Spine crashing forward during backswing

[Platypus]

I have a problem with coming out of posture on the take-away. My head drops down vertically and forward, often a number of inches. I've also got a nasty tendency to shank for the past month. I can control the vertical and practice keeping it up but I struggle with the forward.

Any suggestions or drills on how to keep the head and upper body from diving forward during the back swing, most noticeably at the top of it?

[acegolfer]

Is forward towards ball or towards target?

[Platypus]

Towards the ball.

[acegolfer]

Towards the ball.

I have the same issue when I over swing. Check your hand position at the top. How high is it?

[socaltaoist]

The dropping of your head is a good thing. If you watch Tiger, Hogan, etc. their heads all dropped and didn't return to starting position height until follow through. Your head isn't dropping your hips are bending as you dynamically swing. Fighting this is what is causing you to shank the ball. When you strike the ball you do NOT return to your starting position. Your shaft angle will be steeper at impact than at address. Your weight should be laterally shifter to your lead side and the hips firing. All of this is facilitated by proper use of your body and the head dipping is a sign of that. When you fight this your rotational axis changes, and flattens out your shoulder plane in relation to the ground which in turn causes severe shanks.

[acegolfer]

The dropping of your head is a good thing. If you watch Tiger, Hogan, etc. their heads all dropped and didn't return to starting position height until follow through. Your head isn't dropping your hips are bending as you dynamically swing. Fighting this is what is causing you to shank the ball. When you strike the ball you do NOT return to your starting position. Your shaft angle will be steeper at impact than at address. Your weight should be laterally shifter to your lead side and the hips firing. All of this is facilitated by proper use of your body and the head dipping is a sign of that. When you fight this your rotational axis changes, and flattens out your shoulder plane in relation to the ground which in turn causes severe shanks.

If you see my head at top of the swing, it moves down as OP said. I was trying to fight it. Can you see whether it's something that I shouldn't worry about? I know Tiger does it but I thought it was one of his faults.

[Weezy]

Yours above isn't anything significant. There is a difference between that and what barkley does. If you drop it an inch or so its very common among good and even great players but the 6 inches to a foot barkleyesque stuff won't work.

[socaltaoist]

I am with Weezy on this one. If you watch the great ball strikers they all have that motion in there swing. There is some great analysis of this very subject in one of the articles in this link (can't remember which one but it was this exact question about one of Tiger's "weaknesses") http://www.aroundhawaii.com/members/kmiyahira .