Guys takeaway help plz

[whatwhatwhat]

Just got some recent footage of myself hitting some balls and I noticed something ugly has crept into my takeaway, I seem to be bending the right elbow almost immediate as I move the club backwards, Im not sure if this is a common problem, but anyone have any solutions or drills? I dont seem to be hitting the ball badly but wow its an ugly move.

[Kieran123]

Have you got a video you can post?

All the advice I can offer you is just stop doing it, hold it straighter.

When you take the club away, keep it on path with the ball for around a foot or so straight back

[whatwhatwhat]

Have you got a video you can post?

I have it on my phone, not sure how to get it up here though, I guess I will just have to do it over and over again, the old fashion way

[iacas]

When you take the club away, keep it on path with the ball for around a foot or so straight back

That's not good advice. We swing on an arc, not in a straight line.

As for the right elbow bending, it should. Not completely, but it doesn't stay straight either. It begins bending. How much? No idea, as we have no video. Upload it to YouTube and embed it here.

[whatwhatwhat]

I will try, I also have a weird habit if hunching my shoulders as I take the ball away and they remain that way throughout the backswing, very odd

[$2 Nassau]

For what's it's worth I recently saw a Leadbetter video on this, I'll try to dig it up and post it.

It was one of those "what mistakes do you see ams make the most" type of vids. He mentioned the immediate folding of the right arm which brings the club too far inside on the takeaway. (not saying this is your problem, but sort of related I guess)

His fix...on the first 1-2ft of the takeaway keep the right arm above the left, i.e. no immediate rolling or bending. As you take the club back, on the first part of the take away before the club gets parallel, your right arm should remain higher than the left. Let the clubface open up on the takeaway naturally and the rt arm bend will happen natually as well.

[Zeph]

For what's it's worth I recently saw a Leadbetter video on this, I'll try to dig it up and post it.

No, that's backwards. Bending the right elbow is what move the hands off the initial swing plane, higher. Bending the left elbow sooner will make the takeaway steeper and more out in front of your body. Just letting the arms turn in and up with the upper body rotation will get them deeper at first, before the right elbow bends and lift them up, still keeping pressure in the right arm pit, not lifting the arms.

Without the video, we can't really give you any tips, except posting videos or pictures of how others do it.

[Kieran123]

That's not good advice. We swing on an arc, not in a straight line.

So should the arc start immediately?

I was always told to keep the club on path for around a foot before making the arc.... Tiger's right arm looks straight for around a foot on the takeaway...or is the angle mis leading?

[Zeph]

So should the arc start immediately?

Yes, it should start the arc right from the first move.

We swing on an arc, everything does. Our upper body rotate in an arc, so should our arms, hands and club too. Moving the club straight back means the upper body is rotating, while the arms, hands and club move straight back. This put you in a poor position, since the hands move away from the body, getting out of synch. The result is commonly a swing over the top, and weight back to try countering for the unevitable over the top move. Many amateurs trying to get "width" do something like this and get in trouble with it. The upper body start rotating, arms and hands follow suit. The club and hands don't move off that arc until the right elbow starts bending.

Tiger's right arm looks straight for around a foot on the takeaway...or is the angle mis leading?

The rate at which the right elbow bends is not so much important as the amount at the peak. Usually, the right elbow will start bending when the hands have moved a foot or so, that is right. It starts bending the most from when the club is parallel. Some bend too late, some too soon, or too much and too little.

The important part is to not bend the right elbow too much. If you start bending a lot right from the start it may be easier to overflex it I suppose. Generally we say that you don't want the elbow to bend past 90º.

[Kieran123]

Yes, it should start the arc right from the first move.

Feck...off to the range tonight

Thanks for that actual explanation. Some rep for that!

[westcyderydin]

you want to take the club back with your shoulder turn...you dont want to start your swing with your hands moving back. if your right elbow bends right away then you are taking the club back with your hands.

[iacas]

you want to take the club back with your shoulder turn...you dont want to start your swing with your hands moving back. if your right elbow bends right away then you are taking the club back with your hands.

It does bend right away. Not a LOT, but it starts bending right away*.

* Unless you're Tim Clark.