Head position in the golf swing simplified
Do you feel like your head is out of position at address and during the golf swing? Does your head feel awkward or even out of sync with the rest of your golf swing? Maybe you’re not even sure where your head should be facing besides at the golf ball during the swing? You’re not alone, as the head position in the golf swing is still often misunderstood by the majority of golfers. The lag shot golf training aid helps you load the club like a professional and feel the head in the right spot.
Fortunately, with just a minor adjustment you can learn the correct position and enjoy the benefits it will bring to your golf game.
Getting this right results in more consistent ball striking and lower scores in your golf game.
>> If you like this, you'll also like: Discover 6 Keys to Get The Proper Golf Iron Set-Up Every Time
3 SECRET MOVES I WISH I WAS SHOWN WHEN I FIRST PLAYED GOLF
The video shows all
To illustrate this best I have put together a brief video showing the ideal head position from the set-up to the impact position of the golf swing.
Often seeing yourself on video is the best way to understand how your head is moving in the golf swing and if any adjustments need to be made.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW WHERE I DEMONSTRATE HOW TO GET THE CORRECT HEAD POSITION IN THE GOLF SWING:
Set-Up position
For me, the head position in the set-up is where it all begins and can make or break your golf swing. If you can get this position correct you are well on your way to making a great golf swing.
If you have a look at the image at the top left corner you’ll see an example of a bad head position at the setup.
In this image, you’ll set the head facing straight or just behind the golf ball. Whilst this may seem okay and innocent enough, it can actually trigger a number of faults in your golf swing.
Poor takeaway coming from either the inside or too far outside
The imbalance between the top and lower part of your body
Inhabits your ability to transition weight easily from the right to the left side
What should you do?
The ideal head position in the golf swing from start to impact position should look like the image at the top in the right corner. For the right-handed golfer, this means tilting the head slightly to the right away from the golf ball.
This puts your body in the perfect position to make a smooth takeaway and a solid overall golf swing.
The benefits are:
Smooth takeaway coming from on plane
Better stability between the upper and lower body
Allows an easier transition of weight from the right side to the left
Enables the club to start the downswing more from an inside path
This head position in the golf swing should be maintained from the set up to the impact zone. Once you have made contact with the golf ball the head will naturally turn towards the target.
Give it a try and see how this works for you. It may take a game or two before it feels totally comfortable, but after that, you will see good results.
I took it a step further and maintained a great head position in my swing by implementing a Ben Hogan swing secret in the Stress-Free Golf Swing.
It showed me how the head moves in the swing and where it should be to ensure you make a consistent, powerful golf swing every time.
Check out the Stress-Free Golf Swing here.
3 reasons why your head moves a lot & how to fix
Before I get into the reasons I want to clarify something. It is okay for the head to move a little bit, say 1 to 2 inches. In fact, you need the head to move or else you’ll get yourself into more trouble in the golf swing.
Try this, keep your head dead still and make a backswing.
You’ll find you will do a reverse pivot with your head and shoulders pointing back towards the target.
Ideally, you want your head and shoulders to be leaning slightly away from the target in the backswing in a similar position to where they started at address.
The team at Rotary Swing are experts at identifying the correct head movement in the golf swing.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW THAT DEMONSTRATES HOW TO ENSURE YOU PERFORM THE RIGHT HEAD MOVEMENT IN THE GOLF SWING:
1. Head dipping down in backswing
When you don’t shift your weight correctly to your trail leg and/or turn your shoulders too steeply your head will drop as a result.
This makes it difficult to keep your golf swing on plane unless you perform some compensations throughout the rest of the swing.
How to fix:
Shift your weight to the trail leg
Turn your shoulders perpendicular to the spine
See below for a great drill to fix.
2. Head moving vertically in backswing
When you don’t bend your trail leg when shifting your weight, your head will rise up and steepen your swing plane.
This leads to all sorts of problems in the golf swing and will require major compensation in the downswing to recover.
How to fix:
Maintain the flex in your trail leg.
See below for a great drill to fix.
3. Head moving laterally too much in backswing
If you notice your head is moving too much from side to side during the backswing, it’s most likely because you are pushing the club too much from the lead side. When this happens it makes it very difficult to shift your weight back to the lead side and complete a smooth transition.
This leads to a lot of inconsistent ball striking due to the extra timing needed because of the excessive head movement.
How to fix:
Turn your rear shoulder in towards your spine or centre.
This is a move of around only 1 – 2 inches.
This will help you create a better golf swing takeaway and better shoulder turn in the backswing.
See below for a great drill to fix.
Drill to fix all 3
Take a club and place it across your chest with the clubhead position at the rear side. Practice lifting your right heel and pushing it into the ground hard. This means you are shifting your weight. After doing this, pull your clubhead in towards your spine, you should feel engagement in your core. Maintain the flex into your rear thigh with your knee facing forward.
Next, practice the same drill but this time hold the clubhead end of the club so it feels light and complete for several reps.
Finally, practice holding the club normal and complete again for several reps.
If at any stage you feel your head is moving again whilst looking at your swing on video. Go back to a stage in the drills with the club as light as possible and keep practicing until you master it.
How Lydia Ko moves her head in the golf swing
It may sound contradictory to what I’ve just told you, but LPGA star Lydia Ko moves her head down in the golf backswing.
However, Lyda's move is not all bad because she maintains her spine angle throughout enabling her to consistently bottom out at the same spot every time in the golf swing.
She keeps her hips back maintaining the tush line.
The key here is although her head moves she doesn’t allow it to move her spine angle which stays intact throughout the golf swing.
Because she maintains this angle, she’s able to have the golf club bottom out in the same position nearly every time.
The video below from Rotary Swing shows how Lydia moves her head in the golf swing.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW THAT DEMONSTRATES HOW LYDIA KO MOVES HER HEAD IN THE GOLF SWING:
It's your turn
Let me know how you go after practicing these tips for maintaining the correct head position in the golf swing.
This is important to performing and playing consistent golf on a regular basis.
Practice the drills as outlined and you will see improved results with your overall golf game.
Let me know how you go, I would love to hear your feedback.
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