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I just can't find the right backswing/takeaway


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Hi guys first time on here just joined today and looks excellent. Im 32 and have been playing around 10 yrs 4 seriously due to retirement from football(soccer to u guys over the pond) and play off 12. Anyway...... I've had quite a few lessons with different instructors but I just can't find a consistent or reliable backswing/takeaway that stops my hips moving backwards(sliding) or to the right at the top and my legs moving the incorrect way, nothing seems to work for more than two rounds.I had quite a few lessons a few years back where the instructor tried to get me to start my swing from my left should round over my left knee and try getting my hips to keep turning round instead of sliding at the top but I found this very hard all while trying to keep a wide swing arc.i stuck at this for a very long time but it just never clicked. A low handicapper at my club simply told me to back and up with my hands once again worked for a few rounds then disaster. I recently had lessons where the instructor said he was t bothered about my takeaway just halfway back lift my arms into a groove....same again. Think im best starting my swing with hands and arms. I've tried starting by turning my hips,pushing my hands back Allsorts. Need help plz
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Flare out you right foot 20 degrees.  Helps the right knee lose some flex on the back swing to keep the hips centered and turning.  The hips sliding back happens because the hips stop turning.  A "square" right foot can create some mobility issues leading to the hips sliding back.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/55080/myth-of-maintaining-address-flexion-in-the-rear-knee

Mike McLoughlin

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Every player can be different but with your issues, I'd say just feel like the right hip moves up an behind you throughout the entire backswing.  Start the swing feeling like the right hip moves very much in the direction of the arrows below

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Mike McLoughlin

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Mike has already given you some great advice, and I'm not sure I can add a whole lot, but figured I'd share my experience.

When I was younger, I had a very similar issue: lots of lateral movement in the hips on the take away. An instructor had my practice hitting shots with a golf ball under the outside of my right foot. As a result, I learned to rotate my hips since sliding them backwards is nearly impossible in this drill. To this day, one of my big swing keys is to feel like I'm pushing down with the inside of my right foot, especially at the ball of my foot.

Tyler Martin

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Something that has helped me lately to get the club at the correct place at the top is Nick Faldo's YouTube tip/drill on the take away. I am on my phone so don't have link, but is easy to find. A DRILL he recommends is standing at address, turning hands 90 degrees so club is parallel to ground and parallel to target line, then just turn your shoulders. Now you are positioned perfectly at top of backswing. When I am worried my backswing is getting off plane, I might do this drill one time as a practice swing on the course.
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  • 3 weeks later...
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Originally Posted by maddog81

The only thing im worried about is im starting my swing by hinging my wrists,im getting good results but I thought it was a big no no to start your takeaway with your wrists! Is it ok to start this way guys?

A certain amount of wrist hinge/bend happens on the takeaway.  Just like there is a certain amount of bend and stretch of the body.  The whole "one piece" takeaway is more of a feel than reality.  Someone that does their wrist stuff at too fast a rate might feel like they do nothing with their wrists on the takeaway to find a happy medium.

Couple drills to help

Mike McLoughlin

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Just got back from the driving range and had a pretty huge backswing breakthrough from something posted on this site.  I saw some picture's that showed how, with a line drawn from the butt of the club, the shaft should be aiming at the ball on your backswing.  I went out and tried to replicate that and it was amazing, the ball goes flying higher and further than I've hit it before and I seem to use slightly less energy doing it.  I tried it with my driver when I only had 4 or 5 balls left and it seemed to have a positive effect there also (wish I woulda saved more balls).  I have a tee time in a couple hours though, can't wait to try it on a course.

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Just got back from the driving range and had a pretty huge backswing breakthrough from something posted on this site.  I saw some picture's that showed how, with a line drawn from the butt of the club, the shaft should be aiming at the ball on your backswing.  I went out and tried to replicate that and it was amazing, the ball goes flying higher and further than I've hit it before and I seem to use slightly less energy doing it.  I tried it with my driver when I only had 4 or 5 balls left and it seemed to have a positive effect there also (wish I woulda saved more balls).  I have a tee time in a couple hours though, can't wait to try it on a course.

Do you remember which post you saw that in?

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Originally Posted by jasonpetermann

Do you remember which post you saw that in?

It was this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VivoVdUMjLE

Basically what I did was try to imagine a laser shooting out of the grip end of the club.  During the backswing you want the laser to trace the rope that he has on the ground.  That video combined with...

Page 3 of this thread where Stretch makes some comments was also interesting http://thesandtrap.com/t/68191/my-swing-hacker-james/36 Specifically the part about getting the left shoulder down.  When I did this it made my left knee bend feel natural, made hinging my wrists easier, and hinging the wrists allowed the grip end of the club to easily trace the rope.  It all came together and I'm hitting my irons much, much further than I had been before.

My problem now is I need to totally re-learn how far my irons go.  I was smoking them over greens and hitting into needlessly conservative spots all day today because they fly so much further than what I was used to.

Also, ignore the part about it helping my drives, that was totally wrong.  lol  I was hinging my wrists on the driver backswing and it was horrible, I was hitting massive pop-ups that went like 50 yards.  I think I would have discovered this if I hit more than a few balls on the range but unfortunately I had to learn the hard way on the first few holes of my round.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Had a lesson today with a very good pro. I told him about my backswing problems and he just got me to simply start by starting my takeaway leading with my right hand,taking it straight back away and this seemed to give me a decent turn and good width in my swing. Then as I was still pushing the ball right with a bit of a fade he got me to try turn back into the ball instead of my being way too armsy. I hit the ball pretty good after. What u think of his lesson and advice guys?
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Had a lesson today with a very good pro. I told him about my backswing problems and he just got me to simply start by starting my takeaway leading with my right hand,taking it straight back away and this seemed to give me a decent turn and good width in my swing. Then as I was still pushing the ball right with a bit of a fade he got me to try turn back into the ball instead of my being way too armsy. I hit the ball pretty good after. What u think of his lesson and advice guys?

I figured you were already doing that and that the problem was something else.  Sounds legit though.

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For your hips, a good drill to do that helped me is to put a golf ball under the outside-middle of your right foot. This will give you the feeling of what it feels like of getting your weight into your right side of your inner right leg without sliding your hips. You don't want the weight on the outside of your foot. You can hit balls doing this, and I'd recommend it. Also, at set up, kick your right knee in some and try to keep it that way throughout your back swing. I'll note that it is okay for your leg flexion to change though. Doing this will help give you a good base to turn against and help prevent your hips from sliding.
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  • 4 months later...

The best way in my opinion to start the backswing is with the right wrist hinging, this will then pull the arms and in turn the body.  Here are two drills for you, one is to keep the hip from sliding and the other is for how to take the club away, combine them both and this will give you a good feeling for the backswing.  Make sure your spine is tilted enough to the right in your set up as this can cause the hips to sway laterally to the left in the backswing(Reverse pivot)

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Note: This thread is 3543 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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