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18| SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | NOVEMBER 2022 | KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN? By Brian Garlington, PGA, Director of Golf If you've been around golf for any meaningful amount of time, you've likely heard the advice to "keep your head down" or "keep your head still." When someone starts struggling to make consistent contact, there's always someone nearby to suggest they keep focus on the movement of their head. I never condemn anybody for trying to help someone play this game. However, when your friend gives you that advice it's because that's what was told to him when he began. The advice is well-intentioned, and to the uninformed it makes perfect sense! Too much movement with your head means that you're (theoretically) taking your eyes off the ball. And it's tough to hit something you aren't actively looking at. Unfortunately, this myth of keeping your head down has been in golf for as long as the game has existed, and however well-intended this advice may be, it's actually not all that helpful. I repeat, it is a myth. As soon as you keep your head still, your body stops turning. You get too close to the ball and your extremities have to start fishing for the ball. You've actually got more chance of topping the ball and hitting a bad shot while keeping your head still than you have when actually letting it do what it's supposed to do. With an iron, your head should slightly move off the ball (to the right) when you take it to the top of the backswing. Then, on the way down, your head will move down as you push into the ground and then forward from where it was at the top of the swing. After impact, it will continue moving forward and then up as you follow the ball on its flight. Turning your head does not mean moving. The average player rotates their head five degrees, while the average pro rotates 22 degrees. The head has to release in completing the golf swing. Again, keeping your head still does not mean you can't turn it. The same is true with a driver, although the head movement is slightly different. Once again, your head will sway off the ball on the way back and then slightly down to begin the downswing. But as you near impact, your head will actually shift a little backward in order to create an upward angle of attack. Hopefully, you now have a much better understanding of proper head position in your golf swing. So, the next time somebody tells you to keep your head down or still, just let it go in one ear and out the other. Good Golfing!

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