HOW TO PERFECT THE TAKEAWAY GOLF SWING BASICS

[@MarkCrossfield]

Let me know in the comments which tip helps you the most and please share with anyone you know working on their golf swing.

[@icsthrower]

You know ... I could just watch and listen to what you have to say forever. I found your videos only a few months ago, and I’ve improved my game - at 64 years old - by nearly a dozen strokes per round. I’ve never had private lessons. I’ve never had fitted clubs. I’ve never played nice courses. My clubs, although polished after each round, are more than 25 years old. My father taught me how to play before I reached my teens, and it was all we ever did together, and he’s been gone for over twenty years. A long time ago, I taught my kids to play. I’m now teaching my grandkids to play. I stopped about ten years ago because I thought I was getting too old. But I started up again this year ... with a new coach ... you ... and I’m playing the best golf of my life. I’ll have to watch you and your friends play beautiful courses I’ll never see this winter to give me hope for warmer weather. I usually play about $9 for 9 holes. Yep. But the fairways are still fairways, and the greens are still greens. So hard to stop now for five months due to the cold. Just wanted you to know the kind of impact you’re having ... besides, that is, when you’re hitting the ball. Thanks for all you do.

[@espears6606]

Awesome compliment, #stopit 😁

[@andrewkeightley246]

There was a video Mark did recently with his daughter about keeping the club face square to the ball for as long as possible in the takeaway one of the best videos you will watch. I was taught this by my coach and the increase of consistency is second to none. Quality content Bruhhhhh

[@kevinstanley5945]

Mark, I'm so appreciative of you including more of your instructional videos as of late. Your videos from years ago were what have kept me coming back and learning from one of the best. I'm 56 yo and an 8 hc, constantly trying to improve. There are so many different KZbin channels that have attempted to deliver instruction. But your way of explaining the "why this way" based on the common golfers "faults" is what sets yo apart from the others. Thanks for the continued insight and keep up the great work!

[@paulmilsom1346]

Another good return to basics video, I love them. I like the one where you layed the club on the ground, turned, then picked it up again, so simple. Unfortunately, at the moment, I'm layed up with a trapped sciatic nerve, so can't try anything just yet. Keep the videos coming so I have some interest in golf whilst I'm recovering 🤕👍

[@leonardofortuin522]

You have touched on all the main challenges, one thing I get quite often is my tempo on the take away. This often causes me to have the "perfect" practise swing, however standing over the ball to much thinking is going into having a slow takeaway causing all kinds of other issues.

[@leontaylor5490]

What a venue.! .. said it before.. been working on this from your previous videos... starting now to see some brilliant results.. great vid guys xx

[@adski01]

I mess around with my take away, top of the backswing positions and downswing all the time, it's probably why I'm so inconsistent on the course. But it's a lot of fun shaping shots and feeling like you have control of the ball and playing with no fear. I used to fear my slice every time I hit a shot and watching your videos and taking the ideas to the range has transformed my perspective and enjoyment of golf. Thank you Mark & Team

[@richardjames5700]

Great video and good ideas and tips across the board - I like the first parallel check point and checking where the club face is at that point - simple and effective tips again Mark!

[@boatbuilder781]

Just spent time today with my coach I was having face to path problems so he had me working on take away! Thanks, keep these helpers coming.

[@theelmagoo]

