Instruction
The proper sequence of an efficient takeaway
The first few feet the club swings back is one of the most critical parts of the golf swing. How we start our takeaway will dictate how our body moves and will set the tone for the entire swing.
In order to have the most efficient swing possible, the club head and shaft must move first to start your golf swing. I say club head and shaft because based on your current takeaway, FEELING one move first then the other may be more beneficial to you.
There is no one correct way to swing a club, and everyone’s takeaway can be slightly different. There are many different takeaways you see each week on Tour, but players who don’t start the takeaway with the club head moving first have what I call “sequence moves” in their golf swing. In other words, they have found the right combination of moves to sequence their swing to get back to impact.
So why does the club head need to move first? To start, the club head travels the farthest in our swing in relation to our body once we grip the club. Imagine looking at your swing face on. The arc or circle the club head is traveling on is much longer then the arc or rotation of your body. In order to have the proper kinematic sequence to be efficient, the club head would have to start moving first, since it travels a longer route to the top.
Second, getting the shaft and club head moving first will help you generate shaft speed. Concentrating more on swinging the shaft will help generate speed for most players. The average PGA Tour player’s 6 iron club head speed is 92 mph, while the average Tour player body rotates between 7 to 12 mph. Focusing more on swinging the shaft properly will produce more speed and consistency.
Below are pictures of the first two major winners of this year
Dustin Johnson (2016 U.S. Open winner)
Danny Willett (2016 Masters winner)
Having a proper set up is the root to an efficient swing. Starting with your right shoulder below your left, having angle in your right wrist and a soft right arm is imperative to get the proper sequence.
Once we have the proper setup, we can then move the club head first and allow our right arm to properly fold. This is done by moving the club head/shaft and folding the right arm. The club head will have looked to travel first, without the use of excessive wrist hinge (the club head does not move first by just cocking your wrists). In the picture below, my shoulders have already started to move around my body, just by moving the shaft and my arms. I have not physically tried to rotate my shoulders yet. My arms will eventually pull me into a coil position.
A player that starts their swing by physically trying to rotate their chest and shoulders to start their swing will almost always result in a swing that is too long, as the club head has to play catch up to the body. I call these players “over rotators.” Often, in this move, the club gets too far behind their body as a result. A great feel to correct this is to keep your chest over the ball as you start your takeaway.
Another common fault is a player’s hands dragging the club head back with their arms and shoulders. This is very common with players attempting a “one-piece take away.” The right arm locks up and the player’s spine will tilt toward the target as a result. The player will usually have to make a very late wrist hinge as a sequence move and a hip slide back into the ball as a result from the tilt.
A great drill to rehearse a proper takeaway is to take your left hand off the club, hold your upper right arm to your chest (for a right-handed golfer) and get the feeling of the club head moving. The club head should move farther than your hands when you look down. Make this a subtle move, where the club head doesn’t travel much farther than knee or waist high. Your left hand should keep your right arm in a folding position. Once you set the club, you can then put your left hand on the club. Take note of the position your arms are in and your shoulders.
Use a mirror to check your positions at home or take advantage of your smart phone on the range. You can also download a swing app or use video on your phone to check your positions. Swing analysis software used to be in the thousands of dollars, now it’s free, or just a few bucks.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
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” on RG.org 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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Ken
Dec 16, 2019 at 3:47 am
What a great article. I can’t believe I hadn’t read it before. Very helpful stuff here. Thank You.
ndj
Aug 26, 2016 at 10:40 am
HI Kelvin,
This little drill and key has significantly helped my ball striking. I’m interested what other instructors you recommend to continue refining the swing with this takeaway in mind? Thanks!
ndj
Aug 26, 2016 at 10:52 am
Whoops, ignore the this post. I didn’t realize the last one went through. Looking forward to the next article!
ndj
Aug 24, 2016 at 4:03 pm
Hi Kelvin,
Great stuff. I’ve incorporated this takeaway key into my swing and my irons have been flush. Still struggling with directional control on drives though. Do you recommend any other WRX authors who mirror your views on the golf swing? I’ve read your three articles and enjoyed them and looking to continue down the rabbit hole.
Kelvin Kelley
Aug 25, 2016 at 4:43 pm
Ndj,
Glad you enjoyed the articles. I have another article coming here shortly. I will also be setting up a swing analysis link so you can send me your swing if you need me to take a look.
