Most of the game’s greatest players have managed to achieve a beautiful, wide, sweeping takeaway. The club head travels away from the ball, staying close to the ground, before slowly rising into the air. The distance the club head travels away from the body continues to increase until the wrists begin to hinge upward. At the top of the swing, the shoulders should have turned fully and players should feel the hands are being pushed upward and away from the head. From this point, players can rotate and turn into the ball, firing it away towards the target. Although this sounds easy, in reality creating a wide takeaway can be hard and needs to be practiced.
 
How to Produce a Wide Takeaway
 
1. When gripping the club at address try to keep the hands relaxed and tension free. Employing a tight grip will increase tension in the hands and arms with could restrict movement during the back swing.
2. The first initial thoughts about the back swing should be ‘low and slow’. This means the club should be taken away from the ball very low to the ground, only rising when physics demands. Keeping the tempo slow should help this.
3. The right arm plays a major role in achieving a wide back swing. During the takeaway both arms should be extending away from the ball. However, when the club shaft reaches parallel to the ground the left arm will begin to tuck in and bend. The right arm should remain extended pushing the club and hands away from the left shoulder and head.
4. At the top of the swing, the hands should sit high above the left shoulder in a big wide position.
 
Left handed golfers looking to increase the distance they hit the ball should try to increase the amount of width they generate during the back swing. This width, however, must also be combined with good connection. Good connection means the arms shouldn’t become disconnected from the body during the back swing. To practice the correct combination of width and connection, practice hitting shots with a golf glove held under the left arm. By hitting shots with a glove underneath the left arm players can practice maintaining the extension in the right arm whilst keeping the left arm connected to the body.
 

Although not the ultimate source of power during the swing, a wide takeaway will help ensure left handed golfers squeeze as much potential power out of their game as possible.