GOLF: How To Keep A Steady Centered Head During The Golf Swing

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In this video, I'm going to go over what I mean when I say steady, centered head, what that should look like, things you need to avoid and most importantly, checkpoints you need to look for when you're practicing.
When I'm watching a video of someone swinging, I’ll draw a circle around the head. I do that all the time when I'm doing my online lessons or a swing analysis. When you make a backswing, you want your head to basically stay in that circle. If you don't stay in the circle, either, you will have gone too far to the right or too far to the left - we'll call that the lateral component - or you could go up through the circle or you could go down.
When most good players make a backswing, we won't see a dramatic change in height either up or down. I alsoeally don't want a lot of movement in terms of the right or left component.
If my head moves too far to the right during my backswingt, in all likelihood I stayed bent over or forward flexed too much or too long. This is usually correlated with a really flat shoulder turn.
The opposite of that would be for my head to go too far towards the target during the backswing. In that case, I would have too much extension.
All of this head movement stuff is related to contact issues. We’ve talked in previous videos about the fact there are really three movements involved during the backswing - left side bend, extension, and turn. The degree of which you do each one, how much you do it and when you do it is going to affect that centeredness of contact.
Now, my goal is not to face perfectly forward, and not move at all. People make the mistake of not allowing their neck to turn or rotate. I can still keep my head in the circle and have my head turn. If you allow your neck to rotate some that can help open up your chest and get rotation. If you're trying so hard to keep a centered head where your head and eyes face forward, that leads to a lack of overall body turn during the backswing. You'd be better off having a little turn or a little bit of movement there, so allow your head to rotate but not move laterally back and forth.
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[@BruceLowe88]

Always learning something with this content. Very timely as knew there was something amiss with my swing but this education has confirmed the consistency issue. Brilliant stuff as ever Mr Cogorno. 👍🏼

[@CogornoGolf]

Thanks, Bruce! Happy to help guide!

[@fernowtoo]

Love your videos. Very helpful. A tip I once got from an old touring Pro, Bob Lunn, (I'm an old guy) regarding head position on the follow through was to keep your eye on where the ball is, not where the ball was. Helps you to "rotate" your head/neck/shoulders through the ball in a turning "under" motion as you follow the ball up and away instead of keeping it fixed at where the ball was and limiting your swing. For what it's worth. Thanks again. You have helped my game.

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey Frank! Thanks for the message! I love that tip...Annika/Duval style!

[@justjames1111]

Great and clear explanation as usual Eric, great job.

[@CogornoGolf]

Appreciate it!

[@karengubis5573]

Hi Eric Thanks for your clip about the early extension , it was brilliant,it is simply great ,it help me enormously thank again Stefan Gubis Uk

[@CogornoGolf]

My pleasure, Karen! Thanks for watching!

[@tkim95]

Great video, thanks man!

[@CogornoGolf]

Our pleasure! Thanks for being here with us!

[@petertulich7842]

Another winner Eric!

[@CogornoGolf]

Thanks Peter!

[@Concordeagle]

At 4:41 that's textbook stack and tilt, Mike and Andy would approve 👍

[@CogornoGolf]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@Cybertron1000]

4:32 perfectly matched with my swing glad I found something on this issue

[@CogornoGolf]

:) Thanks for watching Julian!

[@guitar1950]

For me, this is one of the most basic fundamentals of the golf swing that should be talked about at the beginning of any instruction! Recently I was struggling hitting good shots. I was trying different things in my swing to improve ball striking and hit the sweet spot. I was very inconsistent. Then I thought about head movement. I was moving my head laterally toward the target in my down swing in an effort to get power. Even did it on 50 yard pitch shots. Seems that if the head moves excessively everything else is off. Hitting down too steeply, hitting fat, heel shots, shanks and more. Once I focused on keeping a still head everything worked better in my swing.

[@CogornoGolf]

Yessir!

