ensures that your larger muscle groups are initiating the swing, rather than relying solely on your smaller hand and arm muscles. When your body leads, it promotes a powerful coil and a more athletic, repeatable swing.

The Takeaway: Your Swing's North Star

The golf swing takeaway, though seemingly small, is a giant step towards a better golf game. By focusing on a one-piece unit, a controlled low and slow motion, maintaining a square clubface to the arc, and letting your body rotation lead, you'll establish a solid foundation for a powerful, consistent, and enjoyable golf swing. Invest time in perfecting this crucial first move, and you'll undoubtedly see positive results on the course.

SidLinx

I’m enjoying my golf again thanks to a Tom Watson video I wrote about in an earlier blog. Keeping the clubhead low in front of my hands in the initial phase and maintaining a slow backswing to the top have improved my game. This low and slow backswing combined with a TPI downswing are gamechangers for me. That’s an upcoming blog. If you are a golf nut like me, comment away.