Terry
Aug 1, 2016 at 8:57 pm
Interesting. But I’m still confused about how to move the club head first without first using the hands and or forearms to get the club head moving. So my take…is this right???….move your hands/forearms to get the club head moving and continue to keep these (hands/forearms/clubshaft) moving until the shoulders kind of follow along and rotate at some point while the right elbow is bending? Feel kind of dim not understanding this.
Kelvin Kelley
Aug 2, 2016 at 12:51 pm
Terry, you are correct, you can just move your hands and allow your right arm to fold which will get you in correct position, a slight wrist hinge is okay as well. Your shoulders will have naturally moved.
Terry
Aug 5, 2016 at 5:28 pm
Thank you for replying Kelvin. Currently I start my backswing by turning my upper chest and shoulders with hands/arms moving in unison. I don’t over swing. Can’t due to physical issues. If anything I have a short backswing. Is this OK as I generally hit the ball decent. I am contemplating trying to start the backswing as described in the article in the hope of lengthening my >swing a bit. Thanks again for taking the time.
Kelvin Kelley
Aug 6, 2016 at 4:04 pm
Terry, you don’t need to lengthen your swing to produce more power. Example, JB Holmes and Jon Rahm. This takeaway will give you the chance to produce more arm speed and hit it further. Let your arms pull you into a coil position. Hope this helps! Keep me posted.
Terry
Aug 7, 2016 at 5:22 pm
Thanks again Kelvin. In my post immediately above, think I didn’t explain my backswing, and ask my question, in the the proper order. So I’ll try again. Currently I start my backswing by turning my upper chest and shoulders with hands/arms moving in unison. Is this OK if I avoid over swinging, which I can’t do because of chronic left shoulder issues. If anything I now have a short backswing.
Just looked at my backswing, face on, in a mirror. At waist high I look very much like you ( I assume) in picture 5. Not at all like the incorrect picture 6 where you talk about over rotators starting back with chest and shoulders. In pic 6, at waist high, it looks like you already have your left shoulder pointed at the ball whereas at waist high in my swing my shoulders have barely moved, much like picture 5. I must move my arms more than I’m aware of in my backswing. I’ll monitor this and experiment with starting backswing with hands and arms only. I know I originally started turning my chest to start the backswing because I felt it was more precise, controllable and repeatable than any other method I tried.
Thanks again for taking the time. Appreciate it.
Terry
Kelvin Kelley
Aug 17, 2016 at 3:07 am
Terry, sounds like you are on the right track, feel free to send me your swing through a Twitter message to have me take a look if you would like
Kenny
Aug 1, 2016 at 11:15 am
So, what body part should you use or feel to begin the process of moving the club back first. I’ve been taught to move the club with my larger body parts (shoulders & chest). But, when I do use the larger muscles I tend to create a lag effect where everything starts to move and the shaft/club follow last. I’ve been trying to do the opposite and initiate the swing by pulling the club back first with the hands and everything moves after. Seems to be working. Thoughts?
Kelvin Kelley
Aug 2, 2016 at 12:49 pm
Kenny, it is not a pulling motion but more of just getting the clubhead to move first. When you do his, you will notice your hands will move and your right arm will fold. So to answer body part, don’t feel it in your chest, feel it in your right arm. Hope this helps
Kenny
Aug 2, 2016 at 2:04 pm
Pull or Move, same thing. So, basically use your hands to get the club moving first to start the backswing.
Moe Norman
Jul 29, 2016 at 4:42 pm
The average tour player will have their shoulders 50* closed and 30* tilted when the shaft is parallel with the ground in the takeaway…
Mitch
Jul 24, 2016 at 7:42 pm
Always the smartest guy in the room.
Jim
Jul 24, 2016 at 6:38 pm
Looking back over my shoulder I see at least 100 golf swing books that would call the club head moving first a joke….there is maybe 3 that instruct a hand controlled swing that may buy this….How many millions of swing training clubs with a hing in them were sold in the 80’s that call this a death move peroid….?
BD57
Jul 24, 2016 at 10:04 pm
Really?
Gee, someone better tell DJ & Willett that the shaft should still be pointing at their belly, because this business of them setting the club with their hands – making the club head go faster than a mere arm swing would allow – is a “death move.”
Amazing the snark that people feel the need to post around here.
stephenf
Jul 25, 2016 at 1:37 pm
Exactly right, BD57.
