You may have heard commentators and professionals talk about a
one-piece takeaway, but you aren’t really sure what it means
You may have heard commentators and professionals talk about a one-piece takeaway, but you aren’t really sure what it means. Well, it’s an accurate description of a move and it’s essential for a great backswing.
The one-piece takeaway means that you move the club away from the ball for the first quarter to half of your backswing without breaking your wrists. This achieves two valuable fundamentals.
It keeps your left arm straight and gives you the start of a perfect shoulder turn. If you keep the left arm and shaft of the club straight, you will get your left shoulder under your chin midway through the backswing. At that point, you can start hinging your wrists until you come to a gentle set at the top of your backswing.
If you try it out in a mirror, this is what it should look like:
1) Left arm straight
2) Left shoulder under your chin
3) Shaft at a 90-degree angle to your arm
4) Shaft parallel with the ground
If you can get to this position with every full swing, you won’t need to call your friendly chiropractor. You’ll be in a position at the top of your backswing that will be the envy of all your playing partners.
Don DeLorenzo is a PGA-certified instructor at Gilroy Golf Course. To schedule a lesson with Don, call Gilroy GC at (408) 848-0490.
