June 30, 2021 10:02 am

As long as your address position and grip are correct, then we are ready explore the takeaway – how to take the club away from the ball and the effect that can have on your shots.

If pushed, I would say you should feel the left hand, arm and shoulder pushes the club away from the ball rather than the right hand pulling it away. But I prefer to think about achieving the correct positions and letting the way you get there sort itself out. It’s rather like walking. In other words, don’t think too much of the method, just concentrate on the place you want to get to and let your instincts do the rest.

So where should the club be at horizontal on the backswing? There are two parts to this. The first movement of the clubhead away should be a bit like an A320 Airbus on take-off. It should be smooth and low to the ground. This is also how you would like your aircraft to land, so the wheels brush the surface. If your takeaway is more like a Harrier Jump Jet, with a more vertical take off feel to it, then this will probably lead to a landing that will be similar. That is not a safe way to bring an A320 Airbus into land!

At horizontal on the backswing, if you are looking from directly behind the ball to target line, your golf club, your hands and the shaft of the club should all be in a straight line, so that all you could see at this point is the sole of the golf club. Also, if you took a line through the sole of the clubhead at a right angle, this should be pointing about 10 to 20 degrees down towards the floor. Sorry that this sounds complicated, but if you check the picture of this position, it will make more sense.

The normal error is that players drag the club around their body too much on the takeaway. This then means a change of plane is required on the downswing for the player to get an angle to attack the ball correctly. That sort of changing through the swing is usually a recipe for disaster.

So, think of that Airbus and keep it smooth.

By Jon Woodroffe – Master Professional, World of Golf London

Categorised in: Tip of the month, World of Golf London