How the head should be held during the down swing and the follow through movements by the Basic Steps to Perfect Golf

The action of holding the head firmly in the frontal facing position until the rotational movement of the shoulders force the head to move away from this position is a what I call the Fixed Frontal condition and I consider this basic principle to be one of the major keys to playing very good golf.
(See Video and notice how the head remains in the Fixed Frontal position, with the eyes looking at the ball position until well after the club head has swung through the contact area.)

If you keep the head firmly fixed in the Fixed Frontal condition an well as keeping the left eye slightly behind the ball whilst you perform the down swing and the follow through movement, you will achieve a control over the direction of the golf shot that will astound you.

When I say that the head must be held in the Fixed Frontal position -- this means that the head must not rotate away from the frontal facing position until it is literally forced to move away from this position by the rotational movement of the shoulders as the follow through movement is performed.
(Keeping the head in the Fixed Frontal position is totally different to keeping the head positioned slightly behind the ball, because when I say the head must be held slightly behind the ball with "pin point accuracy" -- this means that the head must not have any lateral movement away from the original address position.)

By keeping the head in the Fixed Frontal condition until the rotational movement of the shoulders literally force the head to rotate away from this position ensures that the shoulders remain parallel to the target line as the club head swings to bottom of the swing arc, thus dramatically increasing the possibility of the ball going in the direction that you are aiming.

If you observe the professional golfers on the television, you will notice all of the golfers keep the head in this Fixed position until well after both arms are straight -- therefore do not write this basic principle off as a waste of time.

You must keep the head in the Fixed Frontal position for slightly longer than you may consider appropriate and believe me I have thoroughly tested this theory, therefore unless you try it for yourself, you will not know if it works for you.

If you are able to continue to look at the spot the ball was resting as the club head moves into and through the contact area you will almost certainly maintain the head in this position until well after the ball has been struck.

The Fixed Frontal condition is when the head is firmly held in the frontal facing position regardless of any rotational movement of the shoulders, or another way to explain, the Fixed Frontal position is when the distance of both eyes to the golf ball are exactly the same.

During the down swing and the follow through movements, although the hips and the shoulders rotate past the original address position before the club head makes contact with the ball, the head must remain firmly fixed so that the left eye remains slightly behind the ball, but equally important is that the head must also remain held in the Fixed Frontal position until the rotational movement of the shoulders force the head to rotate away from this position, basically holding the shoulders on the parallel to the target line for that extra millisecond whilst the club head moves through the contact area.

Therefore when you carry out the down swing and the follow through movements, it is absolutely vital that the head is firmly held in this Fixed Frontal position until the rotational movement of the shoulders force the head to rotate away from this position.

There are a few reasons for holding the head in this condition, one of the reasons is to ensure that both eyes are equally focused on the ball at all times, another reason is that it assists in maintaining the shoulders on the Parallel to the Target Line as the club head swings through the contact area.

I have found by experience that regardless of how aggressively I swing the golf club through the contact area, as long as I concentrate on keeping the head firmly positioned so that the left eye remains slightly behind the ball position, maintain the upper body angles so that the right shoulder can be forced to rotate under the chin as the follow through movement is performed and importantly, holding the head firmly in the Fixed Frontal condition -- the ball will still go away on the exact line that the shoulders are aligned.

Therefore, if you can teach yourself this aspect of the golf swing, you will immediately see the results of your labour.

To gain a brief understanding of how firmly the head should be held in this condition as you rotate during the down swing movement, carry out the following exercise :-

During the down swing a combination of the hip movement and the twisted body unit rotate the shoulders back to the original address position and on to the end of the golf swing movement.

However it is physically impossible to hold the head in the Fixed Frontal condition until the absolute end of the golf swing movement, however it is vital that you hold the head in the Fixed Frontal position for that extra milli-second as the club head moves through the contact area, and continue to hold the head in this position until the rotational action of the shoulders force the head to rotate away from this position.

I cannot stress the point too strongly that during the down swing movement the head should be firmly held in the Fixed Frontal condition for that extra millisecond, until the rotational movement of the shoulders force the head to rotate away from this position.

Golf Instructors insist that the head should not be kept perfectly still, however you must make that extra effort to totally resist the head from being rotated away from the Fixed Frontal position during the follow through movement until the head is forced to move away from this position.

Most Mid to High Handicapped golfers make the big mistake of allowing the head to rotate towards the target area at the precise moment the club head makes contact with the ball. -- In contrast, top class golfers hold the head firmly in this position for a split second longer after the ball has been struck and it is this extra split second that makes all the difference.

For example if you watch Tiger Woods as he carries out the golf swing, you will note that his head is firmly held in the Fixed Frontal position until well after the arms have swung well past the ball position, therefore he has learnt by experience how important it is to hold the head very firmly in place until well after the ball has been struck.

If you imagine someone holding your head so firmly so that as you rotate the shoulders, the head would not be able to move -- not for even a fraction of an inch - This is an indication of how firmly the head must be held in the Frontal Facing position whilst you carry out the golf swing.

Therefore, although the rest of the body is allowed to move, you must work hard at ensuring that the head does not rotate away from this strategic position, especially as the club head swings through the contact area.

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