Head Swivel
In the past few years there have been a number of players in professional golf making a forward head swivel on their downswing. Most notable is David Duval. But there are others, including Annika Sorenstam and Robert Allenby.
This move goes against much of the traditional thinking in golf instruction. Notions such as "Keep your head down" and "Keep your eye on the ball" don’t apply to these players’ swings. Is this a move that you want in your swing?
The answer is, most diplomatically, yes and no.
Yes, you want it, or want to leave it that way, if it’s simply a natural move for you. This is how it is with most of the professionals who do it. Annika is the only one who consciously does it. No, you don’t want it, if it’s unnatural to you and you have to force yourself to do it. Just because you see a couple of great players do it does not mean that you should. The majority of great players in the world keep their head down and still through the shot. Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara even have their eyes pointing behind the ball a bit at impact.
Although the players on tour who make this unusual move are great, most instructors aren't in favor of it. The main reason is because it usually results in an over-the-top downswing. Anytime you get your head moving laterally, even if it may be a slight "look up" swivel, your shoulders have the tendency to open. When you open your shoulders, you have almost no choice but to swing across the ball, which is a main reason for a slice.
Many people who are right-eye dominant fight this head swivel. Their eyes naturally want to look up at the target a split second early. Even though it’s natural to them, it seems as though they can get a much more solid strike on the ball if they can keep their head down and still through the shot.
To help prevent the "look up" swivel, make practice swings, and as you swing down look to a point about five feet behind where the ball would be. This will swivel your head the opposite way. Doing this exaggerated practice move will make it easier to have the correct move happen during the actual shot.
The bottom line is that if you have success with it, that’s great. Some of the best players can do it, so you can too. However, if you are not playing well, and you tend to lift or swivel your head, even if it may be natural, you should try to change. You should feel your head tilt the opposite way, to the right, just before you swing (a la Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan). It keeps the head behind the ball and encourages the shoulders to work down and under as opposed to out and over.
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Learn more about the #1 rated golf instruction book in the game today, 1 Step to Better Golf.
This move goes against much of the traditional thinking in golf instruction. Notions such as "Keep your head down" and "Keep your eye on the ball" don’t apply to these players’ swings. Is this a move that you want in your swing?
The answer is, most diplomatically, yes and no.
Yes, you want it, or want to leave it that way, if it’s simply a natural move for you. This is how it is with most of the professionals who do it. Annika is the only one who consciously does it. No, you don’t want it, if it’s unnatural to you and you have to force yourself to do it. Just because you see a couple of great players do it does not mean that you should. The majority of great players in the world keep their head down and still through the shot. Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara even have their eyes pointing behind the ball a bit at impact.
Although the players on tour who make this unusual move are great, most instructors aren't in favor of it. The main reason is because it usually results in an over-the-top downswing. Anytime you get your head moving laterally, even if it may be a slight "look up" swivel, your shoulders have the tendency to open. When you open your shoulders, you have almost no choice but to swing across the ball, which is a main reason for a slice.
Many people who are right-eye dominant fight this head swivel. Their eyes naturally want to look up at the target a split second early. Even though it’s natural to them, it seems as though they can get a much more solid strike on the ball if they can keep their head down and still through the shot.
To help prevent the "look up" swivel, make practice swings, and as you swing down look to a point about five feet behind where the ball would be. This will swivel your head the opposite way. Doing this exaggerated practice move will make it easier to have the correct move happen during the actual shot.
The bottom line is that if you have success with it, that’s great. Some of the best players can do it, so you can too. However, if you are not playing well, and you tend to lift or swivel your head, even if it may be natural, you should try to change. You should feel your head tilt the opposite way, to the right, just before you swing (a la Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan). It keeps the head behind the ball and encourages the shoulders to work down and under as opposed to out and over.
---
Learn more about the #1 rated golf instruction book in the game today, 1 Step to Better Golf.
posted by Best Golf Tips at
10:30 AM
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