Irons · Tip
Start the Takeaway by Moving the Handle
Part of our irons programs for uneven lies. Build a program with it
Don't pick the club up with your hands. Start your backswing by moving the whole handle away with your arms. Keep your wrists quiet at first. The club will feel connected to your body's turn. Then, through impact, keep turning. Many golfers stop rotating and let the grip flip over. Keep the handle moving through the ball and into your finish. Hold your grip steady the whole way.
Step by step
- Move the handle and arms away together.
- Keep your wrists quiet early.
- Feel the club stay connected to your turn.
- Keep turning through impact.
- Don't let the handle stop and flip.
Why it works
Moving the handle first keeps the arms, chest and club working as one unit, so the club stays on a consistent path away from the ball. Quiet wrists early stop the clubhead from lifting or folding inside too fast, which makes the top of the swing easier to repeat. Through impact, continued rotation keeps the handle moving ahead of the clubhead, so the face does not flip past your hands and the loft stays steady.
Common mistakes
- You lift the clubhead up with your wrists in the first foot of the swing.Feel the butt of the grip move away from your lead thigh while the clubhead trails behind it.
- Your arms move away but your chest stays still, so the club disconnects from your turn.Let your chest start turning as the handle moves, so your arms and torso travel together.
- You stop turning at impact and the handle slows while the clubhead passes it.Keep your belt buckle turning toward the target and keep the handle moving into your finish.
How you'll know it's working
- The clubhead stays outside your hands for the first part of the takeaway, and the shaft does not point sharply inside the ball line.
- You strike the ball first, then the turf, with a divot that starts at or just after the ball.
- The ball starts on your target line without a sudden hook or a weak push, and you finish facing the target with your weight on your lead foot.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Make slow half swings with a mid-iron, and stop at hip height to check that the handle and clubhead moved away together.
Harder: Hit full shots at normal speed while keeping the handle moving through impact, and hold your finish until the ball lands.
Common questions
Should my wrists stay completely still in the takeaway?
No. They stay quiet at the start, then hinge naturally as your arms and body turn. The aim is to avoid picking the club up with your hands.
Why does my club flip over at impact?
It usually happens when your body stops turning and your hands take over to square the face. Keep rotating and keep the handle moving through the ball so the clubhead does not pass your hands early.
