Have you been in a position on the course where you were confused about what direction to take the club away from the ball. Many times I come across golfers who have difficulty in knowing where the club goes in the takeaway and into the backswing. I teach my students something very simple about the backswing — the path of the hands is directed by the toe line.

As you can see in the photo, I have a club laid down on the ground that represents my “toe line.” This “toe line” is the path that I want my hands to track in the takeaway and follow all the way into the backswing. The key to helping the hands guide the club back along the “toe line” is to have rotation in the shoulders.

By utilizing the bigger shoulder muscles to rotate into the backswing, it will free up the arms and hands to be guided back along the toe line to help you control your direction. So often I see higher handicappers with very little shoulder turn therefore lift the club back with the arms in the takeaway. This motion will lead to moving the club away from the toe line. That results in a lack of control in the direction of your ball flight.

When you make a shoulder rotation in the takeaway, you can see in the photo, the arms, hands and golf club reference the toe line.

When I get to a point in the takeaway that the club is level to the ground, my check point is to see that the shaft is directly on top of the toe line, or matching the club on the ground. As you can see in the photo I have my left arm and shaft making a straight line that runs directly above the toe line.

Another check point to look for in your swing at this point is that of the clubface angle matching the spine angle. This is an area of debate since some teachers like to have the toe of the clubface angled “toe up” at 90 degrees in reference to the ground but open in reference to the spine angle. Tour players can get away with this since they practice nonstop and have developed faster hand action. It is more beneficial and requires less timing if you maintain a slight angle of the clubface toward the ball or parallel to the spine angle. By maintaining that clubface angle, you will not need to manipulate the clubface coming back through impact on the forward swing. The clubface will already be square.

A good way to work on your takeaway is to lay a club or stick on the ground that runs along your toes. Hold another club up across your shoulders with your right hand, letting your left hand drop down like you're going to swing a club one-handed left handed.

As you make your backswing, rotate your shoulders approximately 45 to 60 degrees as you guide the left hand back along the toe line, or club that is laying on the ground. You want to condition yourself using the bigger/stronger muscles of the shoulders to help guide the smaller/weaker muscles of the arms and hands. You want this takeaway to be precise along the toe line to create a more consistent motion away from the ball.

Rob Stanger was recognized by Golf Magazine as a 2005-2008 Top Teachers West Region. He teaches in the Desert at The College Golf Center. For inquiries about your golf game, contact him at (760)-409-8628 or robstanger@msn.com.