All of these resonate as I've been working in some way with all of them to fix things :) But this does bring up a vid recommendation as you kind of mentioned it when you were talking about how having a slow and deliberate takeaway keeps too much of your attention on it and not striking the ball. This is the main thing I've started working on is trying to train my brain (and there's not a lot of content out there on this part of the mental game I can find). I've come to realize that I'm perfectly capable of striking and shaping the ball many different ways, but the biggest issues is I can't consistently get my brain to focus in any repeatable pattern that I can take onto the course and, as you say, play golf rather than play golf swing. The biggest issue I've found is that my brain loves to focus so much on everything up to the top of the backswing, that it doesn't realize it needs to then already be focusing on how I want to strike the ball. I can't tell you how many times I've hit the ball and realized my brain was completely blank down to impact, and that caused me to do something awful (as in I wasn't even thinking how to strike it). My brain focused on getting to the top of the backswing, then it freaked out trying to very quickly remember what I'm supposed to do next without upsetting my tempo, but then my feel of the tempo sets in and realizes I'm taking too long, so my brain / body go into some automatic awful default swing that then becomes the luck-of-the-draw on what's going to happen. Hence now I'm trying to find a mental routine that works for me. So far I've come to the conclusion that in all things, if my brain is focused on what needs to happen next / end result, things will organize properly. I'm also a musician and play bass guitar in a band, and for my whole life I've always wondered why I miss certain changes, or am late getting to the downbeat of the next bar on occasion (which as a bass player is a cardinal sin as it destroys the groove). I came to realize that it's the same issue in that I was focusing so hard on the riff I was playing at the moment, I lost where I was supposed to go. So I changed my focus in my playing to always be thinking about the next bar or shape or note I need to land on, and I'm no longer late or flubbing a transition! This is what I'm trying to work on in my golf swing as I think it's a big key to playing effectively, and that this is probably what a LOT of people suffer from. The question is what the heck to do?!?!? If I just try to focus on impact (or shot shape or where it needs to go) only and ignore my backswing, the backswing goes to pot and I get in some horrible position that is very difficult to recover from. Or even worse, I get into some horrible position and my brain feels it, then it snaps my attention to it and I've completely forgotten about striking the ball, resulting in a random outcome. So what I'm attempting to do right now with the way my scatter brain works, is to prep what where I want my hands at impact (which is in front of the ball with the irons for example). I then focus on takeaway / backswing while still trying to keep my hands at impact in mind. When I get to the top of the backswing, I deliberately slow down to allow my brain to switch gears, then my brain gets my body to strike the ball as intended. I've heard many times that something like this is way too much to be going on, but it's the only thing that seems to work for my brain and the way it wants to work. So long story just to get to.... what tips / ideas do you have for this topic? What are you focusing on in the different parts of your swing (at address, start of backswing, top of backswing, impact, etc...)? Any drills for the mind and how to get it to focus on the task rather than being internally focused on movements? Great vid!! :)

[@sevesellors2831]

Great tips Mark well explained.

[@Johnlancaster]

Thanks. Exactly what I am working on (with a coach). Super helpful to hear your ideas on this and other recent vids

[@robbiles]

Always using the grip end to belly button and 1st parallel drill. Also love a good Chinese Takeaway as well.

[@_BigDiesel_]

Crossfield with another top-notch video! Salesman Shiels and Mrs. Finchy should take notes.

[@robbyclark1255]

Hi Mark, another great video. This is something Iv been working on the last month or so, I found by pure luck that if I feel as tho the face is pointing more down, and my left hand twists down instead of around I have far more control of the club face and my ball fight (baby fade) is far more consistent.

[@ajaytuk7416]

Great advice- I hope it helps many!

[@karlstorr9817]

The vid with your daughter on takeaway was huge to help me correct my takeaway and in turn my path strike etc

[@garyryan9779]

Great video as always Mark. Was just wandering would it be a good idea to show club face/position from your eyes view so we can compare when we look at the club. Keep up the good work, you got me playing again-thanks

[@DarrenBayton909]

Good takeaway tips Mark. Too many swing thoughts cause too many problems. I try to use the club parallel to feet in your last tip and I have slowed down, but I don't try to focus on this now. It's become a natural part of the swing. I just try to feel a natural pendulum flow with the club. I was always pushing right, but now I hit straight or a Draw.

[@bennoj8570]

Solid advice as always Mark, cheers. In terms of other videos, would love to see something on high hands, toe down strikes and how to sort that out... it plagues me as I go up the bag.

[@ryanmurphy8895]

Fixing my takeaway definitely improved my ballstriking. For years I would snatch the club inside with a lot of wrist. When I do that Im gaurenteed to come in steep and out to in, strike it out of the heel, and hit a weak fade or a dead pull.

[@davidglendinning8457]

Our club pro has got me working on a better takeaway. Not so much the club but leg work. Left knee collapses too far in on back swing, old school style, which results in poor turn through the ball. He's got me turning better around the left leg with hips facing target.

[@danbag777]

Another top class video👍

[@corylink3195]

Good Day Mark! Very detailed vid. Please drag Coach out for some more match play. That is the Best! Thanks

[@Zico73]

I use the shaft parallel to target and feet drill. When I my driver is off I notice I'm way to inside on the takeaway.Good vid mark quality camera work and location 👍

[@markwatkinson815]

Great tips mark as always 👍

[@donstage933]

When you 1st pick the club up standing up vertically the toe is up, but when you bent over into your posture the face tilted with you so it became more turned down. That was very cool to watch.

