GOLF TIPS
Is the advice to keep your head still helping golfers?
the DRILL...
Hélène Delisle–Head of Instruction, Fairwinds Golf Club
After 20+ years of teaching, I notice how many golfers have been told to keep their head still or their eyes on the ball, but is it helping? In my opinion, we should say: keep your head stable until impact while continuing your rotation. Then allow your head to rotate after impact, so that your torso and hips can turn as much as you can. Why?... Because if you only tell a beginner to keep their head still, they won’t rotate their hips and torso enough after impact, thus creating an arm swing rather than a body swing. They will not be able to extend their arms at impact and will top the ball. They will also generate less club head speed. A good impact position should have 45º hip rotation towards the target, so that the torso turns correctly and the arms swing towards the target. If you move your head to the right and left (also called sway), your club head will not be low enough at impact resulting in thin shots or topping the ball.
USING A 7 IRON, here's a drill to help you with stability over the ball and with rotation.
1 To execute a CORRECT BODY SWING, keep your head stable until impact while continuing your rotation.
Place your feet three inches apart. Place your ball in the middle of your stance. Use 3/4 swings and hit 5 balls.
Your arms swing towards the target.
Allow your head to rotate after impact. Your torso and hips turn as much as you can.
An INCORRECT ARM SWING (head down for too long) limits arm extension and the speed of the club head resulting in thin shots that top the ball.
O OT D N O D
THIS!
2 Place your feet shoulder width apart. Hit 5 balls as above.
Try to get the same feel by turning your hips and torso without moving your head until after impact. If you get better impact and hit straighter shots while your feet are close together, you know that you sway. Keep using this drill and alternate 5 balls with your feet together and 1 ball with your feet apart. 25 PASSIONS | WINTER 2021
