The time it takes to move your club from address up to the top of your golf swing and back down again is quite short. For most players, it is less than two seconds. However, there is a lot that happens in that amount of time. You are going to move through the takeaway, transition, and downswing all within those couple of seconds. The result of your shot is going to depend on what happens from address to impact, so it is essential that you have a clear picture in mind of what you are trying to accomplish.

The first move you make away from the ball is known as the takeaway. We mentioned above that this is a particularly important part of the swing as a whole. Starting out in the right direction is crucial because it is going to go a long way toward deciding where the club will come from on the way back down. Some golfers make the mistake of thinking that they need to swing back to the inside if they want to swing from the inside on the way down as well. That simply isn’t true. For most golfers, the best option is a takeaway which moves the club directly back away from the ball in nearly a straight line.

To achieve such a takeaway, you want to keep your body as quiet as possible while simply turning your shoulders away from the target. The trick to making a great takeaway is actually to make it as simple as you can. By eliminating all unnecessary moving parts, you will allow the club to track on a direct line from the ball back away from the target you have selected. Specifically, you need to keep your hands and wrists out of the action at this point. Use the rotation of your shoulders to put the club in motion, and let everything else just come along for the ride.

Once you are safely through the takeaway, your hands and wrists can get involved with the action as you head up toward the top of the swing. Your wrists are going to hinge upward in order to ‘set’ the club, and your shoulders are going to keep turning. At the top of the swing, your back should be turned completely to the target – or as close as you can get, depending on your personal level of flexibility. There is no need to rush through the backswing, as you have as much time as you need to get into position. Rushing through this phase of the swing is a common mistake in the amateur game. Take a deep breath before you start your swing and remind yourself that there is no need to hurry.

It is during the transition from backswing to downswing when things typically go wrong for the average player. The very first move you make from the top of the swing is going to have a huge impact on the result of your shot. To swing down from the inside, you need to move your lower body before your upper body starts toward the target. That means rotating your hips toward the target immediately – even a split-second before the upper body has finished turning back.

When your lower body leads the way in the downswing, it puts into action a positive chain of events. First, that lower body rotation is going to put the rest of your body in position for a great strike. You won’t slide to the left, but your body will be shifted just a bit left in the process – which is perfect to keep you over the ball at impact. Also, and even more importantly, the club is going to drop into the ‘slot’ as soon as you move your lower body toward the target. This is the key action that is going to allow you to hit from the inside. When the club drops in, it will be inside the line and you’ll be able to swing aggressively from inside-out in order to strike the ball.

If you were going to break the golf swing down into three major keys, it would be these three – a solid takeaway, a good shoulder turn, and proper lower body rotation toward the target. Hit on all three of those points, and you will never be far from a great golf swing. Not only will you be able to swing from inside-out when you use those fundamentals, but you should have plenty of power to deliver into the back of the golf ball.