My Takeaway Needs Serious Help!

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StewartBannatyne

StewartBannatyne

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Hi Brian, Kevin, Jim, and everyone on the forum!

Just a quick question. I'm a pretty decent player, played Div. 1 College golf, but I've struggled with a terrible takeaway for quite some time. I have always let my hands get away from my body as the club goes back (pop-out), the club picks up quickly, and then I lay it off. From there, I make a couple compensatory moves in an effort to get it back on plane, and my downswing is pretty decent.

However, I know that I can really gain a lot more consistancy if I could get my arms working the other way. Instead of picking it up and then dropping it down a little bit through the transition, I would much rather take it back a little more inside, and work it slightly over (a la Hogan). My right arm is more of a lifting motion, and never really bends until it's way too late, and quite high in the backswing.

I feel like I really need to make a "Soft Draw" style backswing, but for the life of me, I can't seem to get the feeling. No matter how far inside I feel like I'm taking it, I can never get the club back where I really think it should be. I think the right elbow is the key to it, but I can't seem to get it to fold or begin to fold early enough to keep the hands from popping out.

Any help????

Thanks guys!
Stew
 
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Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
For starters, the right elbow shouldnt fold right away in an SD takeaway. It stays higher than the left and straightish for a while.
 
StewartBannatyne

StewartBannatyne

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Kevin Shields said:
For starters, the right elbow shouldnt fold right away in an SD takeaway. It stays higher than the left and straightish for a while.
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My problem is that my right arm almost straightens, and then moves towards the ball... Clubhead goes WAY outside and then has to loop around from a laid off position.

It's gross.

Stew
 
birdie_man

birdie_man

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Stew...

It helped me to "keep the clubface 45 degrees to the ground and with a soft left wrist." (very slightly bent)

I think Kevin (either Kevin or Jim) emphasized that point in here one day and it clicked.

...

"Take it back to the inside.......with your right elbow higher than your left.......with the clubface pointing to the ground 45 degrees and a slightly bent left wrist."

And for some reason, it helped me to feel it better if I did the left arm by itself.
 
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cmartingolf

cmartingolf

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Stew, post some video. I'd like to see your action. Aim at the flagpole;)

PS; I just spent some time with Woodsy and got on the 3-D TPI Machine. When he sends the results, I'll post them. Pretty interesting.
 
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holeout

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Brian Manzella said:
Do I have the "club on the right side of the body, on the waist line" drill on "The Soft Draw Pattern" video?
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No, you don't. I was surprised you didn't, too. When I saw you in Louisville (a year and half ago) you had me do that drill to get the feel for the "anti laid-off" top of backswing. You even remarked that it was a new drill you had just figured out and were still trying out.

Am I allowed to tell Stew what the drill is?
 
StewartBannatyne

StewartBannatyne

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holeout said:
No, you don't. I was surprised you didn't, too. When I saw you in Louisville (a year and half ago) you had me do that drill to get the feel for the "anti laid-off" top of backswing. You even remarked that it was a new drill you had just figured out and were still trying out.

Am I allowed to tell Stew what the drill is?
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I sure hope you are! I've got Soft Draw, NHA, NSA and CFF and there's no drill like that I don't believe in any of those videos!

Stew
 
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suns11111

New
Rogerdodger I will second "its cold in MN", I can not remember it being this cold up here ever. Where abouts are you?

Just curious

JeffS
 
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Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
Played Interlachen and Edina CC in the same day. Like I dies and went to heaven. Had to keep a lit cigarette in my mouth the whole time to keep the nats off my face. Is that normal up there? Great Nordic chicks and nice taverns. Mall of America is a must see.
 
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rogerdodger

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Gnats on the course are terrible here, especially in mid summer. You played two great courses. We have quite a few, problem is a season that lasts five months if you are lucky. Pittsburgh is also blessed with great courses as is most of western pennsylvania. Kevin, you need to talk Brian into a golf school at Oakmont. A school devoted to underplane issues.
 
K

Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
rogerdodger said:
Gnats on the course are terrible here, especially in mid summer. You played two great courses. We have quite a few, problem is a season that lasts five months if you are lucky. Pittsburgh is also blessed with great courses as is most of western pennsylvania. Kevin, you need to talk Brian into a golf school at Oakmont. A school devoted to underplane issues.
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He WILL be talked into it. Not at the big "O" but smewhere nice.
 
Matt Bryda

Matt Bryda

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Help with the "in" part

I would try leaving the hands alone and focus on the body motion initiating the backswing, stepping on the right foot. The back and forth drill BM does in the SD video should help.
 
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lookingtolearn

New
StewartBannatyne said:
No one has any help with drills, feelings, thoughts, etc. to work on getting the hand path more in and up?

Stew
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Brian has shown this drill a couple times during the live shows, so I think it is okay to share. I'll do my best to explain it:

Take your normal grip on the club, but grip down about 15 inches or so (your hands will be on the metal, not on the grip). Take your address posture and let your arms hang naturally like they would at address. The grip end of the club should be against the right side of the body, about waist high. You'll have the look of an extreme LCT. Make a backswing. In order to make any sort of orthodox backswing, you'll have to make a good path with your hands and let the elbow fly a little.
 
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