Instruction
Identifying the two types of inside takeaways
Aside from a lucky few, every golfer at one time or another has gotten into the habit of taking the club back too far to the inside, which causes the club to get “behind” a golfer’s hands and body at the belt-high position.
This move is usually a result of thinking that to draw the ball a golfer must work the club inside his or her target line on the takeaway. While this is not entirely true in order to hit a draw, do remember that a little goes a LONG way here! For most players, it is a good swing thought to allow the club to gently work to the inside because most players pick the club up to the top. But not everyone does that, so be careful.
These are two of the most common ways to move the club too far inside in route to belt-high:
- Over-rotation of the torso
- Over-rotation of the lead forearm during the takeaway
For the most part, here’s what the takeaway should look like:
In a perfect world, we would like to see the club shaft at belt-high in the condition illustrated above, but remember it’s NOT imperative that the club swings into this position; it’s just a general checkpoint.
Over-rotating the torso
When you over-turn the torso at the start of your backswing, then your hands, club shaft and clubhead all get too far behind you; thus, you have placed yourself in an awkward position in order to reach the top without several compensations in your backswing plane.
The action above can be linked to over-compensating ideas such as trying to keep the left shoulder working across your body in efforts to stop “dipping,” wanting to gain more power by overturning the whole torso or by trying to take the club back excessively inside in an attempt to hit the ball from right to left.
Any of these moves, in excess, will allow the shoulders to over-turn from the start of the backswing, allowing the club, hands and clubhead to get stuck too far behind the body.
From what I have read, the Tour Average for shoulder rotation to the belt-high position is somewhere around 20-to-25 degrees, while the average amateur’s rotational numbers for the same position are in the 40+ degree range. I’m not sure of the accuracy of these numbers, but it does show that many golfers have too much rotation early in the backswing.
If this sounds like a problem of yours, then my favorite fix is to concentrate on the idea of not allowing the right shoulder to get “behind” your torso during the first 2 feet of your backswing.
What this thought will do is keep the shoulders square to your target line for a fraction of a second longer and it will not allow your shoulders to over-rotate into the 9 o’clock position. You can also feel like your left shoulder is working more “down” to begin the backswing and not so much “across.” Either of these two swing thoughts will keep the club in a better position if you rotate your torso too much on the backswing.
Over-rotating the forearm
The second type of excessive inside takeaway happens when your clubhead is the only thing behind your body at the 9 o’clock position. If this happens to you, it’s usually safe to assume that your lead forearm rotation is the root of your overly inside takeaway position.
When your left forearm turns too much clockwise during the takeaway, it causes your wrists to turn inward. So your hands will be on-plane, yet your clubhead will be grossly behind you. From what I tend to see, this action is usually caused from excessive grip pressure at address and this does not allow your wrists to hinge properly during the backswing.
The Fix
To fix this overactive left forearm, use your driver and choke up about halfway down the shaft. The correct position at “belt high” would be a club shaft that’s parallel and on top of the tip of your toes. Any added grip pressure here will exacerbate the probability that the clubhead will stay behind you too much. If you look down at belt high, you should see that the grip end of the club is on top of your toes. If it is pointing into right field somewhere, then the clubhead is too far behind your body and is overly inside!
The first step in curing your inside takeaway is to identify where the problem originates. It’s either an over rotation of your torso or an overactive lead forearm. In diagnosing and curing this problem, use a mirror to audit your backswing feel and position. It’s this feel that you will use on the golf course so you’ll never get the club too far behind you again!
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Chris
Jul 13, 2016 at 2:30 pm
Great article! I found myself trying to fix my inside takeaway under the assumption it was a hand position issue but I’m definitely just over-rotating my forearm!
David Reilly
Dec 2, 2014 at 5:30 pm
Hi Tom,
Does an over rotating torso takeaway make the shoulders turn on a flatter plane then a orthodox takeaway due to the right shoulder getting to far behind the player? Would that flaw be typical with this takeaway?
Thank you.
