How important is a steady head and centered turn in the golf swing?

[Mike Boatright]

I know the kiss of death in the golf swing is a reverse pivot,but what about moving backwards away from the ball in your swing a little? I do this a bit and have posted this in my swing thread, but I was thinking is it really that big of a deal if it's only marginal? If you think about it in a swing your hitting a ball on a peg and your main goal is to stay level or get behind that object to propel it forward unless it's a sw then your kinda hitting on top of it or down on it. Think of a Baseball pitcher he winds up moves away to a large degree loads up on his back foot braced by an object aka the mound and lunges forward with momentum ''similar to a golf shoe with spikes being the mound'' Iv'e never seen a great mlb pitcher not have some kind a lateral motion away then forward. Most or all great golfers make this turn I get that they have a steady head and such but is it essential vs the obvious no no the reverse pivot.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Mike Boatright

[saevel25]

2 minutes ago, Mike Boatright said:

I know the kiss of death in the golf swing is a reverse pivot,but what about moving backwards away from the ball in your swing a little? 

There is some leeway for a steady head. Hence the use of the word steady over still. 

3 minutes ago, Mike Boatright said:

I do this a bit and have posted this in my swing thread, but I was thinking is it really that big of a deal if it's only marginal?

Your head does not move marginally off the golf ball. It moves about 8-12 inches. If you could cut that movement by 1/3rd your swing would be much better. Stop making your own swing issues marginal, when they are not. 

6 minutes ago, Mike Boatright said:

Think of a Baseball pitcher he winds up moves away to a large degree loads up on his back foot braced by an object aka the mound and lunges forward with momentum ''similar to a golf shoe with spikes being the mound'' 

Ground forces used off the back foot in the golf swing are minimal at best. I believe this discussion has already been had on this forum. 

6 minutes ago, Mike Boatright said:

Iv'e never seen a great mlb pitcher not have some kind a lateral motion away then forward. Most or all great golfers make this turn I get that they have a steady head and such but is it essential vs the obvious no no the reverse pivot.

I've never seen a great golfer who had the lateral head movement you have. 

Yes a steady head is essential. It's a key to the golf swing. If all great players keep their heads with in this small area of allowable movement that is defined as steady, then it's something that golfers should try to achieve. 

Oh, golf IS NOT baseball. 

For your reference, 

'

 

[Mike Boatright]

1 minute ago, saevel25 said:

our head does not move marginally off the golf ball. It moves about 8-12 inches. If you could cut that movement by 1/3rd your swing would be much better. Stop making your own swing issues marginal, when they are not. 

I guess I see it as marginal based on my shots I guess I have good timing? right now i'm hitting 177 yard 6 irons about 3 out of 4 on the green with misses being pushes and weak smothered toe hooks. My drives are 50/50 285 either out there either perfect or pushes and toe hooks and sometimes 3 out of 4. My wedges are 95% all greens in other words I'm playing well just wan't to get better

[Ernest Jones]

You can get away with a lot more head movement on tee shots. 

Off the deck, a steady head becomes much more important. Some people can play pretty decent golf with a sloppy key 1 if they have very good hand/eye coordination, but they are playing decently despite the head movement not because of it. Even the guys who can get away it to a certain degree would play much better (and more consistently) by correcting it. 

@Mike Boatright, you seem to be shopping for answers. The advice you have been getting in your swing thread has been very consistent. If you want to improve, work on your sway. If you don't want to work on your sway, then don't, but stop trying to get people to tell you that your sway isn't an issue because it is. Even if you do get someone to say that the sway is ok, or even a good thing, you've only succeeded in getting bad advice. 

[Rainmaker]

I think it's really important.  Just from my own, less educated perspective . .if you move your head around, you are moving the bottom of your swing around . .you have to come  back to exactly the right spot to hit a good shot.  Even if you can hit it that way pretty good - you can hit it a lot better if you give yourself a stable base to turn around.   

[Mike Boatright]

Oh no I'm trying to figure out the way not to sway that makes sense to me. I'm kinda dyslexic however I usually find an easy way that make sense to me based on my high iq and eventually I simplify it. I think I get it actually I make a wedge swing that I keep 60% of my weight on my left foot and keep it there that's it. Iv'e seen that swing my head doesn't move my hips turn,I mean they always turn it's that easy. You guys are talking about steps and such and I'm thinking centered turn it's confusing that's all.

[Ernest Jones]

3 minutes ago, Mike Boatright said:

Oh no I'm trying to figure out the way not to sway that makes sense to me. I'm kinda dyslexic however I usually find an easy way that make sense to me based on my high iq and eventually I simplify it. I think I get it actually I make a wedge swing that I keep 60% of my weight on my left foot and keep it there that's it. Iv'e seen that swing my head doesn't move my hips turn,I mean they always turn it's that easy. You guys are talking about steps and such and I'm thinking centered turn it's confusing that's all.

