Best Takeaway Feel - The Tour Pro Takeaway Move You’re Not Using!

The Core-Powered Takeaway: Why It Matters

The takeaway is the foundation of a great golf swing. If it’s off, the rest of your swing—no matter how polished—will suffer. The secret lies in initiating this critical first move with your core, not your hands. Many amateurs make the mistake of using their hands to pull the club back, which immediately disconnects the arms from the body and leads to erratic shots. Tour pros, on the other hand, rely on their core, often visualized through the belly button, to drive the takeaway. This keeps the body and arms working as a single unit, creating a seamless, repeatable motion.

Understanding the Connected Takeaway

Let’s dive deeper into three key principles that define a core-powered takeaway and how they solve common swing flaws.

1. Start with Your Core, Not Your Hands: The belly button acts as a reference point for initiating the backswing. By rotating your torso from the center, you ensure that your arms and club move in sync with your body. This prevents the common issue of “picking up” the club with your hands, which throws off your swing plane from the outset.

2. Maintain the Triangle Formation: During the first few feet of the backswing, your shoulders and arms should form a triangular structure. This connection ensures that no single part of your body overcompensates, promoting a unified motion. Losing this triangle early often leads to disconnection, making it harder to return the club to the ball consistently.

3. Avoid Early Disconnection: When the hands take over, the swing becomes arm-dominated, causing a cascade of issues like casting, over-swinging, or loss of power. A core-driven takeaway keeps everything in harmony, setting up a strong position at the top of the backswing for a powerful downswing.

Belly Button Takeaway Drill: Build the Right Feel

To ingrain this Tour Pro move into your swing, let’s walk through a practical drill that focuses on starting your takeaway with the core. This exercise is simple enough to do at home or on the range and will help you develop the muscle memory for a connected, consistent motion.

Drill Setup: Grab your golf club or an alignment stick and stand in your normal address position. Place the butt end of the club or stick against your belly button, holding it in place with one hand while gripping the club as you normally would with the other. This setup helps you physically feel the connection between your core and the club.

Execution: Without moving your hands or arms independently, rotate your torso to initiate the takeaway. Focus on turning your belly button slightly away from the target, allowing your shoulders and arms to follow naturally. Keep your hands low and connected to your body as you make this turn. Perform this motion three times slowly to build the feel, then remove the club from your belly button, return to a normal grip, and recreate the same core-driven motion with a small waggle before a practice swing.

Tips for Success: Pay attention to the sensation of your core leading the movement—your hands should feel passive, almost along for the ride. If you notice your arms pulling away from your body, reset and focus on a slower, more deliberate turn. Practice this drill for 5-10 minutes per session to reinforce the habit, and always transition to a few full swings to integrate the feel into your actual game.

Putting It All Together

Mastering the takeaway with a core-powered approach is a small change that can yield massive results in your ball striking and overall swing consistency. By initiating the backswing with your belly button as the engine, maintaining the triangle between your shoulders and arms, and avoiding early disconnection, you’ll build a foundation that mirrors the effortless precision of tour professionals. The Belly Button Takeaway Drill is your tool to turn this concept into action, helping you develop the right feel and eliminate hand dominance from your swing.

Take the time to practice this drill regularly, whether you’re at the range or in your backyard. The first few feet of your backswing are critical, and with consistent effort, you’ll notice a newfound connection and control in every shot. Get out there and start building that Tour Pro takeaway—your game will thank you for it.