WATCH: Does the “practice takeaway” actually help?
Tiger and Jack never did it, should you?
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!
TZ
Dec 26, 2018 at 11:44 pm
Even the players who took a practice takeaway waggled the club before the swing. Very stupid to show a video of a player taking a practice takeaway then hitting a bad shot when we could show hundreds of great shots that follow, especially a tour pro.
smz
Dec 25, 2018 at 6:14 pm
The “practice takeaway” is not helpful to the swing takeaway because your muscle memory vanishes completely when you then start your swing takeaway. Doing the practice takeaway is more like the “monkey see, monkey do” juvenile mentality so common in golf.
Just take a deep breath at address and then swing away… and if you fail miserably that means you haven’t practiced your golf swing often enough. Maybe a New Year resolution will motivate you to practice… and maybe not.
Speedy
Dec 24, 2018 at 1:14 pm
For woods, I like a short waggle to loosen muscles. For irons, a very short practice takeaway, not breaking wrists.
Bill
Dec 24, 2018 at 12:21 pm
I like to think of a rehearsal takeaway as an “anchor” in sports movement. It raises our attention level for the task ahead and reduces anxiety as we get a feeling for the first movement. Every time Oscar Robinson crossed the midline in the NBA he nodded his head. He was probably not aware of it, but this movement help signal himself to see the floor and set the play going by triggering his attention and helped him gain confidence. I favor a rehearsal takeaway over a a waggle as it replicates the actual movement. I am not a sports psychologist although I have worked with some pro’s on the Symmetra and other tours. I am retired as a clinician and just wanted to add my two cents.
lance
Dec 24, 2018 at 2:08 pm
I submit that the “rehearsal takeaway” is a fully conscious movement… whereas the full swing takeaway starts with a conscious command and then quickly morphs into the unconscious mode. A fully conscious rehearsal takeaway may alleviate address anxiety but it mucks up the full swing takeaway neuro-muscular pathways. They are two very different psychological worlds.
Tom Tucker
Dec 26, 2018 at 10:47 am
This comment is right on. The rehearsal takeaway is something that I teach to all of my students, and it’s been very helpful in producing good swings. “Muscle memory” or more correctly stated – your neural pathway for a swing – is actually refreshed by this movement, not negated as mentioned in a previous comment. The rehearsal takeaway also helps focus on getting the clubhead into position for impact, an external focus which has been proven to be successful when teaching the golf swing. This video was way off the mark.
geohogan
Dec 24, 2018 at 11:49 am
Though Freudian psychology is mostly discredited, most of our mental activity is indeed subconscious. Think about walking, engaging hundreds of muscles in exquisitely orchestrated coordination without thinking how and when to contract each muscle. The subconscious is playing a major role in everything we do.. Dr David Eagleman
geohogan
Dec 24, 2018 at 1:17 pm
David Eagleman is a neuroscientist and the New York Times bestselling author of Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain and Sum. He is the writer and host of the Emmy-nominated PBS television series The Brain. Eagleman is an adjunct professor at Stanford University, a Guggenheim fellow, and the director of the Center for Science and Law. He has written for the New York Times, Discover Magazine, The Atlantic, Slate, Wired and many others, and he appears regularly on National Public Radio and BBC.
lance
Dec 24, 2018 at 2:02 pm
subconscious (noun) — the subconscious part of the mind (not in technical use in psychoanalysis, where unconscious is preferred).
THERE IS NO “subconscious” MIND AND ANY LEGITIMATE NEUROSCIENTIST KNOWS THIS … WHICH EXCLUDES YOU AND YOUR PRATTLING.
Tom
Dec 23, 2018 at 1:22 pm
Practice takeaway can help reduce tension prior to actual swing. It’s up to each player if it helps….no big deal.
Potus
Dec 23, 2018 at 12:43 pm
Articles on this site are fake news!!!!
Tony
Dec 23, 2018 at 4:38 am
Settle down guys. It’s not that important.
Dan
Dec 22, 2018 at 6:47 am
What a load of baloney!
