Head Carriage

[BrendanC]

Hard to find good info as this as searches have a lot of info about the head.

I've always struggled with swinging very flat in the backswing and suffering a boatload of follow-on problems.

It's been a huge problem over the years so that's why I'm posting about a solution I think I've found.

One thing I've never changed until recently is the feeling of where my head is - I always, as I thought I ought to do, kept my chin up off my chest and tried to let me shoulder get in under my chin in the backswing.

I have been experimenting with letting the arm swing over my chin and also with letting my head be in a more natural position with the eyes looking down at the ball.

I think Jack Nicklaus had a lot of advice to this effect - about keeping the chin up off the chest and making the shoulder go in under the chin. He also made a big move with his chin in the backswing at times.

But having looked closely, it doesn't seem to be happening at all with good players.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Brendan, something that Michael has found out via his gears is that head position is very important and head position can be maintained based on where you're pointing your eyes. Based on how much your head moves off the ball can change a lot of things in the pivot that you wouldn't think.

 

[tongzilla]

My head has a tendency to rotate clockwise (face on view) during the backswing. What implications does this have on my pivot Jim?

 

[BrendanC]

Very interesting Jim - any specific area that it tends to impact?

Is this because of the weight of the head, balance or something else??

Another pronounced tendency I've had is to fall forward. I also finish with the hands 'low and left'. No way I could get my hands nice and high with club down the back.

But I simply found that tucking my chin meant I could naturally do the most vertical backswing you can imagine.

To illustrate what I mean here's a video.

The club horizontal in backswing, fall forward are both in this swing and hands are all there.

(I was striping it at this time btw!!!! But playing and practising a good bit.....)

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/A_w73SPKbZU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

My head has a tendency to rotate clockwise (face on view) during the backswing. What implications does this have on my pivot Jim?

The more the head moves to your right the more the cop of pressure will move right and can influence a lot of your COP trace and subsequent pivot movements. Try keeping "an eye on the ball" and see how that changes your pivot, path, feels, etc.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Very interesting Jim - any specific area that it tends to impact?

almost everything

Is this because of the weight of the head, balance or something else??

all of the above, the weight of the head and where you move it has impacts on a lot of hte rest of your swing to where the pressure goes.

Another pronounced tendency I've had is to fall forward.

Watching the video you embedded, it appears you have too much weight in your heels at address. This will then lead to even more weight in the heels on the backswing (you can see under the front of your feet) and then once the downswing happens the weight/pressure shifts to the front of the feet and pulls your forward. Setup with a lot more weight on the balls of your feet. You should get on a swing catalyst at some point if possible, probably be surprised where your weight is; i know i was.

I also finish with the hands 'low and left'. No way I could get my hands nice and high with club down the back.

low/left = path more leftward and high/down your back = path more rightward, you can do either depends on what you're trying to do

But I simply found that tucking my chin meant I could naturally do the most vertical backswing you can imagine.

The more vertical the backswing the more you'd have to shallow/shift properly to swing more rightward and if your weight/pressure where it needs to be it's almost impossible which is most likely leading to your more leftward path, at least based on what i see in the video

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

re-watching the video it appears you go very inside and rotate your left arm a lot, then go up (vertical), and then come down a steeper plane which shifts the path more left. If you shifted back down to a shallower plane you'd probably swing excessively to the right.

I think finding someone with a raddar machine and a swing cat and combining them would really help you out.

 

[BrendanC]

Thanks Jim -

Yes the issue with the left arm from the very beginning is one I've had a long time.

I've worked on changing my grip - lighter in the right hand and interlocking instead of overlapping - and reducing the role of the right hand in general.

The overall shape of my swing is similar to what it was a few years ago but I think some of those tendencies are not as bad. Hitting it nicely in this clip anyway and feeling good.

Had been playing poorly for a few months.


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