head behind the ball at impact

[Louis_Posture]

Does anybody here use 'head behind the ball at impact' as a swing thought?

[getitdaily]

Yes

[MPStrat]

Yes

[gsrjc]

Yes on driver only. 

[johnrobison]

I once heard Dana tell a player that he sees too many players purposefully keeping their head back and overdoing it. He said that if you're pushing off the lead leg correctly, the head will be where it needs to be without trying. That would presume that the backswing and transition are where they need to be, too, of course.

[aggiegolfer21]

I did for awhile.  It's a good thought for someone who hits steep pulls, not a good thought if you hit thin pushes.

[Louis_Posture]

Jack Nicklaus has said that a primary key to his golf swing was to always maintain a steady head. Considering that he addressed all shots from tee thru green with his head set behind the ball, it fits that his head was behind the ball at impact.

[johnrobison]

18 hours ago, johnrobison said:

I once heard Dana tell a player that he sees too many players purposefully keeping their head back and overdoing it. He said that if you're pushing off the lead leg correctly, the head will be where it needs to be without trying. That would presume that the backswing and transition are where they need to be, too, of course.

I guess that what I was getting at with this contribution was to caution that there's a difference between you're head being behind the ball and you keeping your head behind the ball. Much like looking at shaft lean at impact. If you don't have it, the fix isn't to try to create it, it's to address whatever it is that's preventing it. If you're head is drifting out past the ball in the downswing, trying to keep it behind the ball probably isn't the fix. Just use the position of the head in the downswing as another indicator/symptom of swing mechanics.

[Louis_Posture]

8 minutes ago, johnrobison said:

 If you're head is drifting out past the ball in the downswing, trying to keep it behind the ball probably isn't the fix. 

Maybe using the swing thought "keep the head behind the ball at impact" can be useful towards 'fixing" swing faults?

For example if on the backswing the player has a tendency to move laterally he/she will likely do the same on the forward swing, and that player's head will likely be at or forward of the ball at impact. For this there is a long list of reasons for too much lateral movement, but it might be easier to just focus on 'head behind the ball at impact' and have faith that same will naturally improve-correct the swing technique. 

[TheDeanAbides]

Your head is way less important than your sternum. 

[johnrobison]

15 hours ago, Louis_Posture said:

Maybe using the swing thought "keep the head behind the ball at impact" can be useful towards 'fixing" swing faults?

For example if on the backswing the player has a tendency to move laterally he/she will likely do the same on the forward swing, and that player's head will likely be at or forward of the ball at impact. For this there is a long list of reasons for too much lateral movement, but it might be easier to just focus on 'head behind the ball at impact' and have faith that same will naturally improve-correct the swing technique. 

Perhaps. However, it also has potential to introduce faults - pressure shift, shoulder/hip tilt, casting, etc

[nitram]

The head position takes care of itself and stays behind the ball with a solid setup, takeaway, and back swing. So the question is what is your key thought and first move on the down swing? Does it allow your lower half to work without forcing your upper half over the top?

 

[Louis_Posture]

3 hours ago, johnrobison said:

Perhaps. However, it also has potential to introduce faults - pressure shift, shoulder/hip tilt, casting, etc

Yes , when a player accustomed to having his/her head at or in front of the ball at impact , when now trying to maintain the head behind the ball at impact, will likely instigate some new-different swing faults. I guess to gain a satisfactory level of comfort and confidence  most address position and, or, swing technique changes should take at least a few hundred range balls and a dozen rounds of golf.

[Louis_Posture]

11 minutes ago, nitram said:

The head position takes care of itself and stays behind the ball with a solid setup, takeaway, and back swing. So the question is what is your key thought and first move on the down swing? Does it allow your lower half to work without forcing your upper half over the top?

 

Yes, lower body leading the downswing is desirable. But some players may not wish to have that as a thought. Some players may find 'head behind the ball at impact' is a thought that naturally produces a lower body leading hips clearing down swing.

[Scottbox]

With irons, head heeds to go to/forward of ball as you push into your lead leg. As the lead leg reacts by pushing up, the head ends up at or slightly behind the ball at impact. Driver, it's always behind the ball due to setup and ball position.

[FirstFlight]

I've recently made this part of my full swing shot routine. Slight tilt of spine to get head behind ball(not much)...then just before backswing, turn head about 3 degrees right(righty), until vision Cleary favors left eye with best view of ball. Only pros, no cons, for me after adding to my routine. My last round, I almost broke 40 on the front 9...that has never ever happened to me. This, and a few other smart adjustments, are what I give credit to. 

BTW, for me, this works way better for the longer end of the bag, especially the driver.

[Louis_Posture]

2 hours ago, Scottbox said:

With irons, head heeds to go to/forward of ball as you push into your lead leg. As the lead leg reacts by pushing up, the head ends up at or slightly behind the ball at impact. Driver, it's always behind the ball due to setup and ball position.

Within a set of clubs the different shaft lengths means the player is standing different distances from the ball, and stance width becomes wider as the shafts get longer. These shaft length related address position changes naturally causes the swing plane to change a bit throughout the bag.

[naval2006]

This is a good feel, especially with driver and fairway woods. 

 

If you grew up playing golf in the 90's or earlier, it was head behind the ball, come from behind, keep your head still or down.  But I think you don't need to overdo it so much these days with the new balls and shafts.   

[Louis_Posture]

On 9/10/2023 at 9:40 AM, FirstFlight said:

I've recently made this part of my full swing shot routine. Slight tilt of spine to get head behind ball(not much)...then just before backswing, turn head about 3 degrees right(righty), until vision Cleary favors left eye with best view of ball. Only pros, no cons, for me after adding to my routine. My last round, I almost broke 40 on the front 9...that has never ever happened to me. This, and a few other smart adjustments, are what I give credit to. 

BTW, for me, this works way better for the longer end of the bag, especially the driver.