Take a way question

Can people out there tell me what is the very first part of movement once you are in position and set up to start the backswing? is it arms,wrists,shoulders,torso???

Shoulders.

Doesn't really matter,personal preference .
Hogan said the hands.
Just don't suck the arms to the inside.

There are multiple opinions on what starts the backswing.

In Ernie Els' How to Build a Classic Swing he talked about how he started back with all arms.
In Greg Norman's Instant Lessons and Shark Attack he talked about starting the takeaway by pushing the left elbow away from the target.
In Nick Faldo's books he talked about how when he first started making changes with Leadbetter he found it benefical to think about setting the wrists as he started back.
Jack Nickalus talked about starting back with the left shoulder in his book.
Steve Elkington in his book talked about how he liked to feel like he was moving the abs into his rib cage (torso), and Faldo talked about how at one point he liked to begin by turning starting with the belly button.

All these different ideas suggest that there is not one right way to start the swing. You should make your choice based on what feels confortable to you, what gives you the most consistancy, what you desire to do with your swing, or what you are trying to guard against doing in your swing.

I prefer a chinese take away.

As previously stated there are many opinions on this. I like an Indian myself.


Getting back to golf I like to take the club back with hands, arms and shoulders together and not start rotation the torso and hips until natural momentum require them to start turning.

For me taking the shoulders back first takes the arms and hands with them, so it may look like they all go together, but by actually "doing" it with the shoulders, this makes sure the arms and hands stay connected.

Lots of different methods out there but for me the approach described by greg works best. By only moving your shoulders it makes it easier for the hands and arms to stay where they should be.

1st foot in the backswing try an keep the toe of the club
from opening. Half way up in the video look at the toe of
the club before the right arm lifts the club.
Square to the arc of the swing.

My first move is a slight head move back to the right and up a bit, this keeps me feeling tall through the backswing. It also triggers the shoulders & arms to stay in a one piece motion away from the ball.

A great way to feel the movement you are looking for, is to set up as normal for you and lift the hole body trunk including arms hands so the club is just up above the ball. Then swing the club forward say about a foot and feel the balance of the club in the hands then make a backswing. Do this slow and smooth and you will feel the parts in your body that make your move first.

Now you know what moves first, be it arms or hands or shoulders, you can now make any slight change/feeling to a takeaway if required.

Regards Cliff

Drill for a Connected Takeaway


This is possibly the most important tip you can get.