[@shrimpflea]

Very good tips. I struggle with losing my drives high and right. I also love how you Brits call the ground the floor, even outside.

[@brianmcfarland5700]

It's the only drill I do, which generally works as part of my pre shot routine.

[@EINFACHBESSERGOLFEN]

I do love pointing my clubface more down, through takeaway and at delivery position, because I am loosing my balls to the right and if not I have got to much spin on my driver. With that feels (more down) I can get decent numbers and do have a tighter dispersion. Greets Philipp

[@ElvisPriscillaPresley]

Excellent vid.

[@filipdepauw1635]

Great video. Could you do a follow up on going to the top of the backswing please?

[@pauledw]

I like the face matching the spine angle one... I find that if I get that right, I can deliver it back to the ball correctly... my fault is that I want to put too much hinge in early but I quite often then hinge and pronate, but my left hand, and I don't ever manage to get it back...

[@willholman6124]

Mark, I love your channel, I know you go through these phases where you do a lot of instructional videos during the winter. I know your ideas change over time, but I wish it wasn’t so similar to the videos you’ve done in the past. #lockeyarmy

[@mikereed3287]

I seem to have my best results thinking "low and wide" when I take any club back. This helps me attain a better top position and better strike.

[@loutennant99]

Great video again. (Creep) I have been dragging it back to far inside and having so space when i try to hit the ball,. so a recent video helped that and in this one the important message of tempo, we are all different i talk, walk and run very fast. when i try to be really slow on the backswng, it doesn't help. My tempo is faster.

[@lej2str]

I ‘see’ a line between target and through the ball. My takeaway is relatively to that line and the club head. The longer the club the more on line or slightly outside. Wedges more inside that line. Never really worked on any parallel or set position. Rhythm is key for my swing, so finding that natural tempo. That’s what my too slow, too fast takeaway relates to. But you are quite right, thinking about it only makes it worse

[@Mrequine1]

nice great help as allways

[@Peter4253]

My only swing thought on the takeaway is to get the club over my right shoulder smoothly in a one piece type of action. I’ve never considered toe up or toe down before but will defo check it out tomorrow.

[@Adrian-yv8sy]

Given drill recently to put golf ball box full of sand (could probably use book or something) behind club at address and push it straight back and will feel it coming from left shoulder girdle and when comfortable with that do it and continue swing

[@marklogan646]

Thanks Mark!...Going to work on having the face in line with my spine🍻

[@svenhallauer3229]

Working on the first all the time 😀

[@davidrichard4300]

I find that when I practice setting my club in the takeaway along my alignment with my feet, it allows me to have a fade and less of a slice. I would love a video on speed drills that would also help with strike.

[@chrislewis7]

Until recently I've just turned up swung the club and scored OK. Irons generally pretty good, driver pretty awful. I've now bought new clubs and I'm for the first time in my life actually working on my game. I'm starting to see real improvements. My two big changes that have really helped are that I have shallowed my take-up/back swing and I am concentrating on rotating around my back leg and stopping the hip slide.

[@AnthonyEspositoTheStallion]

Everything starts with my takeaway !! Might actually not, but helps me !!

[@matthewcroad7218]

Great video Bruh. Personally if my backswing gets too slow and robotic then strike goes to pot. Got to remember to relax and tempo is key.

[@home4ya]

my inside take away of 30 years that created consistent high draws was changed at 1st lesson recently to slightly closed at parallel like you showed and so inconsistent now, missing both ways and less compression but is "straighter" on the good ones. Not sure to return or continue..... I miss my draw

[@seantobin515]

Hi Mark, My biggest problem on take away (not exactly take away) is I rotate too much before pulling the trigger. Sometimes so much that I have actually hit my own neck at the top of the backswing. Been told I break my wrists at the top. Anti drill to help stop this please. 👍

[@bramabull111]

These are some things I'm constantly drilling on the range, but I am trying ro teach a beginner, and I am looking for some drills and swing thoughts to help him build a great feeling and athletic takeway

[@bramabull111]

Any tips on how to teach a beginner their first backswing? He just needs some building blocks and I don't know how to teach those fundamentals the way I feel them.

