Also Known As: “Outside takeaway”.
This swing thought has you focusing on bringing the clubhead back and away from you during the takeaway so that when the shaft is parallel to the ground, the butt end of the grip is pointing to the left of the target. This is in contrast to seeing the butt end point straight at the target or to the right of it.
What it promotes
Bringing the club away from you in a marked fashion – in contrast to towards you – during the takeaway promotes an outside-in swing path.
Provided you proceed with hitting the ball while moving the clubhead towards the target line, you will be cutting across the ball from right to left, which will make the ball spin clockwise. That spin direction will result in the ball moving from to left to right, typical of a fade or a slice, depending on how your stance and clubface are positioned at impact.
What it tries to cure
Incorporating this swing tip into your game can be beneficial if you are struggling with shots that either draw or hook to the left, without you wanting them to. Indeed, those are associated with an inside-out swing path. While doing this will not result in straight shots right away, it may allow you to find the middle ground between the two and work on getting there incrementally.
Why it works
Ball flight rules have shown that the swing path has a direct relationship with the way a ball spins laterally.
In this case and akin to two sets of gears interacting, a clubhead travelling towards the ball on an out-to-in swing path will transfer force onto the ball and produce a clockwise rotation as it flies into the air. This will ultimately result in a ball moving from left to right.
When is it most useful?
Taking the club back outside is useful when trying to shape golf shots. This can happen whenever trying to get around an obstacle or a hazard, or whenever coping with strong lateral wind.
Otherwise, a golfer struggling with unwanted draws and hooks may find it useful to bring the club in the opposite fashion in order to try to find the middle ground between the two, and ultimately for a straight shot.
