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Takeaway.
The first move of the club away from the ball. Stock full-swing mid-iron.
What's going on.
The club has left the ball and is still low. Face-on shows whether you started a turn or walked off the ball. Down-the-line shows whether the club stayed in front of you or rolled behind you.
What this still is.
This is the first move of the club away from the ball. Look for this, then move on.
Look first.
Face-on
The club has left the ball. Hands are still in front of you. You have started to turn, not walked off the ball.
Check these.
- Hands relative to body
- Hands have moved in, still in front of the trail thigh. They are not already behind the trail hip.
- Wrist picture
- The clubhead is still with the hands.
- Shaft to wrists / lead arm
- The shaft is still in front of the body.
- Hip rotation / belt / depth
- The belt has started to turn, not walked off the ball.
- Shoulder rotation
- The lead shoulder is starting to work under. This is not a full turn yet.
- Hip-to-shoulder difference
- A small gap may be starting.
- Foot pressure
- Both feet are still on the ground.
A little outside or a little inside is still this still. A face already rolled to the sky is the too-around start.
It is not already vertical, and it is not already around the trail hip.
A little move of the trail hip with the turn is still a turn, not a slide off the ball. Space toward the ball is the other camera.
Moving together this early is still this still. A big coil is not required here.
Many players start to load the back foot. Some stay more centered. Both can still be this still. Miss: the front foot already coming off, or a walk off the ball.
Down-the-line
The club is still in front of you, not already behind you.
Check these.
- Hands relative to body
- Hands stay roughly on the address shaft line.
- Wrist picture
- The toe is roughly up, or a little closed.
- Shaft to wrists / lead arm
- The shaft stays on the address line, or a little in, or a little out.
- Hip rotation / belt / depth
- Belt space still matches address. The hips have not walked toward the ball.
- Shoulder rotation
- The shoulders are turning.
- Hip-to-shoulder difference
- Shoulders may be turning a little more than the belt.
- Foot pressure
- You can see a trail hip sliding off the ball instead of turning.
Slightly in or slightly out is still this still. Immediately gone behind you is the inside miss.
A roll that hides the face behind you is the miss. You cannot grade loft-to-the-flag from this camera.
The miss is immediately gone behind you, or already over the head.
A lift that stands the club up is the miss. Lean toward the flag is a face-on picture.
Moving together is still this still.
You cannot see which foot owns the ground from this camera.
When both cameras agree, the club is still in front of you. The belt has started to turn, not walked off the ball.
How you see it here.
- Down-the-line, a club that disappears behind you here is the inside start. Stuck inside→
- Already over the head, or a shaft that has left the Address line steep, is the other miss. A hair outside is still Takeaway. Over the top→
- The glove-logo-to-the-sky roll is this slide, not the top. Flat backswing→
- Face-on, if the upper body drifts off the ball instead of turning, that is sway. Sway→
Watch these clips.
Official YouTube. Start times are the bit that teaches this slide, not the whole swing.
They name the first two feet as where most swings leave the rails. Watch that Takeaway picture, not the later whole-swing talk.
They name the classic roll inside: glove logo to the sky, club around you. Watch Takeaway.