Perfecting the Golf BackSwing - Move Your Head
When Paul Wilson was learning to play golf, his father told him at least 50 times per round to keep his head still. Perhaps you've heard the same advice. Especially when it comes to trying to learn the perfect golf backswing.
Better advice would be to "move your head a little on the way back" to get a proper golf backswing.
It sounds counter intuitive and even feels abit unnatural. But think of a ballerina or figure skater going into a spin. They always move their head first to set up and create a proper two-point axis. A proper circular motion requires two axis points. A top and a bottom. And when you set up to execute a golf backswing your head becomes the top axis and your legs and feet become the bottom axis.
An axis is something to swing around. So on the way back your head - the top axis - should move three to five inches to the right to create this first critical axis point. On the way down, your head will stay there and even fall further back as you complete this golf backswing technique. And it is only after the ball is hit that your head will automatically move forward over the top of your left leg and create the second point of the axis - allowing you to complete the swing and follow through.
So the top of the backswing axis is not stationary. It's floating. Your head floats right to left to create the perfect golf backswing axis. But this does not mean your swing will be a perfect 360 degree circle. It's more egg-shaped. Which is why even a solid golf backswing technique will never be completely perfect.
If you don't move your head during the backswing you will never be able to hit the ball as long and as far as you are truly able because you are never setting up the top axis correctly.
Because moving your head at the beginning of a golf backswing is so counter-intuitive, here's a couple of golf backswing tips you can use while practicing. At first, moving your head will feel confortable but these golf backswing practice techniques should help you work through the challenges.
First, consciously think about moving your head at least a full 12 inches to the right at the start of the golf backswing. By mentally picturing your head moving a full foot to the right your head will actually move only 4-6 inches. If you continue to have challenges, practice your back swing in front of a mirrow and watch to make sure you move your head. It will feel unnatural at first but work through it. Moving your head is the key to setting up a proper golf backswing. Swing towards the mirror and watch your head.
As you watch your backswing, you can clearly see if your head is moving back 3-5 inches. As your head moves back, feel how your weight loads into the right leg. This is the tell tale sign that you have created your first axis in the golf backswing. If you don't have a loaded, powerful feeling in your right leg, you will have to move your head a little more as you go back.
Another technique you can use to practice your backswing is to wear a hat. Then as you start your swing, check to see if you keep the brim or bill of the hat level to the ground. If so, this means you ARE moving your head. When you notice the brim of your hat tilting to the left, you'll know you didn't move your head and didn't create the first backswing axis.
Another useful golf backswing tip is to video tape yourself as you practice. Then review the tape. Are you moving your head o the right and back or are you keeping it still? Is your head still back through impact or coming down? The proper golf backswing will have your head coming down only after impact.
As you move your head back, beware that it may cause you to hit behind the ball a little. This is a good sign at first. It's telling you that you are moving your head back but you have too much weight on your right foot at impact. To remedy hitting behind the ball (fat shots), all you have to do is feel a little more weight shift off of your right foot through impact. If you do, you will hit the ball perfectly and with much more power than you are used to.
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