What people think they’re doing and what they theorize about, versus what they’re actually doing, are really different things.
The “clubhead at belly” thing is OK therapy for somebody who isn’t moving his body well to support the swinging of the arms and club on the takeaway. But taken too far, it results in a overly torso-oriented swing with the body heaving and shoving and pushing the club around.
Joe Brennan
Jul 24, 2016 at 2:04 pm
Another great article. This instruction helped me out in the Audi Quatro….
M.
Jul 24, 2016 at 10:02 am
What a load of bs
Joe Brennan
Jul 24, 2016 at 2:05 pm
Sounds like you hit for the Junior tees. Try moving up to the mens.
M.
Jul 24, 2016 at 10:24 pm
‘For’ or ‘from’??? Nice try, lol
M.
Jul 24, 2016 at 9:58 am
…flip away…
OH
Jul 24, 2016 at 2:12 am
Tried this tonight and was shocked to see that it really helped avoid my old overswinging tendencies. Also got me nicely on plane. Going to have to make this part of my practice and pre-shot routines.
Bob Edgar
Jul 27, 2016 at 1:40 pm
Tried this on the golf course yesterday. Best round of the year! It seems to help me get to a good position at the top. Results are surprising.
Kelvin Kelley
Aug 2, 2016 at 12:52 pm
OH and Bob, glad you enjoyed article!
steve
Jul 23, 2016 at 9:44 pm
Basically you start the takeaway with the arms and the folding of the right arm “sets” the club, rather than intentional wrist hinge?
Kelvin Kelley
Jul 24, 2016 at 1:56 am
Steve,
It’s the feeling of the clubhead moving first which will fold up your arm. A slight wrist hinge is okay, but is not a “wrist only” set. Hope this helps
baudi
Jul 23, 2016 at 7:25 pm
So, Carl Lohren is completely wrong?
Chris.C
Jul 23, 2016 at 6:20 pm
Best change ever made, it’s about keeping things simple in the swing and removing all the moving parts, the setup is also key by getting shape – get “Right Sided” peeps, it’s a much easier way to play and enjoy gold (Gary Edwin inspired) ????
Steven
Jul 23, 2016 at 1:26 pm
I am a little confused. If I am reading this correctly, we shouldn’t use the chest to move the clubhead, but we also shouldn’t use the hands with an early wrist hinge. I understand the drill to feel the correct position, but how do we get into that position. I don’t understand how to move the clubhead without moving my chest or hands. Thanks for the help.
Kelvin Kelley
Jul 23, 2016 at 3:08 pm
Steven,
If you have the correct wrist angle at address you can just move the clubhead and fold up your trail arm. Your hands will definitely move as in the photos. A slight wrist hinge is okay as well. Hope this helps
AC
Jul 23, 2016 at 12:55 pm
Gosh darn it heck, for the last year i have been trying to start the back swing as “one piece” with shoulders/chest first and club. Now, if i understand this correctly, arms first up to between knee/waist then rotate?
Kelvin Kelley
Jul 23, 2016 at 3:10 pm
AC, I would prefer to feel your arms pull your body into a coil position at the top.
Snoopy
Jul 25, 2016 at 1:14 pm
Good write up, but I’ve also seen people talking about keeping the right arm straighter longer in the backswing to create width which should result in more power. Specifically I’ve seen this talked about referring to Adam Scott. So how do these two ideas, a straighter right arm vs folding the right arm quickly, interact with each other? Is it a simple tradeoff of power potential and consistency/efficiency? Or am I totally misinterpreting something? If you fold the right arm and keep the elbow close to the body early during the takeaway, when should the right arm move away from the body?
Kelvin Kelley
Jul 25, 2016 at 1:36 pm
Snoopy,
Great question. You can still be “narrow” in the takeaway and then produce “width” and be “wide” at the top of your swing. So you can have both. As in the photos, the right arm has folded, hands close to body, but can still be wide at the top. A straight right arm in the take away will usually produce a tilt in shoulders and cause your body to work under too much.
Hope this helps
BD57
Jul 25, 2016 at 2:00 pm
I know of what you speak. One of my faults is to pull the club toward me with the right arm by “over-folding” the right arm – causes my left arm to break down & I lose width. I’ve used a kid’s swimming arm float in the past as an aide to remind me where the folding is to stop.