[@gssong7111]

Hey Eric, great vids again and again...I am having trouble with a high arm finish that I think is a sign of under rotation and promotes thin contact. I am trying to think about having them under my shoulders on the through swing but it is hard. Any thoughts or vids on this? Thanks!

[@CogornoGolf]

Thanks Griffin. Put an alignment rod in front of you like drill # 3 that makes you finish lower...then record the swing to confirm what you're doing and grab FEELS that create it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHzVqYmsrtVjlaM

[@5uss325]

Hi Eric Great video again. Can you talk about rotation, foot work, and how to get left toe off ground in the air at frame 5:22. I see videos of great golfers having this finish.

[@CogornoGolf]

Thanks! Maybe some more in a future video on that specifically. Heres a video we did on the lead foot: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXyxiZJtqdCBa9E Here are some more on the footwork and rotation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppW1mqaBjrl0oMU kzbin.info/www/bejne/pounXqBrZ5tnj9U kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZC6iaWagdaVqZY kzbin.info/www/bejne/qarQh5-ka9arZ68 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIG7pKyPoJumprM kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2GxenyAZtaAr7s Hopefully some of those help answer your questions!

[@davidsiu18]

That’s a great video. I am having sore neck and limited rotation after golf. I think I am too stiff looking at the book. Do you you can do another video on showing more details on how to keep the head center while moving the head when swing? 😊

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey David! See if this helps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6LYg5dvoruIsLs kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2abcoiPZ7WZrrM

[@wesleyrenguso648]

Great video Eric. My problem is from the behind view my head moves back or away from the ball. Slight early extension? Any suggestions?

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey Wesley! Yes...you need this one where you try and "break the glass wall" in front of you kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2m9aJ18q9efbc0 Or here with upper body down and forward kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4fdm2x5lsp7b9E

[@robertprevost732]

I just finished the extended version of this. I am curious whether the third practice tool, the long stick beside the head, can be used to help stop moving the head forward on the downswing.

[@CogornoGolf]

Absolutely....I would put over left shoulder though (in front of head) instead of behind it

[@manvesh97]

what about the 3rd plane ie the horizontal plane from the down the line view? I rarely see this mentioned too much (partly I assume as it is more down to other swing issues eg weight shift that need to be changed) but I personally only have head movement forward/right in this plane on the backswing, and then it moves back/left to counter on downswing.

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey! If I'm understanding you correctly, these should talk more about that and help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/inqnl418mbOKlZI kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2m9aJ18q9efbc0 We also filmed another video on this that should be out in the next week or two

[@BigOilerFan2011]

Great stuff, Eric. The issue I have - when I keep my head 'over the ball' I tend to have more pressure on the lead foot than the rear foot in the backswing. If you haven't already, it might be good to do a video where you're combining staying centered with proper weight shift (without a slide). My 'proper' backswing feels like a stack & tilt move on the way back. Thanks, Don

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey Don! Good idea...always a "feel" vs "real" thing....should be able to shift pressure in the feet without a ton of mass moving to the right

[@beauty6620]

Hi Eric, Could you please do a more detailed video on “flat shoulder turn” ? I have a flat shoulder turn and my head moves a little bit to the right, how do I change my backswing to make it steeper? I can’t find the plane when I try to turn my shoulders steeper. Sometimes I am under, sometimes I am above the plane.....

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey Ashley, Sounds like I would need to see your swing to give you specifics....if you search older videos we have a lot of videos on how to make the shoulder turn more "steep" but not much on making it flatter....mainly because I rarely see someone who needs to go flatter.

[@psgriffin1]

Good stuff dude...Thoughts on Annika and how she releases her head prior to and thru impact? For me, feeling like the head flows with the spine back and thru provides some relief against hanging back, and then blocking or flipping. Not talking about a huge motion but just a 6 inch move of the spine/head against the set of the right leg (at the top), then the same move back to the left toe at finish.

[@robertdremluk810]

Ouch! Six inches of sliding a spine and head. Could be really hard to be consistent with that much movement.

