Overdoing the one-piece and the 'Z'??????

Recently, I thought I had cracked it....see numerous recent threads!
A one-piece takeaway with a nice tempo counting to three and that was it.
However, I think that in order to get a feeling that I am doing something different in the takeaway, I am exaggerating it taking the club straight back.
I expect that this causes dipping or a reverse pivot but am not sure. Most of my bad shots were either slightly thin (drives) or big cuts into a wind that just took them miles right.
I had watched someone a while back with a nice compact swing which looked like you could really go for it on the downswing - it looked like he kept his arms close to his body, swang inside and cocked the wrists immediately.
In trying to break up the swing, i.e., shoulders and arms first then cock wrists then the 'z' (see below) then the downswing I am forgetting to swing. It could be that the guy with the compact swing didn't break his wrists right away and that I only percieved it this way, and I should concentrate on swinging inside and cocking the wrists like him but remembering to start cocking my wrists at hip height. This sounds like something I could get a better feel for and is something I think I could repeat.
What do you think of this? Has anyone else suffered this kind of thing? I am going from low 70's to high 80's day to day!
One last thing...one of my swing thoughts at the weekend was the 'z position' that I read about in this forum (i.e. starting the downswing by lifting the right heel of the ground). Can this have it's pitfalls if it is, for example done at eh wrong time or exaggerated?

the "one piece take-away" and "keep the clubface pointed at the ball as long as possible" was the worst piece of advice ever given to me...I ingrained that move and ended up with a shut clubface that I'm now just getting rid of..not to mention some steep swing plane problems...if you continue to do what you're doing, you will distort the natural movement of the hands and wrists...i.e..cocking and rolling...you want set your wrists fully at the parallel to the ground position - no later than that...then take that to the top with your pivot...your observations about the compact swinger with the bent wrists is spot on...there is a lot of power stored in the bent wrists...the later in the downsing that you can release those wrists, the more power you can release to the clubhead...so, in essence, don't overdo the "one piece" takeaway...in fact, try this...from your address, just lift your club to the top, concentrating on bending your wrists fully...look at the position...then try to hit a ball....you'll see that you don't have to load up with a full sweeping backswing....just feel the power from the fully cocked wrists...

RikB,

You are correct in guessing that exagerating the 1 piece takeaway will cause you some problems. There are simple flaws that you might be getting into, like trying to do it all with your arms or manipulating the club to keep it in a straight line. The 1 piece referrs to the fact that your wrists do not break until you get your arms parallel to the ground by using your shoulder turning about your torso only. This creates a wider arc that will generate better overall power. The hands want to set later then earlier to give them the chance to relase later then earlier which creates that wonderful whip affect, again increasing your power while feeling like you are using less overall energy. Feeling this way, allows better overall control. Being more in a relaxed state helps you stay in control longer resulting in better shots. The 1 Piece takaway is what every pro practices. They want maximum distance with the least amount of effort.

The correct 1 piece takaway is going to put you into a position that might be new to you , and the rest of your swing might have some adjusting to do which is normal. Not all changes are going to result in instant success. But use it as a starting point.

(Sorry to contradict the previous post, and I totally accept other's methods that work for them. But you are here to get advice and that is what you will get, lots of it whch what makes this site so wonderful. Take it all, try it all and use what you want)

Thanks to both of you. I know that you are right Greg, I am trying to go with the one-piece but will try to do it with a more inside path and try to keep it feeling natural. I think that I have been pushing the club back too low and straight.
What about thinking about the so-called 'Z Position'? As I don't lift my left heel any more, it kind of fits with the magic move I once read about (might have been Harvey Pennick?) - "The first move(s) should should be a simultaneous grounding of the left heel with a drop of the right elbow".
The 'z' seems to be the equivalent for those who don't lift the left heel.
I can see it it my mind working, but if, say, I am swinging to fast, I can see it causing lots of problems like it probably did the other day (trying to make it happen that is at the right time).
Is this something you would conciously think about and, if not, is it something that you think happens naturally and is therefore a good thing to include in the swing (once you have practiced enough times that you aren't actually concentrating on it that is!)?.