[@skyecooleyartwork]

LPGA players never rush their swings. Smooth takeaways, gentle transitions at the top, then force and speed applied midway through the downswing through the ball. Smooth, even, deliberate. Watching the women's game confirms it.

[@jonathanthomason7896]

The "feeling" of a shorter backswing has led to more consistency off the tee and iron shots for me lately. Defiantly changed strike for the better. It may feel "shorter" but when I look at the video from my coach it looks good to us.

[@duncand1964]

I try to focus on straight left arm across chest and keeping right elbow in near to body. No ‘flying’ right elbow, even though Jack N had one. Do these points make any sense?

[@SolomonLi]

Love this...Stuff that can actually affect impact. I just think it’s funny that you told us to twist the face to the ground. LOL. Twist my face!!! Gimmicks vs actually doing something that work...

[@cheezburger6130]

Get grip correct, then do as you do check face alignment compared to ball strike point. My key to success is a slower take away and feeling my right elbow touch my right side on the back swing. All other motions are just natural after that in my swing.

[@michaelbrewer7389]

How much damage has being told or reading to take the club away on the inside caused? I definitely have this error and work hard on the 1st parallel drill to prevent it. And YES i'd love to go to Abu Dhabi.

[@robertrainey906]

I’m very shallow going back. Struggle with maintaining a strong grip and have a tendency to go back to a weaker grip within a round.

[@justinstephenson9360]

Takeaway is what I working on at the moment (and it is not working!), I have always been guilty of being too much from the inside, the problem is the more neutral takeaway is producing bad slices with longer clubs - but oddly not the driver. On speed, I find if I am too quick in the takeaway I feel as though I have too much lateral body movement away from the ball. Whether that feeling has any basis in reality is a different question!

[@dannybrant6758]

My pro has got me coming back slower because I’m a big guy, and he feels my fast backswing was affecting my balance. Does that make sense?

[@MarkCrossfield]

If it makes you play better then yes. As a general term for me personally and students I have worked with. No 👍👍

[@dannybrant6758]

Mark Crossfield fortunately it’s not a big thing to think about, and it does seem to help me keep better balance. Keeping my swing plane inside, where I was throwing it out before.

[@mach5k]

face down at first parallel really helps me set my right elbow correctly, i was a chicken wing guy for too long

[@geoffkirkbride5624]

Hi Mark I found a feeling at the top of my back swing, with my left hand (I’m right handed) that felt so comfortable the all I had to do was swing has hard has possible and the confidence was there to smash it but I’ve now lost the feeling do you know what I mean ? .

[@simonhobbs9097]

Great video, more of the same showing the rest of the swing please.

[@carpykeith]

Quite interesting Mark, a lot to be said for checking the basics! Any chance of a comparison of Nicklaus’s playing ALL clubs off the left heel compared with modern “variable” ball position? Possibly a #askdan topic? TY!

[@damonlee7934]

Quick unrelated question please Honma Justin rose prototype irons or Miura mc501 ?? Your opinion please Muppets cheers Damon

[@mickclark4861]

Mark were you a Rockabilly in your early years... Putters are very much like Guitars ;) keep rockin kid!

[@hbyrdut]

I had a few lessons where I was trying to fix my takeaway but nothing seemed to work. My last lesson we worked on something entirely different and without realizing it my takeaway was much better.

[@lukejarrett1973]

Takeaway is a weird one for me. I feel like I can pick the club up in many different ways- face down wooden man, a little wristy trying to feel the clubhead swing in an arc, early DJ style set wrist etc. But I only have one feel for the top of the swing/transition- if I don't hit that then it's all guesswork and luck from there on down.

[@thomasjohansson8915]

I try to start my take away with very little movement in my hands and the feeling of the butt end of my stick is pointing into my belly and also my belt buckle pointing down into the ground.

[@alexking3006]

Hey mark !Over the last three months I’ve really been working on my swing video sessions etc I couldn’t find any reason as to why I wasn’t striking the ball pure and straight.. until I discovered the importance of grip pressure! Once I lightened it up so it felt like I was barely holding the club with no tension suddenly it all came together I now flush it 9 times out of ten, why is grip pressure so often over looked by teaching pros? You can have a perfect swing but it is all useless if you are holding the club to tightly

[@malovens152]

Looking forward when , You , Coach Dan and Rory go on another GOLF HOLIDAY somewhere . That's what i want to see. Especially now you know we all like to see more after hours fun together . THE STORY ect

[@calleiza12]

👍Like this!!

