The steady head.. reality or myth?
Jack Nicklaus, in his influential 1974 book Golf My Way, believed that the one inviolable fundamental was to keep a steady head, even devoting an entire chapter to it. One of Arnold Palmer’s bedrock fundamentals was to keep his head still. All across driving ranges everywhere, there is sure to be someone advising a friend to “keep your head still” or “keep your head down.” It’s the one “fundamental” that is seemingly beyond question, accepted by virtually every golfer that keeping the head still is necessary for golfing success.
What is the truth? Do successful golfers keep their heads still, or is there some room for play? In this article, we will look at what research tells us, what Nicklaus and Palmer actually did, and how we should approach this as teachers.
WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US
Dr. Ralph Mann, perhaps the top golf researcher in history, studied the movements of over 150 touring professionals and combined their common elements together to form a model of the “perfect” golf swing. The research Dr. Mann conducted didn’t merely consist of viewing videos, although that was part of the process. He placed sensors on golfers and their clubs and measured the data very precisely. His first endeavor was called “ModelGolf,” which is now defunct, and today his research project is called “SwingModel.”
Mann’s research shows that the best players move their heads laterally backwards during the backswing. In his book Swing Like A Pro, Mann says this movement is two inches, which is a far cry from keeping the head still. The reason the head must move is because the entire body, and specifically the hips and shoulders, move this much backwards, so the head must move, too.
During the forward swing, Mann’s research shows the head moving forward, returning at impact to where it was at address, and then moving more forward as the swing is completed.
WHAT NICKLAUS AND PALMER ACTUALLY DID
YouTube is a wonderful resource, because the swings of almost all of history’s great golfers can be viewed there. Even as far back as the early 20th century, super slow-motion videos were taken, and we can see the swing in great detail.
When looking at vintage footage of both Nicklaus and Palmer, it is clear their heads moved back on the backswing. Palmer’s head moved pronouncedly back and down during the backswing. Nicklaus’ head moved only slightly back laterally, but clearly moved up nearing the top of the backswing.
During the forward swing, both players’ heads moved noticeably forward, and then through impact, actually moved back. This was due to the tremendous forward force of the swinging of the club, so the head moving back served as a necessary counterbalance to that action. In looking at other greats on YouTube, they, too, moved their heads back on the backswing, forward on the forward swing, and then back during impact. This backwards movement during impact contradicts Mann’s research, but it is important to note that Mann’s model also eliminates what he considers undesirable moves, even if it’s a common characteristic among the greats.
THE BOTTOM LINE
It’s pretty clear that keeping a steady head is actually not what should happen during a good golf swing. So then, why did Nicklaus and Palmer say what they said, and why is it simply accepted among the golfing public that a steady head is critical?
The latter question is much easier to answer. When golf professionals, especially touring professionals, say something, many take it as gospel. Nicklaus and Palmer came along during a time of explosive growth in both golf instructional material and media, so their words carried tremendous weight and were able to reach a sizeable audience thirsty for golf instruction.
Nicklaus and Palmer both had teachers who carried a strong presence. Jack Grout tutored the young Nicklaus, and Palmer’s father Deacon was his first and only instructor. Both teachers emphasized the importance of a steady head, and their pupils took that to heart. Undoubtedly, both golfers felt they were keeping their heads still, even if the reality was something different.
It is important to note that the movement of the head is a result, not a cause, of other body movement. When a student tells us he “looked up,” what he really did was lift his whole body up through unhinging the hips and/or knees, but the feedback on this was through his head. In terms of instruction, telling a student to keep the head still is a complete waste of time and energy, and frankly is not good advice.
Many prominent instructors, thankfully, have explained that trying to keep the head down or still is not a requirement to good golf. It’s unfortunate that this erroneous belief persists among the golfing public, but we as teachers can make sure our students get the correct information about this topic.
