Head Position and Turn
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Shawn Clement, one of the top 20 youtube teachers and the only one recognized for teaching without body part or positions, drives the ball over 300 yards both right handed and left handed and breaks par from either side and is also the only one who ever qualified and played world ranked events with 1/2 left and 1/2 right handed clubs in the same bag! He is the ultimate expert on golf instruction!
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This drill along with the “battering ram” is a great combination. Really fixes a couple of things ie: early extension, head moving ahead of the ball, etc. thanks for this.
You bet Flip! 😀👍
Hi Shawn, the tragic flaw in my downswing is that I move my head forward as I strike the ball. Is there any technique or strategy for keeping your head behind the ball as the club contacts the ball?
Sorry for missing this one mquinn! See “arc-blur unstoppable momentum” series for another way of staying centred! 😀👍
Shawn, all my problems in my swing result from moving way in front of the ball I have had a posterior laminectomy and fusion from C-3 to C-7 in my neck. Question -do you think that my surgery inhibits my swing-i.e. moving my head so far in front of the ball? This video has my attention , and I will try to do what you show. So I guess I can find if I can do it. You give all of us golfers hope and knowledge. Many Thanks
Yes!! If you do the same drill as here with the hammer and see “hammer drill” video and do the same there, you should have no issues at all!
I’m looking forward to practicing this, Shawn. One of the biggest issues I’ve had with my swing since I started golfing 7yrs ago is that I tend to “C” at the top of my swing and my upper body and head get out in front of the ball on my downswing. I can “manage” it as I’ve gotten myself to a 7 handicap over the years, that being said, the head and upper body position being correct could save me a few strokes a round by not losing a driver off the tee or a long iron approach (these tend to be the worst clubs with that bad position I get in).. I’ve taken dozens of lessons and I’ve never had this issue explained more clearly than watching this video. Thank you.
Thank you for the nice comment Nate, dig in and have fun!
And don’t let your pre-conceived notions get in the way of that brilliant machine you have!
Thank you, Shawn!
Hi Shawn, When I feel pressure on the golf course, for whatever reason, I seem to end up not really having much lower body activity but just hitting on the down swing with the upper body. What videos do you recommend to help with this. I am learning so much with these videos but finding it hard to put it all together and keep it all together on the golf course.
See “open up the machine on the golf course” video! Taylor made for you!!
I was working my drives and noticed that I was getting quite consistent drives with allowing the head to come slightly up at the top of the backswing… then, down.. as I grab the ground and then back up… so the head would seem to bop.. up, down, up through the full swing. Is this right?
Yes-yes-yes-!!!! Ohhh yes!!
We are built for this!! See “the walking drill” and see when walking, the head comes up and down but the grass cutting remains very,very accurate and true!
For me, I got great results using this drill. I “rush” my down swing (better: through swing). When I keep water in my left ear (great analogy!) I start a process that leads to acceleration, rather than going from 0 – 60 immediately. Great video
Agreed!! I just tried it this morning and it worked for me. Such a great analogy!!
Hi Shawn,
Following my video swing analysis, I did some training today performing some chip shots while keeping the head behind the ball. The shots were much more accurate than usual.
I wonder : in the turn, is it the posterior that begins the movement or the arms followed by the posterior or both at the same time ?
My sensation based on my experience is that beginning by the rotation of the posterior lets the arms to be more passive being tracted. For me, letting the arms initiating the movement leads to manipulation of the club and the will to catch the ball.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this point.
All the best,
Pierre, from France
Very good Pierre!
The turn of the posterior (which is actually feet-knees-legs) using the ground to remove the body out of the way of the arms into the backswing like a lumberjack heaving an axe;
See “best golfers are lumberjacks shawn clement” on youtube as well as “anti manipulation” on premium;
Shawn
It appears that you have less head tilt on knees together chip than with your regular swing stance, where 20 degree head tilt is so obvious. Is that what’s really happening or is it just the camera angle? I also seem to remember your saying in a chipping video that it was important to keep head looking straight ahead to prevent altering the low point of the swing. Do I have that right and is it connected to the perceived head tilt difference?
Because we are already in the lag set up with chipping; and we are only using the main pendulum point of the sternal notch, yes, we want the head over the center of the feet; we can tilt it back a touch from there from the neck for a slightly shallower angle of cut and consistent look with the “hammer through the door frame”
Hi Shawn, I know you talk about making a full turn and not restricting the hips. Should the shoulders still go back or turn more if they can once the hips stop turning?
