Clubhead outside the hands takeaway - A Fundemental?

[Moleman]

So, what do you guys think, is the clubhead outside the hands on the takeaway a fundamental of the golf swing?

As I alluded to in my first post my bad shots are always pulls and hooks, the longer the club then the the bigger hook/pull.

I was slowly rehearsing my swing in front of a mirror last night to see if I could spot anything and one thing I noticed was that on the takeaway the clubhead was coming inside my hands and the target line almost immediately. I looked online at a lot of the pros dtl videos and many of them the clubhead is outside the hands for quite a way back. I hit a few balls this afternoon consciously tracing the clubhead back down the target line and outside my hands for a bit, short backswing then swinging hard from the inside on the way through. Hit much more solid shots but this could the famous 'works only once' fix! :( Any advice on the clubhead outside the hands thing, can't find anything decent online.

ta.. :)

[saevel25]

Is it a fundamental? No. A fundamental is something shared by all golfers that make the swing successful.

There have been good golfers, even at the PGA Tour level who had the club head inside the hands in the backswing and still played really good golf. Raymond Floyd is an example.

Like any golfer who has an awkward motion there is a compensation. How easily repeatable that compensation is with the precision needed to play golf well determines if a PGA Tour player can get away with the same motion that a high handicap player can't. Usually an amateur has a lot more going wrong in their swing than a back swing motion, most likely lack of the first three keys.

Certain motions make the golf swing easier to repeat and with out as many compensations. If the club is in good position in the downswing, about halfway down, then I don't really care much what the backswing looks like.

[deekay]

Has anyone watched the David Leadbetter A swing presentation on youtube? It seems to concentrate on a position at the top of the backswing more appropriate to the skill level of weekenders (as opposed to pros) and how to get there.

[deekay]

Sorry i should have added that the "how to get there" part seemed to fit in with this question.

[iacas]

So, what do you guys think, is the clubhead outside the hands on the takeaway a fundamental of the golf swing?

No.

Ray Floyd.

Nancy Lopez.

The list goes on beyond that, but those are two of the "worst offenders."

[Moleman]

Thanks for the replies, maybe I should rephrase the question slightly. I've noticed that I take the club head inside very quickly on the takeaway, is this something I should try to correct so that my takeaway is the more conventional clubhead outside the hands? I had a look on YouTube for Ray Floyd and Nancy Lopez swings and I thnk its fair to say that each of those swings are very unique to them and not something an average amateur would be wise trying to copy.. ;-) My goal is to have a more repeatable swing than I currently have and just trying to make sure I ingrain good habits rather than bad.. Thanks..

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Moleman

Thanks for the replies, maybe I should rephrase the question slightly.

I've noticed that I take the club head inside very quickly on the takeaway, is this something I should try to correct so that my takeaway is the more conventional clubhead outside the hands?

Maybe. Look at Key #4 in the 5SK system:

I had a look on YouTube for Ray Floyd and Nancy Lopez swings and I thnk its fair to say that each of those swings are very unique to them and not something an average amateur would be wise trying to copy..

Nobody's saying to specifically COPY them, just that… it may not be something that is harming your game (it may also not be your top priority).

My goal is to have a more repeatable swing than I currently have and just trying to make sure I ingrain good habits rather than bad.

Your swing is repeatable right now. You'll be interested to read a thread I have coming up sometime tonight in the Swing Thoughts section of the forum.

The thread above should keep you busy until then…

[Moleman]

Thanks for the reply, very interesting stuff...

Looking at the 5 keys in your link I know that without a shadow of a doubt I need help with number 5

Extremely closed face at impact = all sorts of ugly pulls and hooks and an inability to slice or fade the ball if my life depended on it!