[@kurtrankin]

Not too fast or too slow, but too tense. I felt like I was the Tin Man from 'The Wizard of Oz' when I thought about how the swing I had just taken felt (and had resulted in a top or a duff or a slice, etc.). I now stop my backswing altogether and re-set if I feel like any of my arm, shoulder, or back muscles are tensed up going back.

[@robertcourt8593]

My biggest takeaway problem is that I eat too many of them!

[@stevedickson3037]

Brilliant!

[@MichaelBarberOBE]

I have to make sure I don't use the wrists and open the face, then I imagine trying to point the club 45 degrees behind me. These thoughts help me to fight the slice.

[@bobwhelan5644]

Always worry about the take away, too fast, too slow... It's only when I get to that point in a round, about half-way, and the game has gone badly that I think, fudge it, I don't care anymore - then relax and begin to takeaway/play with less fear!. Wish I could be in that mindset from the the first tee. Any golf psychology vids coming?

[@ryanwestwoood]

my takeaway thoughts are to keep the top of my left hand facing the floor as long as possible and to keep my hands low.

[@garthly]

The only other thing about takeaway that was key to me was width, keeping the hands well away from my neck. Otherwise, concentrating on strike, wrist angles, has been more significant, and in itself improved my takeaway.

[@NowisEvollovetion]

When I ring up the takeaway I always stand parallel to the table on which the phone sits. I then slowly lift the phone to my ear, concentrating all the time on maintaining a constant speed. Then once I have spoken to the lady and made the order, I then begin a downward motion. Slowly placing the phone back on its base. Now, this must be a good technique as the ‘delivery’ is always on time, and the food is piping hot. Oh! And when I have finished I then putter the plate in the dishwasher. Cheers!

[@danbyrne8119]

My biggest problem is similar to my hero lockey leader of the army🥇. Some 2 fairways left, some 2 fairways right and then the bomb ball down the middle

[@DannStonee]

Do a video looking at takeaway speed. Deliberately slower, normal and then deliberately faster. I’m interested to see what happens.

[@karlstorr9817]

Was a slicer worked on over exaggerating the opposite of what I was doing then worked on keeping face looking at ball as long as poss then pick up the club hardly any wrist movement to begin with in takeaway

[@damonlee7934]

Ps take away should always be 12” straight back low and slow. Wider less rushed away from the ball, promotes smoother throughout and back down through impact. Cheers

[@KingTrent]

would love to see some videos of you teaching amateurs how to find the right feelings in order to help them self teach... if that makes sense

[@lawlerdaboi]

He's done that, there was a series called The Journey it was quality aswell

[@davidoug22]

So I practice swing amd takeaway great on camera. Done this for years play off 5.have done for years. But when I hit ball it all changes same fast swing hands out ahead and whip inside looks bad but I smash it.. My moto whatever works. Year sof watching videos trying to be on plane made me worse. Whatever I do I get it back to good delivery numbers wise

[@jpxst180s6]

Hands in club head out is my taught process

[@mcfly2727]

This tip lesson is brought to you by JustEat...(oops! Old chestnut joke moment!) 👍👍😂👍🔔

[@Mrequine1]

I don't think the perfect takeaway exsist like the text book riding position next to impossible to get due to dynamic body restriction

[@sjgraci]

Noticed recently your takeaway with the driver is getting long, past parallel at the top. John Daly grip it and rip it, Brah!

[@VacantCard]

Telling people to restrict the hip turn imo has done massive damage to a lot of weekend warriors. Everyone tries to restrict the turn and stay over the ball and the only way to move the club when you do that improperly is a handsy-armsy swing that's weak and unreliable.

[@MrTkeddo]

Did somebody say JustEat 🍕

[@garysmith70]

Oh dear.. Crossfield your getting it all wrong wrong wrong Perfecting the Takeaway one simply picks up the phone and rings local curry house..Think on eh ....hehehe

[@gavin6535]

I don’t make it functional enough

[@richardmarsh1769]

Brah chill you are over complicating it . Keep it simple it’s what you are good at !