The golf swing

[ollie627]

Hi, I have a very solid golf swing and get a good bit of shoulder turn on the backswing. The issue i have is when i get to the top of my backswing, my head moves back with my shoulders due to my shoulder turning. Is this a problem or are there anyways to cure it?

[saevel25]

Work infront of a mirror, facing it, and take your turn and notice at what point you start to shift back. At that point stop, feel the position, repeat, slowly. Then make faster and faster swing, until its at full speed and your not moving off the ball.

[colin007]

i have a similar problem, but mine is due to being pretty flexible, and it causes my head to swivel.  its not moving off the ball, its just turning in place, and i have to look a little left and down to see the ball at the top.

[iacas]

Does it "move" or does it "turn"?

[colin007]

turn.  i dont like it, but its better than moving.  i know i have a bit of an overswing, but its just because im He-Man.

[Elvisliveson]

Originally Posted by ollie627

Hi, I have a very solid golf swing and get a good bit of shoulder turn on the backswing. The issue i have is when i get to the top of my backswing, my head moves back with my shoulders due to my shoulder turning. Is this a problem or are there anyways to cure it?

Nothing wrong with the head moving horizontally if it's part of your shoulder turn and not a sway off the ball.

My only suggestion would be if you could do it not at the top of your backswing but ab the beginning, sort of like Jack Nicklaus cocking his head to the rear right before he takes the club back.

[saevel25]

The only problem is that, if you have lateral movement back, now you must have that movement forward, or a huge amount of leg drive forward, creating a reverse C to be able to hit the ball first. If not, then you will most likely hit the ground first, or if you come up out of your swing, you will top it.

Your arms form a triangle with your chest, if the center of your chest moves behind the ball, then you will have a tough time hitting the ball first, because now your low point just shifted backwards. To hit the ball first you must time a weight shift back.

This extra movement might give you some distance, since your adding your upper body mass to the momentum of the club. But the problem with that is, you decrease accuracy for having to many moving parts. All and all, i think shortening the rotation, to were your not pulled laterally, then just fire through the ball is a better method. You wont loose much distance, but you will gain better contact.

[colin007]

Originally Posted by Elvisliveson

Nothing wrong with the head moving horizontally if it's part of your shoulder turn and not a sway off the ball.

i dont know that these two things are really independent of each other.

[Elvisliveson]

Originally Posted by colin007

i dont know that these two things are really independent of each other.

Of course you can move your head laterally without swaying. The best description of the concept is in the book "The Laws of the Golf Swing" by Mike Adams, who uses the term "head float" to describe the action employed by players like Craig Stadler and Ian Wosnam.

But in each case the head movement is part of their shoulder turn, whereas many high handicappers do not make a proper shoulder turn, but instead just move everything backwards to the point where ther head and hips go outside their rear foot.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by Elvisliveson

Nothing wrong with the head moving horizontally if it's part of your shoulder turn and not a sway off the ball.

My only suggestion would be if you could do it not at the top of your backswing but ab the beginning, sort of like Jack Nicklaus cocking his head to the rear right before he takes the club back.

Exactly. Pre-set the head like Jack does.

Another trick is lift your chin a little at address. It could be your right shoulder is hitting your chin in the backswing causing the head to move. By lifting the chin the shoulder will go under it.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Another trick is lift your chin a little at address. It could be your right shoulder is hitting your chin in the backswing causing the head to move. By lifting the chin the shoulder will go under it.

Not the biggest fan of that method. I'd rather one simply learn to turn their shoulders on their inclined plane. You can practically bury your chin in your chest and still make a turn if you understand how to do so.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by iacas

Not the biggest fan of that method. I'd rather one simply learn to turn their shoulders on their inclined plane. You can practically bury your chin in your chest and still make a turn if you understand how to do so.

+1 to this.  I used to have this problem and thought it was because I was making such an awesome turn that my neck wasn't flexible enough to support it.  Reality was turn was just too flat and my flexibility was average at best.  Much tougher to swallow than the alternative.

[Golfs-for-Fun]

Originally Posted by ollie627

Hi, I have a very solid golf swing and get a good bit of shoulder turn on the backswing. The issue i have is when i get to the top of my backswing, my head moves back with my shoulders due to my shoulder turning. Is this a problem or are there anyways to cure it?

I start with my head turned to my right shoulder. I think a book I had by Jack showed that he did it that way...probably where I got the idea, cant remember its been so long ago since I had it.

Since youre head is already turned to the rear, it wont likely have to turn any more if any, during your backswing.

If you are talking about literally 'sliding' back, I stopped that by digging in with my left leg and foot so Id be thinking about it.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by iacas

Not the biggest fan of that method. I'd rather one simply learn to turn their shoulders on their inclined plane. You can practically bury your chin in your chest and still make a turn if you understand how to do so.

True. Greg Norman has his chin down & his shoulder hits it on the backswing, so he obviously knows how to do it without it making his head move -

But if the thread starter is having issues with his head moving off center, it could be caused by the shoulder hitting the chin, so a simple fix is to get the chin out of the way.