[@psgriffin1]

​@@robertdremluk810 I agree Robert, it's hard to be consistent with 8 Club Championship, 3 USGA Mid-Am's and 1 US Open Sectional. Sorry couldn't resist :) When you're below scratch, there are different feels. I think what you're saying is that a 6 inch move off the ball without some degree of left-side sag/tilt would be bad. I agree. If the right leg were a wall, you wouldn't want the upper body to go over the wall. I should have clarified my comment. Bottom line, I appreciate Eric's videos, especially when he confirms or challenges how we may think or approach the game. I wish you luck Sir. Cheers!

[@CogornoGolf]

I love the Annika/Duval/Stenson eyes/neck/head movements and allowing it to release to encourage rotation of upper spine/shoulders

[@maxsmart8954]

Learned keeping the cigar centered and cause the left shoulder to pass under the cigar without burning my shirt. No cigar I use a golf tee. 2 things it does it steadies the head and causes a full shoulder turn which I tend to get lazy with.

[@CogornoGolf]

👊👊 Thanks for being here with us, Max!

[@per_growth]

Hi Eric, what about a steady head in the backswing - but having some forward movement in the thruswing? If I draw a circle on my head at address, I have half my head out of that circle at contact. Is this an issue that needs to be fixed as well?

[@CogornoGolf]

That's no problem...most all good players go some amount DOWN and FORWARD

[@per_growth]

@@CogornoGolf thanks Eric. Do you have a video pertaining to rhythm and tempo? I admire your approach to giving lessons/tips - so it would be interesting to see how you handle management of tempo and rhythm. Thanks!

[@CogornoGolf]

Thanks! I don't think so...maybe in the future!

[@stephenthomson7842]

I am having issues hitting driver and irons off the toe. My head is moving backwards on a dtl view, as in it moves away from the ball like I'm getting further from the ball on downswing before impact. Can't find any info on this. Like why would I do this? creating room for some reason.

[@CogornoGolf]

I would have to see to say for sure... Best best is to watch our "early extension" videos....we have a really good masterclass that would answer all your questions and help fix it ericcogornogolf.podia.com/early-extension-master-class

[@Rich-mx6mb]

I move my head forward after striking the ball like I'm following it rather than staying behind it, any tips?

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey Rich! Yep! kzbin.info/www/bejne/npPWeat5aMd8rZY kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppPci6OfidOBors

[@joereed5284]

I like to pull the bill of my cap down low so I can see the bill of my cap in relation to the ground.

[@CogornoGolf]

That works!

[@5uss325]

Joe Reed very good idea. Will try this out.

[@jeffreyyoungblood7438]

My head comes up in the backswing to allow my shoulder to clear. The only way I can fix this seems to be not tilting my head as much but then I feel like I'm looking at the ball through the bottom of my eyes. But I tend to bobble my head. It doesn't move left or right though.

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey Jeffrey! I would check the legs, hips first... Are you straightening the right leg, bending the left leg enough? Are the hips tilted enough, right hip deep enough? Sounds like your lower body may be out of place which is common based on hearing this before!

[@jeffreyyoungblood7438]

@@CogornoGolf that's insane. I never would have thought of that but I tried putting my hips deeper and it seemed to do the trick. Now I just have to get used to this difference in my swing 😂

[@CogornoGolf]

:)

[@christopherhoward5672]

Thought I was watching Brooks lol

[@CogornoGolf]

Lol I'll take it....wish I could play like him :)

[@christopherhoward5672]

@@CogornoGolf haha dont we all 😂

[@sheedy9]

Hard to hear you at the range.

[@ToddThomas]

Only speaks of the problem but no mention of solution(s) So video title is a little misleading

[@CogornoGolf]

Hey Todd! Sorry about that....hopefully these help explain the solutions! kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6LYg5dvoruIsLs kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5KcmWx-ZsplY5o

[@rudrapatel2390]

This guy has soooo many videos which makes me doubt him. He takes too long to explain things simply

[@CogornoGolf]

Thanks for the feedback, Rudra!