The action of holding the head
firmly in the frontal facing position whilst the compact upper
body unit rotates to the end of the back swing movement, and then
keeping the head firmly fixed in the Fixed Frontal condition whilst
you perform the down swing and the follow through movement, will
enable you to achieve a control over the direction of the golf shot that
will astound you.
This action 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.
Look at this video and notice how the head remains in the Fixed Frontal
position, with the eyes looking at the back edge of the golf ball
until well after the club head has swung past the original ball
position.)
When I say that the head must be held in the
Fixed Frontal position -- it means that the head must not be allowed
to rotate away from the frontal facing position at all during
the back swing movement, but as the down swing and the follow
through movement is performed the head must be only be allowed
to rotate away from this position after the ball has been struck.
(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 move ahead of the original
address position with any lateral movement.)
By keeping the head in the
Fixed Frontal condition during the down swing movement until it
is literally forced 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 golfer 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.( A classic case to observe is
Tiger Woods.)
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 see the
ball move away from the spot the ball was resting, you will almost
certainly maintain the head in this position until well after
the ball has been struck.
The definition
of the Fixed Frontal condition.
The Fixed Frontal condition
is when the head is firmly held in the frontal facing position
regardless of any rotational movement of the upper body.
During the down swing and the follow through
movement, although the hips 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 and the head remains in the Fixed Frontal position 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
movement, it is absolutely vital that the head is firmly held
in this Fixed Frontal position until it is literally forced 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.
Actual Movement.
To gain a brief understanding
of how firmly the head should be held in this condition as you
rotate during the back swing movement, carry out the following
exercise :-
At the address position, hold your head so that it is square to the ball position, then as you rotate the shoulders into the back swing, keep the head in this fixed position until the left shoulder begins to move under your chin.
Under no circumstances must you allow the head to rotate away from this position, when you feel the head is about to rotate away from this position, your back swing movement is completed.
Down Swing Movement.
During the down swing, the
hip movement force the shoulders to rotate back to the original
address position and the right shoulder/right upper arm muscles
pull the passive arms/golf club into and through the contact area.
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 back swing movement, the head must not rotate away from this fixed position and during the down swing movement, the head should be
firmly held in the Fixed Frontal condition for that extra millisecond after the ball has been struck,
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.
Tip
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.
