Erika Larkin on the One-Piece Takeaway

I realize some of you get tired of hearing me harp on the one-piece takeaway (OPT) but I'd be willing to bet that 95% of you who struggle with your swings don't do it.

You should. And therefore, although I already have a post with a drill on how to do a OPT, I like to put up as many different approaches to teaching it as I can find.

This one is a video from Golf Channel Academy Lead Coach Erika Larkin -- she's GC's Teacher of the Week this week -- and it's yet another coach's way of teaching the move and the feel.



Erika is focusing on the shoulder turn involved in a one-piece takeaway. By putting the butt end of your driver against your belly and turning without bending your elbows, you learn to feel a good shoulder turn without stiffening your arms. Relaxation is very important in the OPT!

I would suggest using this drill to get the feel for the shoulder turn, then try doing my drill to feel the actual position you'll be in when you swing with a OPT. This will help reinforce the correct movement when you're actually hitting balls.