Pete Cowen's Takeaway Drill
Curated PGA Drill by Peter Cowen
Takeaway
3 sets of 10 slow rehearsal reps
Golf club, alignment stick (optional)
Advanced
Why This Drill Works (Kinetic Mechanics)
The 'wringing' action forces the trail hand to act as an opposing force to the lead hand. This stabilizes the clubface and prevents the common fault of the hands rolling the clubhead inside early.
How to Perform the Drill
Follow these step-by-step instructions. Rehearse slowly to build proper motor patterns before adding full swing speed.
- 1
Step 1
Hold a towel (or headcover) with a baseball grip, keeping hands very close together.
- 2
Step 2
Imagine the towel is soaking wet and you need to 'wring' the water out of it.
- 3
Step 3
Apply equal and opposite pressure with both hands (wringing motion) to activate the core.
- 4
Step 4
Maintain this wringing sensation during the takeaway to keep the hands in front of the chest.
What Good Feels Like
Focus on smooth tempo and maintaining body connection through impact. Your body and club should move as a single synchronized unit.
Common Mistake to Avoid
Rushing transition before completing backswing or lunging upper body forward towards ball at impact. Keep movement controlled.
