Fix Your Inside Takeaway with This Simple Drill

Learn how to fix your inside takeaway for a more consistent golf swing with this effective drill from RotarySwing's expert instruction.

Watch the full 4-minute video lesson

Understanding the Inside Takeaway

The takeaway is a crucial part of the golf swing, and starting off on the right foot can set you up for success. One of the most common faults I see among golfers is the inside takeaway. When the club moves too far inside during the initial part of the swing, it can lead to compensations that negatively affect your overall performance.

When you take the club too far inside, you may find yourself making drastic movements to get back on plane. This often results in either coming over the top, which creates pulls or slices, or staying stuck underneath, leading to shots that veer off to the right. The goal is to establish a takeaway that allows you to come up and down on plane, which simplifies your swing motion and enhances consistency.

The Takeaway Drill

To address this common issue, I recommend a simple yet effective drill that can help you fix your inside takeaway once and for all.

For this drill, you'll need an alignment stick or a golf shaft that you can place into the ground at about pocket height. This will serve as a visual aid to help you understand the correct path for your takeaway. Additionally, lay another golf shaft or alignment stick on the ground to represent your toe line.

Setting Up the Drill

As you set up to the alignment stick, it's important to recognize what happens during your takeaway. Many golfers tend to use their hands too much, resulting in a cupped right wrist that pushes the club inside instead of keeping it neutral and moving straight out in front of them. Another common mistake is failing to add enough elevation to the swing, causing the club to travel low and inside.

With the setup complete, the alignment stick will provide instant feedback. If you take the club inside, you'll hit the stick immediately, confirming that you are not on the right path. The goal is to elevate and rotate properly so that the club travels up and misses the stick entirely.

Repetition for Muscle Memory

This drill is all about repetition. By practicing hundreds, if not thousands, of reps with this setup, you'll begin to ingrain the correct takeaway positions more quickly. As you master this movement, returning to the correct plane during your downswing will feel much easier, allowing for solid contact with the ball without the need for compensations.

Graduating the Drill

Once you feel comfortable with the initial setup and can consistently avoid hitting the stick, you can take your practice a step further. Remove the stick and place it behind the ball instead. This way, you can visually trace the line created by the stick with your clubhead as you initiate your takeaway.

The aim here is for the clubhead to trace this line smoothly during your takeaway, reinforcing the correct path without any visual obstruction. This will help you develop a more natural, on-plane swing motion.

Conclusion

Fixing your inside takeaway can be transformative for your golf game. By using this straightforward drill, you can establish a more consistent and effective swing pattern. Remember, practice with purpose, and you'll soon see improvements in your performance on the course.

Key Takeaways

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