How to improve your Golf – The wide takeaway myth
Coaches and magazine articles often teach golfers that a wide take away and a big shoulder turn in the backswing will encourage power. Width brings power. But does it? Golfers not blessed with the best co- ordination often find that they become very erratic when going wide in the take away trying to make a big shoulder turn
Starting the backswing with shoulders, arms, hands and club all together in one unit, is another often quoted teaching principal. But is it correct? In my experience, absolutely not; the reverse is more likely to help all golfers to produce better golf shots.
Improve your golf striking by starting the backswing with an early break of the wrists and simply swing the arms upwards. Let the shoulders turn within that movement, do not try and force a big shoulder turn. If you do try for the big pivot then the arms and club can separate from the body in the downswing causing all sorts of miss hit shots. Look for yourself, if you try to make the backswing takeaway wide with stiff wrists see how the arms and club just go away in a different direction from the body turn. This separation between the body and arm and club swing can result in poor co-ordination in the downswing.
Many tournament players start the backswing with an early wrist break and one only has to look at evergreen golfers such as Fred Couples and Lee Westward, who are amongst the most fluent swingers and great strikers of a ball you will ever see, to note that their backswing start by moving the club head first, a lesson we can all learn.
Start the backswing with an early break of the wrists on all clubs including the driver, and not only will the swing benefit by better co-ordination, but shots will be struck with both more power and accuracy.
I had a lesson with Roger several weeks ago to try and get my game back on track after an indifferent season last year. All the above points in this article were relayed by Roger and after putting his teachings into practice of my own I am definetely seeing the benefits in my game.I have always found Roger easy to understand with his comparisons and examples which have always proved so mentally easy to remember when I am at that vital moment before I strike the ball. I play off a handicap of 10.I would always recommend having a lesson from Roger and I agree the wide takeaway is a good golfing feature to talk about with your golfing mates, I for one think Roger is right.Go and see him and let him convince you, you will enjoy your golf much more afterwards.