[Matt]

Can anyone clarify what Homer meant when he wrote that Hitters "carry it back" and Swingers "swing it back?"

John,

To see the takeaway differences, you have to look at the differences that separate the two strokes (Hitting and Swinging) as a whole. The Hitting motion, as you know, is a driving stroke that's powered by right arm thrust. The Swinging stroke is a pulling stroke powering by rotation and the clubhead whips downplane.

In order to set up the proper startdowns, Hitters and Swingers should ideally have different feels to their takeaways. The Hitter "carries the club back" from an optional, and almost rigid, Impact Fix address. There is no attempt to acquire momentum, no attempt to whirl it back. You passively carry it back to set up a straight-line driving motion from the top. This is more or less the essence of drive loading.

On the flip side, the Swinger wants to make it as easy as possible to drag load and pull that club downplane at startdown. To facilitate this goal, ideally he will employ more of a "lagging clubhead takeaway" where he lets the clubhead lag behind his hands at startup (yes, this takeaway is still an option for the Hitter). You want to start acquiring the Swinger's momentum right at startup, in essence "swinging" the clubhead back from the ball. Then, from the top, you have some momentum in the clubhead with which to load PP3 and easily drag load. Thus the statements...

- Hitters carry back and drive through.
- Swingers whirl back and whirl through.

Again, I think it's easier to understand the takeaway differences when you look at the strokes' overall motions. One employs muscular thrust, the other centrifugal force. Now simply apply those ideas to your takeaway and you should see the differences between the two. Hope this helps.