Southbound golf
Dec 21, 2018 at 11:44 pm
These guys are going south
Steve Wozeniak
Dec 21, 2018 at 8:05 pm
Nope….the attention is NOT ON THE BALL!!!!!! Try again, can you think of what else that might have there attention???? I promise it’s simple.
ogo
Dec 21, 2018 at 10:12 pm
External focus on the clubhead? Target focus on where the ball will land? Fantasy focus on that babe in the crowd?
geohogan
Dec 23, 2018 at 12:13 am
@steve wozeniak, the fulcrum point
ogo
Dec 23, 2018 at 3:05 pm
Where is this “fulcrum point”? … explain yerself!
geohogan
Dec 24, 2018 at 8:41 am
@ogo, Ive replied to steve w, not to you.
For you, a lump of coal. Merry Christmas.
ogo
Dec 24, 2018 at 10:17 am
I just gave you a chance to respond to your cryptic comments.
IIRC, you believe the fulcrum point is between the hands, which of course is totally wrong… it’s the “pivot point” of a hand couple. I hope that’s not too technical for your shriveled Hogan Manual mindlet.
4RiGHT
Dec 21, 2018 at 7:35 pm
Every player has what works, why don’t you make a video about that! How many majors have you won?
the dude
Dec 24, 2018 at 9:20 am
I love the “how many have you won??” comment…..dork
IMO
Dec 21, 2018 at 7:27 pm
The ball isn’t the focal point either. I visit many PGA and LPGA tournaments around the country. What I do notice is a good percentage of the players while on the range do rehearse among other aspects of their swing, a practice backswing as a part of their swing development.
Looper
Dec 21, 2018 at 7:32 pm
I agree completely with IMO. What Jordan, Justin, Ricky, and others that do have a practice backswing, it most likely came from a drill done with their instructors…
Eric
Dec 21, 2018 at 3:31 pm
Doesn’t it depend more on what the player’s thoughts are during this time? Who cares what the movement is.
James
Dec 21, 2018 at 3:22 pm
Just to be a contrarian I went to the range this morning and employed the “practice takeaway”. I’ve never hit the ball so well! So put me in the Justin Thomas/Mike Weir camp.
Golfist
Dec 21, 2018 at 1:36 pm
The practice takeaway is definitely a distraction! I’ve tried both and for me the waggle is the most reliable method of starting the swing, allowing full concentration on the ball rather than thinking where the club should be going on the backswing.
lance
Dec 21, 2018 at 7:22 pm
So you waggle before starting the backswing. When you stop waggling do you pause to concentrate on the ball and engage the various brain neural waves… alpha,beta, gamma delta, theta… to enter into an inner peace to let the swing flow?
lance
Dec 21, 2018 at 12:28 pm
I recall an early video of Tiger when he hooked up with Harmon and Butch made/forced Tiger to alter his BS takeaway for 6 months until his brain was reprogrammed. Tiger said he hated the drill… go figure…
Bill Kroen
Dec 21, 2018 at 11:41 am
As a psychologist, I feel that the “practice takeaway” is a great idea. It is more of an immediate rehearsal than practice. It helps a player start the club back in the correct position and reduces anxiety. The waggle gives a feel for the club head only. Showing the tour players rehires a takeaway and then hit a poor shot is meaningless. Thomas, for one, had his best year since incorporating the move.
lance
Dec 21, 2018 at 7:17 pm
As a psychologist, you must be aware of the many “memory” modes that encode, store and retrieve when needed. How does a “practice takeaway” utilize the memory modes?
Memory is not a perfect processor, and is affected by many factors, like neuro-muscular capability. We await your professional opinion on memory rehearsal and practice memory. Thanks.
lance
Dec 21, 2018 at 7:21 pm
So you waggle before starting the BS. When you stop waggling do you pause to concentrate on the ball and engage the various brain neural waves… alpha,beta, gamma delta, theta… to enter into an inner peace to let the swing flow?
geohogan
Dec 24, 2018 at 8:55 am
The golf swing is a preprogrammed chain action in the subconscious.
The practice takeaway is a conscious contrived movement, totally separate and unique from the golf swing. The golf swing is too complicated and happens too quickly for it to be a consciously controlled movement.
As a psychologist you must know, that a portion of our brain resorts to ritual, to reduce anxiety. Golfers go through many preswing rituals. The practice takeaway is a ritual. If it reduces anxiety, it serves that purpose only.
The waggle can be done as a ritual or it can have a meaningful purpose, as Ben Hogan described in 5L.
lance
Dec 24, 2018 at 10:26 am
subconscious (noun) — the subconscious part of the mind (not in technical use in psychoanalysis, where unconscious is preferred).
Properly, “The golf swing is preprogrammed chain action in the unconsious part of the mind.”