Takeaway In The Golf Swing - The Key To Better Ball-Striking

The takeaway in the golf swing is one of the most important elements to get right but many golfers tend to whip the club away on the inside, making it difficult to return to impact with consistency. In the video and article below, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Paul Foston shares a simple drill that'll get your swing back on track.

It is important for every golfer to understand how takeaway and swing path are linked. But first, I want to talk about the fault I see most often at the start of the swing and that's the inside takeaway.

Golfers are not stupid and they know an in-to-out path through impact will help them hit the draw they've always craved. Therefore, it makes sense to pull the club away on the inside, right? However, this tends to leave golfers in a position where they need to make a compensation in the downswing. This can cause the dreaded over-the-top move and can be a reason for why you pull iron shots or hit big slices.

This is one of the best golf takeaway drills if you want to develop a more neutral swing path. As you can see, I have set an alignment stick in the ground at an angle and all I am looking to do here is swing back without hitting the stick. If successful, it will mean I'm not dragging the club away on an inside path. However, if you do hit the alignment stick (as in the picture below), you will need an inside takeaway golf fix.

One more point I'd like to make is about rhythm. The golf swing should have a steady build-up of pace, reaching its maximum through impact. Do not snatch the club away to quickly but let the first move in the swing be as smooth as possible. This is the best way to develop the rhythm you need to get your arms and body working together and will also help you create that one-piece takeaway that we are looking for.

This is a very simple drill but it works really well to help you develop the most consistent and repeatable golf swing possible.