by Shelley Retterer

Created on: July 01, 2007

Imagine forming a circle with a compass. This is the circular motion needed to complete a successful swing in golf. Imagine your head as the metal point of the compass. In drawing a circle with a compass, the metal point must remain in a stationary fixed position. Imagine what the circle would look like if the metal point was moving. In the golf swing, the head represents this center point. It must remain in a steady position from the address, through back swing, through forward swing until impact position. After impact the momentum of the swing can carry the head to a position facing the target, but only after impact.

If the head moves back on the take away this is considered a sway. If the head moves forward on the down swing this is considered a lunge. Both are undesirable. This swaying and lunging motion can work if the timing is absolutely perfect. But this game is complicated enough without having to rely on perfect timing each and every swing. The process of improving your timing is to master one goal at a time. This makes the next goal easier and swifter.

The head also needs to remain at the same height as well as still. The average 6 foot golfer when assuming his set up position, bending from the hips and a slight bending of the knees becomes a 5'8'golfer. If this golfer lowers his head on the back swing and keeps it in that position he becomes shorter and therefore hits behind the golf ball. Conversely if the 5'8" golfer raises his head on the back swing and becomes taller, on the forward swing he would hit above the ball. Either skulling it or whiffing it depending on the severity of his height increase.

The head also should stay at the same distance from the ball throughout the swing. If the head dips forward towards the ball on the golfers back swing and stays there, the resulting shot will be hit off the hosel. If the player was to pull his head further away from the ball on the forward swing.. The result would be a shot hit off of the toe of the club. These are also undesirable.

A great misconception by most golfers is keeping the head down. When golfers try to do this they bury their chin in their chest at the address position. This restricts the back swing length. The proper position is to keep your chin and head up and simply focus down with your eyes. This allows the arms to swing back freely under the chin and therefore completing a full swing.

One key to a good golf swing is to make it a simple repetitive motion. If the head remains still, this greatly simplifies the swing and therefore makes it repeatable. Remember the family tree of golf success, the father is the fundamental, the mother is repetition and the offspring is success.
So Kiss it. Keep it still swinger.

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