Trying to perfect your golf backswing? Surprisingly, one of the best things you can do is forget what probably heard a millions times… to keep your head still… and, instead, purposely move your head a little on the way back.
Surprisingly, the best golf backswing tip is to move your head three to five inches as you start the backswing.
Why move your head as you take the club back during the golf backswing? You want to move your head because in order to backswing in a circular motion you need an axis to swing around. An axis has a top and a bottom. When you set up to the golf ball, you have 1 top to an axis (your head) and 2 bottoms (your legs and feet) to an axis.
Basically, your head should lead the way by moving 5-7 inches to the right as you start your golf backswing. Swing your head to the right, stay in that position as you come down, and move yoru head forward only after the ball has been hit. Watch any touring pro closely and you’ll notice moving your head is the proper golf backswing technique. In fact, if a ballerina or figure skater didn’t move their head first, they would be unable to start their spin at all. Likewise with your backswing. Don’t move your head and you never create the two-point axis needed to get proper a proper circular motion.
So what you have is a floating top to an axis. Your head floats back and forth to create 2 axis when you swing. This allows your golf backswing be a circular motion. It’s not a perfect circle though. It’s a slight oval. Because your swing is a slight oval, you will never hit the ball 100% perfect.
If you don’t move your head during the backswing you will never be able to hit the ball as long and as far as you are truly able because you are never setting up the top axis correctly.
The challenge most golfers have when learning this proper golf backswing technique is feels uncomfortable. It just doesn’t feel natural to move your head back.
To get the proper feeling, you must feel like your head is moving about 1 foot to the right. If you feel like your head is moving 1 foot to the right on the way back, it will actually only move a few inches. One good tip is to try swinging regularly towards a mirror.
As you watch your backswing, you can clearly see if your head is moving back 3-5 inches. As your head moves back, feel how your weight loads into the right leg. This is the tell tale sign that you have created your first axis in the golf backswing. If you don’t have a loaded, powerful feeling in your right leg, you will have to move your head a little more as you go back.
If you are wearing a hat when you play golf just take your backswing and look to see if the brim of the hat is level to the ground not tilted to the left. If the brim of the hat is level to the ground at the top of your backswing your head will have moved the proper amount.
As a final check just ask a friend to watch your head to see if it moves back a few inches or use a video camera to see for yourself. If your head is too still then constantly remind yourself to move it back or have someone constantly remind you to move your head.
As you move your head back, beware that it may cause you to hit behind the ball a little. This is a good sign at first. It’s telling you that you are moving your head back but you have too much weight on your right foot at impact. To remedy hitting behind the ball (fat shots), all you have to do is feel a little more weight shift off of your right foot through impact. If you do, you will hit the ball perfectly and with much more power than you are used to.