One of the top five most asked questions in the past 25 years has been, “What starts the backswing?” The answer is a bit complex, so grab your Hi-Liter and let’s get started.

1. When you are ready to start the backswing, the clubhead, shaft, your hands, arms and right shoulder move in ONE PIECE at the exact same time. 
2. The clubhead starts back on an arc (we will get to that in the next section). The right shoulder starts turning backwards.

2. One Piece Take-away

3. Right Shoulder Turns as Arm Swings Club

The take-away is one piece all the way until it arrives at the 9:00 o’clock position (we will get to that in two sections).

As you start back, both knees are flexed and during the backswing- the right knee NEVER changes positions. It does not flex more, nor does it straighten out and it does not slide back away from the target.

The left knee also plays a major role in the backswing. It does not move towards the line of flight and it does not straighten out. As the golf club starts back, the left knee moves towards the right knee as a RESULT of the upper body turning and the lower body resisting this turn. The left knee never passes the golf ball in the backswing.

Like the grip hand position during the setup can change ball flight dramatically. Lower shots, higher shots, fades, draws etc. are all influenced by hand position.

When we speak of ‘hand position’ we are referring to the height of the hands at address. Otherwise explained, the distance of the golfer’s hands from the golfer’s body and their position from left to right relative to the center of the body. It is a good idea to experiment with different hand positions to see which positions result in what kind of shot for your swing.

Some general rules follow:

1. A forward press or moving of the hands ahead of the club head at address will lower the trajectory of a shot.
2. Moving the hands further away from the body or reaching out to the ball may create fades or slices.
3. Lifting the hands so your arms become more of a direct extension straight down the shaft of the club will allow the club to turn over more and therefore reduce slices, remove a fade or even create a draw or hook depending on other swing characteristics.

The best place to begin is a hand position that includes the following:

1. Hands hanging directly down from your shoulders.
2. Hands that are lined up even with the golf ball.
3. Hands that are not raised, but allow for a slight angle to be created in the wrists.