“I once heard Arnold Palmer say that if he got started right away during the first 14 inches of his swing he never had to think about anything else during the rest of it. That may be a slight exaggeration, particularly for a player who has less ability than Arnold, but it illustrates the importance good players place on the takeaway. I believe that your takeaway should be one piece. You should feel that you are starting the club back with your whole left side moving together with your left hand and arm. When I was playing my best, I definitely began my takeaway with my left side. The left hand is firmly in control. The left shoulder and left arm push the club away from the ball on a straight line for a few inches, then swing it into the air. The relaxed right side is just pushed out of the way.” Byron Nelson.
“The clubhead is placed at the back of the ball, and the swing commences so slowly in as to suggest that it is indolent.” Bobby Jones.
“The two danger points are at the start of the backswing and the start of the down stroke. To start back smoothly avoids haste later on; to start down in a leisurely fashion helps to maintain the perfect balance, and provides for well-timed, accurate striking.” Bobby Jones.
“The initial movement of the club away from the ball should result from forces originating in the left side. The real takeoff is from the left foot, starting movement of the body. The hands and arms very soon pick it up, but the proper order at the beginning is body, arms, and lastly clubhead. It is always easier to continue a motion than to begin it: this order has the virtue of originating the hip-turn; it goes a long way toward assuring a proper windup of the hips during the backswing.” Bobby Jones.
“I just try to do it the most simplest way I know how. I don’t bother thinking about it; what I do is just take the club back nice and lazy and then try to whop it right down on the barrelhead.” Sam Snead.
“When I’m trying for an extra-long drive, I actually feel I am taking the club back more deliberately, not with more strength.” Sam Snead.
“Footwork, balance, is everything to me because of my life long theory (and Ben Hogan agreed) that the more you minimize hand, wrist and arm action, the better. I believe the body pivot launched by the feet is the big factor.” Sam Snead.
“If your feet transfer all your weight to the right side easily, your hips turn, and your shoulders will follow. Don’t ever separate the action of your hands, arms, and shoulders. It’s easy to do without realizing it: Hands and shoulders must work together, but the shoulders take the lead.” Sam Snead.
“Then from about 1937 on through the rest of my career, I didn’t think about much while making a shot. I had developed a style of play which I used all through this period. It became pretty automatic and effortless. I had a target in mind and I just visualized the line on which I wanted to take the club away from the ball, and the line on which I wanted to return it. That was the thought the triggered my swing.” Sam Snead.
“If he executes his backswing properly, as his arms are approaching hip level, they should be parallel with the plane and they should remain parallel with the plane, just beneath the glass….” Ben Hogan.
“To accomplish an efficient swing we have to build a mental picture of the path we want the clubhead to follow, from address to the top of the backswing and down again—sort of a road map of the swing. And to put the clubhead on this path we have to start by taking it back low and along a perfectly straight line for at least a full foot. Why? Because you want to bring the clubhead back along the same track when you hit the ball. Remember those two points above all: Picture the path of the swing in your mind, and start the club back along that path. These are the keystones in the structure of the swing. Start the club back smooth and silky.” Tony Lema.
One-piece takeaway versus angle setting . . . in these three photos the shoulders have turned about the same, the hands are slightly above hip level; however, the shaft angle to the ground is different.
Staying on Plane throughout the Backswing
“Timing and hesitation at the top of the swing.” Walter Hagen.
“When your forward shoulder hits your chin, you’re pretty much done with the backswing. Don’t try for more than this. It’s been said that Ben Hogan used to wear out his shirt at the point of the left shoulder because his backswing was so consistent that the same spot always hit his chin. He must have had a tough beard! Of course, he hit an awful lot of balls, too. The trigger for me was pinning that left shoulder up against the chin. Once I got there, I knew I was done with my backswing. Anything else after that was a wasted motion that bred inconsistency.” Johnny Miller.
“Turning the left shoulder underneath your chin on the backswing. Get a feel of getting your left shoulder underneath your chin. Once your shoulders stop—your hands stop.” John McMullen.
“Visualize the backswing plane as a large pane of glass that rests on the shoulders as it inclines upward for the ball. As the arms approach hip level on the backswing, they should be moving parallel with the plane and should remain parallel with the plane (just below the glass) to the top of the backswing. It would be ideal if the arms could be swung back parallel to the plane from the very start of the swing, but because of the way we human beings are constructed, a man gripping a club can’t get his arm onto the plane until they are nearly hip high.” Ben Hogan.
“The center of gravity of the body must stay in one place throughout the swing. That is, if a line is drawn through the nose or head to the ground, the head must stay in that position throughout the swing.” Ben Hogan.
“By simply trying to turn the top of my left shoulder underneath my chin on the backswing I was finally able to achieve a sensation at the top of my backswing.” I. B. Nobody.
A checkpoint for a proper shoulder turn is that you should feel the left shoulder brushing your chin at the top of the backswing.
Initiating the Downswing
“The trunk muscles are the most powerful muscles of the body.” Bobby Jones.
“The only one who has a chance to achieve a rhythmic, well-timed stroke is the man who, in spite of all else, yet swings his clubhead, and the crucial area is where the swing changes direction at the top. If the backswing can be made to flow back leisurely, and to an ample length, from where the start downward can be made without the feeling that there may not be enough time left, there is a good chance of success.” Bobby Jones.
“It is the leisurely start downward which provides for a gradual increase of speed without disturbing the balance and the timing of the swing.” Bobby Jones.
“As the downswing begins, one should have the feeling of leaving the clubhead at the top.” Bobby Jones.
“I should say the most important movement of the swing would be to start the downswing