There has been much written and spoken about head movements and their role in the golf swing. Jack Nicklaus believed that the head should be kept intact “rock, steady still.”A video of his swing shows that it moves to the left or right, but the ball remains behind him through impact. Sam Snead stated that you should “swing around the head but keep it in its same place at set-up.”He did. His backswing, transition and downswing were all very smooth. Sammy’s head only moves a bit forward and upward after impact.
Tiger keeps his head very still during the backswing, takeaway, and swing. His head drops about 2inches during Tiger’s downswing. Video also shows his position at impact. But, his head is still in front of the ball until impact. Freddie Couples actually has a similar head to Tiger, however his head moves backwards or away from Tiger at impact. However, his line of sight is the same as his setup. Phil Michelson holds his head steady like a professional golfer. It doesn’t move during the takeaway, backswing and transition. Sean O’Hair and Rory Sabatini also agree with this.
Arnold Palmer had a head that moved faster than the heads of any other golfer. A slow-motion analysis of Arnie’s swing reveals that Arnie’s head is constantly moving away from or towards the ball. This happens during transition, downswing, backswing, and through impact. Arnie’s head rose considerably at follow through and release. These swings can be viewed on YouTube. Search for your golfer name on the site.
What is the most important thing about the head of a golfer in good golf swings, given the differences in head movement between these champions? A single aspect is notable. Through the impact zone, the golfer’s head is still behind the ball. For some golfers it remains behind the ball right up until their release and followthrough. The video above shows the golfer watching the ball strike the clubhead. If asked by a golfer if they can see the ball at impact most will answer that the clubhead and driver are moving so quickly that it’s impossible to see.
These are the main conclusions of the analysis of swings in order of importance.
1. The head should not move forward of the ball in the immediate aftermath. The head should remain behind the ball for as long as it takes to strike the ball.
2. It’s not okay for your head to rise more than an inch (if any) after the impact or release. As the golfer continues to follow the ball, the head may move up or away from the target line.
3. It’s okay for your head to be behind the ball and move away during transitions, takeaway, backswings, downswings, and take away.
4. It’s also okay to lower your head, as long as you are not doing so during the same parts of the swing.
A golfer may find video analysis to be the most effective aid in helping them see the head and movements throughout the entire swing. To help improve motor memory and muscle memory to be able to control the impact of the ball, tactile feedback is a good technique. To keep the golfer’s head stable throughout swing, and especially at impact, a second golfer or training aid such as the PRO-HEAD trainer is required.