Moving your head on the way back is one of the best golf backswing fundamentals you can learn.



Why move your head as you take the club back during the golf backswing? You want to move your head because in order to backswing in a circular motion you need an axis to swing around. An axis has a top and a bottom. When you set up to the golf ball, you have 1 top to an axis (your head) and 2 bottoms (your legs and feet) to an axis.

This means that on the way back your head should be moving 3 - 5 inches to the right in order to create your first axis to swing around - the foundation of a good golf backswing technique. Your head will stay there as you come down and fall even further back through impact. Then, after the ball has been hit, your head will move forward over top of the left leg to create a second axis, and this second axis will allow you to complete the circular rotation in your golf back swing allowing you to finish your swing.

So what you have is a floating top to an axis. Your head floats back and forth to create 2 axis when you swing. This allows your golf backswing be a circular motion. It's not a perfect circle though. It's a slight oval. Because your swing is a slight oval, you will never hit the ball 100% 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.

Most people trying to learn a better golf backswing techique try to move their head back when I tell them to but they have a hard time actually doing it because it feels so uncomfortable for them to move their head.

To get the proper feeling, you must feel like your head is moving about 1 foot to the right. If you feel like your head is moving 1 foot to the right on the way back, it will actually only move a few inches. One good tip is to try swinging regularly towards a mirror.

Using a mirror for feedback, you can notice if you are moving your head or holding it still. Try it both ways. Now notice how your weight shifts and loads to your right leg as you move your head when you start the golf backswing. Do you feel it? If so, know that you have just created the top axis - a fundamental requirement to create the golf backswing. In fact, the only way to effectively load your right leg is to move your head to the right as you swing back. Don't move your head and you'll lose power.

If you are wearing a hat when you play golf just take your backswing and look to see if the brim of the hat is level to the ground not tilted to the left. If the brim of the hat is level to the ground at the top of your backswing your head will have moved the proper amount.

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.

One of the dangers of moving your head back as you swing will be the tendency to hit the ball short and fat. Don't sweat it. This is a good thing because it let's you know you are moving your head properly. The key is simply to realize you are now shifting too much weight to your right leg and pull a little off at impact. Try it. Move your head to the right at the start of your backswing, hold and drop at impact, shift some power off your right foot through impact into the follow through.