Hey Neal! Please do not worry about that; we really really suck when it comes to “how much” our body parts move and where they move to. The best drill is the sword drill; where you hold the club upside down with the lead hand and turn until you feel that you can use the mass of this lead arm and sword to slash through a bamboo shoot with power and heft and EASE!
See the video I did for Golf Wrx https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k6QOcAQrk8&t=89s
Also see “purpose of backswing” video on premium
One of your best so far Shawn. Really cleared up a lot of questions on the head tilt and why it’s important anatomically. Thank you for taking the time to explain it so thoroughly. I think this is a big missing piece for me.
Right on Mark!
Savannah got her light bulb moment on it; her swing is looking and performing on the next level now; with right heel bolted for the first time ever through impact;
Shawn
Went to the range today and applied what I learned in this video. Light bulb session! Wow! Great results. Solid contact. Prediction ability was off the charts. I swiveled that posterior right away in the.backswing and it allowed me to get right into a good backswing position that allowed me to swing deep into downswing for increased distance and better contact. Combined with what I learned in your last grip video the feeling was awesome!
The next layer I discovered now is that the shoulders need to move back on a different plane than the hips. I experimented with steeper and shallower planes with my shoulders on the backswing. Big differences. I tried to apply Goldilocks to the plane. Very steep, very shallow and something in between. Very interesting results still experimenting with this. But I found a plane with my driver that allowed me to hit my driver farther than I ever have. Hit the net at the end of my range. On the fly. I’ve never been able to do that before. 👍
Goldie locks is the bomb!!
What is prompting you to look at shoulder plane? Anatomically, the shoulders and hips have different purposes…
Right on Mark! I can feel the glow of that light bulb moment from all the way over here!! 😀👍
Regarding shoulder plane…I think it’s more a matter of getting used to the early swivel. In others words I was focusing on getting my butt moving forward so much that my takeaway was rotating at about the same plane…very shallow. Then, when I changed my focus to have my takeaway match the downswing I was thinking about I figured out how to swivel my butt out of the way while bringing the face of the club back on the path I wanted. A path that kept the face on track with what the desired downswing path would be. The checkpoints you taught us. But what’s interesting is the results from those different backswing paths. The challenge for me is to make sure I get my butt out of the way when making the backswing. If I get too focused on backswing path I sometimes forget about swiveling those hips. So it’s just a matter of creating a habit now.
Your last comment was spot on Mark; awesome!!
Shawn,
It finally all came together. I shot an even par 72 today. My lowest round since 1996. Before each shot I told myself, “Get out of the way. Swing at 80% of full effort.” Magic!! Thanks for all you do for us.
Right on Ronald! Awesome stuff man!
Keep representing, much appreciate the comments and feedback;
Shawn
Great video, worked on this today @ the range. I notice that sometimes, despite concentrating on My target, I tend to release early and that if I hold on longer and let centrifical force release I hit better shots. I am really trying to think about the target and not defaulting to the ball. I appreciate your response . How do eagle members send you video?
Hey Joe! Get a clip on your phone from face on and down the line; edit the clip to just the swing in regular motion and email straight to [email protected]; best to do 1 at a time. Let me know your target and flight plan to target and what your task is to deliver to the target. Shawn
Shawn. I have a student that let’s her head dip down and forward on back swing. Any suggestions?
I put an ax handle or a grass whip in her hands and she doesn’t do it. She understand the spine tilt and why.
Her left knee goes to far toward the ball
1-feet together drill-remember the purpose of it: knees and feet together-suction through arches at all times. Use the return of the butt to catapult the falling arms through the cut of grass to the target.
2-is she trying to keep her head down? You would be amazed at how deeply incrusted this bad boy can be!
We did this video Donna and I and I will re-do a nice acid test for it: after she takes her backswing, it should be easy to bring both legs together and have same knee flex but if her left knee jets out, it will be very difficult. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um4G4T_6UN8
Thank you very much for the link. That oldy but goody is gold. I thought I was centered when in fact I wasn’t turning my hips quite enough and ended up swaying a bit. This made it evident when bringing both feet back together. Now I have a whole new feel to get use to in my back swing.👍
Thanks again for all your great work!
Excellent video Shawn. Showed this to one of my students and he real did well right away. Your premium channel is the best
Awesome John! Thank you!
Talk soon; need to run a couple things by you! 👍😀