We all know that starting anything correctly is basically the only way you have any chance of carrying out the task correctly to completion. Naturally, the same goes for swinging a golf club. Starting with a correct takeaway is no 100% guarantee to making a perfect swing, but it does increase the odds a lot. Harry asks about the takeaway, looking to see if there is a better way.
Harry Thompson says:
Is it correct to think of presetting the wrists ASAP on the backswing rather than the conventional low and slow wide take away that has always been promoted … this swing thought makes me cast the club on the downswing, where the other thought helps me to hit the ball later, thus with more power. What is your professional opinion ?
The Surge says:
Let's look first at Harry's comment about, 'the conventional low and slow wide takeaway that has always been promoted' as that swing thought makes him cast the club on the downswing. This takeaway concept was for years guaranteed to be promoted every year in an article or tip or drill in every major golf instruction magazine in January, February or March. The basic visual image was to place a tee in the ground a foot or two behind the ball on the takeaway path. The concept is the player must push or drag the club away low, slow and extended wide and brush the tee before lifting the club.
Harry is correct that this takeaway can cause casting as well as many other problems. For starters, pushing the club away is not efficient. Pulling is. Taking the club away low and extended has to be slow. Why? It is the only way to have a chance at staying in balance. Because a low arms extended takeaway is actually pulling the upper torso down and forward toward the front leg on top of or in front of the ball. Right from the start the swing is pulling the body out of Dynamic Balance. Simply stated, the low, slow, extended takeaway causes golfers to reverse tilt and opens the door to the myriad of swing problems.
Let's now look at the presetting of the wrists ASAP on the backswing. To me, presetting the wrists implies 'cocking' them early if not immediately as the first move starting the takeaway. This usually causes the hands to be pushed outward and they likely also move a little forward ahead of the ball. So, I do not advocate pre-setting as it cocks the wrists and has the hands starting the backswing which is out of the correct swing sequence.
One of the main tenants of the PPGS is that there is no wrist cock in the golf swing. My Surgism regarding wrist cocking is, 'Good wrist action is no wrist action.' The wrist do not cock, bend, break or hinge in the swing. The wrist position at address is maintained in the backswing and the club is swung by the arms rotating, as I discussed in length in an article titled, 'Release Defined and Explained.'
What I do advocate as a takeaway is that the swing must start from the center or core. The back side hip and shoulder start turning. I like to reference this as a pulling action, setting the triangle of the shoulders, arms and club in motion all moving together. This is called a one piece takeaway. The key point to make here is 'that you have the feeling that the club head moves first.' This way the club is leading the body in the backswing and is setting up the equal and opposite reaction of the lower torso, with the bump/lateral slide starting the forward swing by pulling the arms, hands and club downward.
The takeaway is a sweeping upward arc, lifting of the club with the arms rotating the club head toe up into the catcher's mitt. The catcher's mitt is around an inch or two inside the aiming line and is held up in the air as a catcher does in giving the pitcher a target. I use this metaphor because it gives a great picture of taking the club away straight back. The turning of the torso and the rotating of the arms cause the club head to come just an inch or so inside the aiming line in reaching the mitt. The toe up concept of the club going into the mitt is to guarantee proper rotation of the arms and club head in the takeaway.
Many golfers believe taking the club head away, keeping the face square to or facing the aiming line, is a correct square takeaway. This is incorrect and in fact it is taking the club away with a shut face. Do this and the back arm immediately gets on top of the forward arm, is likely straightening, and the back shoulder is rising up and tightening. The back hand is now facing palm downward. When the club reaches parallel to the ground there is no way to lift the club up. The only option is the arms now have to ROTATE to palms perpendicular to the ground to lift. This late rotation becomes more of a flip action and the arms, hands and club over rotate, sending the club past vertical 12:00 o'clock on to 11 or even 10:00 o'clock, which we know is the laid off and a heavy club position.
The clubface must remain square to the body and in line with the forward arm. The arms form the triangle, remaining level in the takeaway so both arms and the club can lift equally and smoothly. This happens through proper rotation of the arms as the torso turns. It is easily achieved by the image of lifting the club up into the mitt toe up, then continue the sweeping 'lift up the tree' to the vertical 12:00 o'clock, 'LIGHT CLUB' at the top of the backswing.
The Surge!
P.S. Well that's it for the Surge today. This brings to a close 2009. I would like to thank you all for a great 2009 here at PPGS. From me and the PPGS staff, we wish you all Health, Happiness and Success, Fairways and Greens and Lower Scores for 2010.
Happy New Year!