Well, as long as you have a high IQ...

[Patch]

I have no issues how a golfer swings the club as long as they get positive results to their own liking. Some golfers, who want to get better, most likely will need to make some change to the swing they are already satisfied with.

As for head movement I have always thought that as the head moved, so did the shoulders. As the shoulders moved, so did the bottom of the swing arc. I have yet to see a golfer with no head movement. Just golfers who let their head move too much, or just right. 

The centered hip turn also helped keep the bottom of the swing arc near where it was at set up, long as the shoulders follow in a correct manner. 

Moving backwards is fine, as long as the golfer can return foreward to where they were at set up. A weight shift backwards, requires a weight ship foreward. I don't do it, because it adds another compenstion  to my swing that I don't want to be bothered with. I tend to keep most of weight on my lead foot during my swing. Been doing that for 40+ years. 

When I am out golfing for a score, I want the least amount swing movements as possible to get the job done. If I get to the top of my swing properly, then I have an easier time with my down swing into impact with the ball. That's my own "KISS" swing that continues to serve me, and my current physical abilities well. 

Edited March 27, 2016 by Patch

[Lihu]

Learning a golf swing doesn't get any easier than 5 simple keys.

[mvmac]

What's important is moving the body in a way that keeps the head relatively steady, not keeping the head steady for the sake of keeping it steady.

5 hours ago, Mike Boatright said:

I know the kiss of death in the golf swing is a reverse pivot,but what about moving backwards away from the ball in your swing a little?

I'd rather move the head a little away from the target than towards the target on the backswing.

5 hours ago, Mike Boatright said:

I do this a bit and have posted this in my swing thread, but I was thinking is it really that big of a deal if it's only marginal?

You do it more than "a bit". Just use the dart board as a reference.

 

[iacas]

6 hours ago, Ernest Jones said:

@Mike Boatright, you seem to be shopping for answers. The advice you have been getting in your swing thread has been very consistent. If you want to improve, work on your sway. If you don't want to work on your sway, then don't, but stop trying to get people to tell you that your sway isn't an issue because it is. Even if you do get someone to say that the sway is ok, or even a good thing, you've only succeeded in getting bad advice. 

#Truth

[Mike Boatright]

2 hours ago, mvmac said:

What's important is moving the body in a way that keeps the head relatively steady, not keeping the head steady for the sake of keeping it steady.

I'd rather move the head a little away from the target than towards the target on the backswing.

You do it more than "a bit". Just use the dart board as a reference.

 

Yes this was my wider stance.

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, Mike Boatright said:

Yes this was my wider stance.

I posted in your swing thread. You sway a ton with your narrower stance too.

[Mike Boatright]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

I posted in your swing thread. You sway a ton with your narrower stance too.

Well honestly I don't know what to say I went to the range this morning hit 200 balls and have not hit the ball that good in many,many years.. I hit plenty of misses but a lot of high smash draws with my driver and irons! All of my misses were to the right this is out of 200 balls maybe 25 misses that's a huge +ratio. I will continue to work on the sway thing, but since I can't see myself swing and im nailing it and not really concerned with it.

[Ernest Jones]

2 hours ago, Mike Boatright said:

Well honestly I don't know what to say I went to the range this morning hit 200 balls and have not hit the ball that good in many,many years.. I hit plenty of misses but a lot of high smash draws with my driver and irons! All of my misses were to the right this is out of 200 balls maybe 25 misses that's a huge +ratio. I will continue to work on the sway thing, but since I can't see myself swing and im nailing it and not really concerned with it.

Great. Sounds like you're all set. Let's not hear anymore about it then. 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Ernest Jones said:

Great. Sounds like you're all set. Let's not hear anymore about it then. 

Seriously.

[Mike Boatright]

2 hours ago, Ernest Jones said:

Great. Sounds like you're all set. Let's not hear anymore about it then. 

I'll be posting more videos when I feel it's where I want and respect honest and credible feedback.

Just a heads up Ernest don't try to be cool by putting others down show some class man!

[natureboy]

13 hours ago, Mike Boatright said:

Oh no I'm trying to figure out the way not to sway that makes sense to me.

I think in 'Golf My Way' Nicklaus talked about using a mental image of a sprinter in starting blocks for his trail foot. He made a huge turn, but didn't sway.

It's kind of relevant to your first post in this thread. How much is that pitcher using the leverage (pushing into / off) of the rubber to 'load up' in the windup?

Edited March 28, 2016 by natureboy