Golf Swing Takeaway Drill

I drove into work this morning and the weather was almost surreal. Zipping around (I'm late as usual) town has me encountering some very golf like phenomena. It was cool enough to have some ground fog and a slight haze. I felt like I was in some video clip from a golf vacation package. You know, the one where there is a lonely golfer out on the links early walking the fog covered course with some rays of sunshine growing with each hole.

Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. But, it's only because I'm itching to get on the course. Here in the Great Lakes area, we've actually had some decent weather to start the month of March. One of the nice public courses in town just opened up and everyone is jumping to get on the golf course. They're out there practicing everything from putting to their golf swing takeaway.

I get hooked on the Golf Channel after the holidays. The tour starts in Hawaii and works its way to the mainland with stops in California, Arizona and Florida. Those are all sunshine spots enticing lovers of the game to participate. Of course, the sad part of actually going on the golf course and playing is the fact that those flaws you didn't have in the winter suddenly appear again when you play. Go figure. We all have some flaw to try and fix. For some, those flaws all start with the golf swing takeaway.

One of the drills I have tried to help with that aspect of my swing is with an iron. I actually use this drill warming up, as well. Pull an iron that you are comfortable with out of your bag. To practice the takeaway, try choking down on the club. I choke down enough to where the butt of the club is sticking in that beer gut of mine. What this does is basically help us coordinate the club, hands, arm, and body move in unison. This drill is not to take the club all the way back, just to get us started correctly. With the club in my spare tire and aimed directly at my spine I practice the golf swing takeaway as slowly as I can. I do that to help with grooving that swing and getting it locked into muscle memory. I don't take it back any farther than where my hands start to hinge. I try and practice this at home as much as I can to a point where I feel I can start the takeaway by gripping the golf club normally.

Then, when I get to the course and I'm either waiting to get on the putting green or just waiting for my tee time, I do a few practice drills there, too. The golf swing takeaway is so essential to the rest of the swing, that it is good practice to work on it as much as possible to groove that golf swing. I hope to see you on the links. Hit 'em straight!