David
Geoff Dickson
Jul 26, 2014 at 11:26 pm
Pulling the lead arm against the chest too much on the backswing. Is that another source of an inside takeaway that is not about over rotation of lead arm or the torso?
tom stickney
Jul 27, 2014 at 10:55 am
You could do so, but most of the chest follows the left shoulder and over-rotates…thx
spinout
Jul 24, 2014 at 3:32 am
After the belt high position what is establishing the swing plane? I feel like if I take it straight up from there that I get across the line
Tom Stickney
Jul 24, 2014 at 11:50 pm
Club is on plane when it’s parallel to or pointing at the baseline of the inclined plane that’s just inside your golfball
peter ruggles
Jul 23, 2014 at 4:16 pm
My fix is a tripod and camcorder directly behind me. Fixed a 40 year slice in 20 minutes. If you think you are swinging straight through you are coming outside-in. In baseball if you think you are swinging level you are upper-cutting. Same principal.
Tom Stickney
Jul 24, 2014 at 11:51 pm
Careful where the camera is located can give you faulty positions. Must be set on the hand path to see the belt high position perfectly.
LY
Jul 23, 2014 at 1:07 pm
Tom:
Excellent article. I’m 60 years old with a low single digit handicap. This is something I fight constantly, the over rotation of the left forearm. I have noticed it more since I have gotten older. I don’t know if I’m trying to hit it harder, and that’s what is causing me to over rotate or not. I have also seen my divots are not left of the target or at the target like they use to be, but going a little to the right of my intended target, which I think is an indication that I might be flipping it a little at the bottom. I have always hit a draw with every shot unless I have to curve it the other way. I’m going to try this drill and maybe it will get me back to the way I swung the club a few years ago.
tom stickney
Jul 23, 2014 at 3:09 pm
Over-rotation can also stem from too much grip pressure at address not allowing the wrists to hinge on the backswing as well. Thanks!
cody
Jul 22, 2014 at 11:44 pm
this is something I’ve been working on recently. Aside from taking the club to inside in the takeaway, over rotation of the shoulders can also pull the hips off the ball which then in turn requires a lateral shift forward to compensate for the lower body moving off the ball. I discovered this quite by accident while trying to correct my inside takeaway. As well it also well quiet the head and in turn the eyes, resulting in more consistent ball striking. Regardless of what intuition may tell us. This shorter turn does not result in less clubbed speed. but it does increase accuracy! My dispersion is about 40% better since making this improvement. The domino effect. Fix one thing and watch another fix itself. Great subject!
Tom Stickney
Jul 23, 2014 at 12:26 am
Thank you sir
Hugh
Jul 22, 2014 at 11:41 am
Hi Tom
I recently discovered that this was my problem. However, I find that i have to try a few fixes to see what works best for me. What worked best was the feeling that the butt of the club is pointing just outside the toe line three quarters way through the backswing. If a player is over rotated, whether torso or forearm, he wont get to that position. Is that a positive fix solution to keep working with?
thanks
Hugh
Tom Stickney
Jul 22, 2014 at 1:59 pm
If it works for you, yes. Take it with a grain of salt however.
paul
Jul 21, 2014 at 8:06 pm
Do people really swing like that? Dang! No wonder people quit playing. Better tell Mr. Adams that the problem is crazy swings people try that make the ball go everywhere, no wonder pace of play is a problem, swinging like that must make the ball go everywhere.
Tom Stickney
Jul 21, 2014 at 8:55 pm
Pace of play is an issue when you’re beating it around the course regardless of your level for sure!
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Ryan J
Jul 21, 2014 at 12:47 pm
Tom,
I believe that I am suffering from over-rotating the forearm. What are some missed that you generally see from this inside takeaway.
Thank you,
Ryan J.
Tom Stickney
Jul 21, 2014 at 7:33 pm
Right and left. No pattern.
Bob Gomavitz
Jul 21, 2014 at 10:55 am
Tom,
Great stuff and it should help me.
What course is this by the way….looks quite tight!
Tom Stickney
Jul 21, 2014 at 11:14 am
Promontory dye #10…