Part 4 Golf Irons: Takeaway and Backswing

The initial inches of the golf swing, called the takeaway, put the club on its path and plane. A sound takeaway is a key to making a solid backswing – and producing consistently accurate iron shots.

Fortunately, the takeaway is relatively easy to master. To make a proper, one-piece move from the ball, simply:

Maintain the triangle formed by the left and right arms as you pull the club back. The wrists should not begin hinging yet.

Rotate the shoulders and chest in unison with the arms. The left hip should begin to turn right as the hands reach the right knee.

Avoid keeping the arms and wrists too rigid as you draw the club back.

Now you’re in position to finish the backswing with your major muscles working in harmony. As you continue swinging the club back:

Your shoulders, chest, torso and hips continue rotating; the wrists should hinge naturally when reaching waist height. If the club’s toe points straight up at this juncture, everything’s in sync.

The shoulders should be turned twice as much as the hips in relation to the target line at the top of the backswing. (For example, shoulders at 80°, hips at 40°.)

With a long or middle iron, the club should be parallel to the ground or just short of it at the top of the backswing. The swing will be a bit shorter with short irons.