The Basic Steps to Perfect Golf.

Masterfile.

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The head must be positioned so that the left eye is slightly behind the ball position at the precise moment the club head makes contact with the ball - It is absolutely vital that these two actions coincide.

But equally important, the head must remain held so that the left eye remains behind the ball position whilst the passive arms interact, thus swinging the club head to the bottom of the swing arc.

It is absolutely vital that the head is held firmly in the original address position especially as the passive arms interact thus swinging the to the clubbottom of the swing arc - therefore make it a priority to master this basic principle.

Ensure that the head remains firmly held in the original address position as the club head moves into and through the contact area and you will notice a dramatic increase in the striking ability of the golf shot

I concentrate very hard on this basic principle and it has certainly improved the accuracy of my shots, therefore if you wish to play serious golf you must also do the same.

Consider buying the training device that I have designed specifically for this purpose. ( See Headrite)

The ability to keep the head firmly held slightly behind the ball throughout the complete golf swing is not easy therefore it is important that you force yourself to perform this action every time you swing the golf club.

Another major key to playing very good golf is to ensure that the head remains in the Fixed Frontal condition until well after the ball has been struck -- and this is covered in a separate section.

Therefore if you wish to play very good golf, it is absolutely vital that you master these two basic principles.

If the head moves ahead of the original address position and remains ahead of the original address position as the club head makes contact with the ball it means that the hands are probably also ahead of the original address position at the moment the club head makes contact with the ball -- result, see photograph 2 below.

In order to understand what is meant by holding the head firmly positioned slightly behind the ball carry out the following exercise:-

Address the ball with the head positioned so that the left eye is slightly behind the ball position.

Make a very slow half back swing movement, but as the back swing movement is performed try to keep the head firmly fixed so that the left eye remains slightly behind the ball -- then whilst performing the down swing and importantly, the follow through movement, continue to keep the head so that the left eye remains positioned slightly behind the ball.
( I am talking about keeping the head absolutely still as you perform the golf swing movement.)

The head can be held in this position throughout the complete golf swing, you simply have to concentrate on the task.

The critical point in the golf swing is at the precise moment the clubhead makes contact with the ball and the passive arms begin to interact, thus swinging the club head to the bottom of the swing arc, therefore at that point you must ensure that the head remains firmly held in place so that the left eye remains slightly behind the ball position and if you wish to play very good golf it is absolutely vital that the head is held in this manner with "pinpoint accuracy" in the position until both arms are straight.
( Imagine your head being held in place by two wooden posts fixed into the ground and placed either side of your head.)

Therefore regardless of the position of the ball at the address position, either to the left of the centre of the stance for the driver, or nearer to the centre of your stance for the short irons, adjust your stance accordingly so that the head is always positioned so that the left eye is slightly behind the ball at the address position.

Once you have set your head at the address position it is vital that the head is maintained in this position with "pin point accuracy" throughout the back swing movement, the down swing movement and into the follow through movement.

I cannot stress too strongly how important it is to adhere to this principle and how it contributes to playing very good golf.

You have to concentrate very hard to keep the head slightly behind the ball, but the effort is very worthwhile.

This is a series of photographs to illustrate the importance of keeping the head slightly behind the ball.

The two golf balls in this photograph shows that the head has remained in the original address position at the precise moment the club head makes contact with the ball.

Photograph 1

There are three golf balls in these pictures, (See Top View and Side View)

The golf ball adjacent to the club head is the ball that will be struck, the other two are separated so that any movement of the head either sideways or up and down will cause the two ball to be miss-aligned and the following photographs illustrate what happens if the head is ahead of the original address position at impact or similarly the head is behind the original address position at impact.

Photograph 2

The two balls at the top of the picture are now out of lateral alignment and indicates to the golfer that the head has moved ahead of the original address position at the precise moment the club head makes contact, thus causing the club face to be open to the target line, probably causing a push or a slice to the right.

Photograph 3

The two balls in the top of the picture is a reverse of the previous picture and indicates that the head is too far behind the original address position at the precise moment the club head makes contact, thus causing the club face to be closed to the target line, probably causing a hook or a pull to the left , but in addition you will probable hit the ground before the ball.

Therefore during the down swing movement you have to be obsessed with keeping the head, with "pin point accuracy" positioned so that the left eye is slightly behind the ball and hold the head in this position until well after the ball has been struck.

We are only talking about the head perhaps being a fraction of an inch either ahead or behind the original address position at the precise moment the club head makes contact with the ball, but this is enough to cause the ball to be pushed to the right or pulled to the left.

Another reason for maintaining the head in this position with "pin point accuracy" is that any lateral movement of the head, no matter how minute, will cause the whole body to be out of alignment, thus causing the position of the bottom of the swing arc to vary.

For instance, if your head is ahead of the original address position at the precise moment the club head makes contact with the ball, the bottom of the swing arc will automatically move forward in the stance, resulting in the ball being struck with the leading edge of the club, thus possibly causing a "thin" shot.

However if your head is behind the original address position at the precise moment the club head makes contact with the ball, the bottom of the swing arc will automatically move backwards in the stance, resulting in the club making contact with the turf before hitting the ball, thus possibly causing a "fat" shot.

No Head movement.

Jack Nicklaus was taught the finer points about golf by Jack Grout, a well known golf instructor of his day.

One of the many things Jack Nicklaus remembers about the instruction, was that in order to teach him to keep his head firmly positioned slightly behind the ball and in the Fixed Frontal condition whilst he performed the golf swing, Jack Grout would have an assistant to grab the hair on Jack Nicklaus`s head so tightly, that if the head moved at all it would be very painful.

Only recently, Sam Torrance, a former Ryder Cup Player and Past Captain for the European team, said that his father used to do exactly the same to him when he was young.

Therefore in both cases it clarified the importance of totally eliminating any lateral, vertical or rotational head movement until after the ball has been struck.

As long as you give this aspect of the golf swing your full attention and watch the ball until the club head makes contact, also keep the head in the Fixed Frontal position and maintain the upper body angle, the probability of the golf shot going where you are aiming is dramatically increased.

However, failure to adhere to this basic principle will result in the golf shots ending up well to the right or the left of your intended target point, so if you are prone to "slicing", "hooking" or hitting the ball "fat" or "thin" check out this basic principle of keeping the head firmly in the original address position and in the Fixed Frontal condition until well after the ball has been struck.

This principle of making sure that the head remains firmly positioned slightly behind the ball and in the Fixed frontal condition is relevant whether you are playing a full shot, a pitch, a chip or simply putting.

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