See the Impact

Whether you have been playing golf for a month or for your entire life you have certainly had someone tell you to "keep your head down" or "keep your eye on the ball". These phrases are now cliche, but there is some truth to the idea. These simple reminders from a friend can change your round completely. When a golfer keeps their head down they are making some effort to stay bent forward, similar to the address or starting position. There are many different swings and methodologies for hitting the perfect shot. But it is widely accepted that if your head stays relatively motionless from the start of your swing all the way to impact, your chances of striking the ball solid are greatly improved. By keeping your eye on the ball, your odds are better still.

Address position (left) followed by impact (right)
See Impact!

If you have spent any time with me on the practice tee you know that I have a little different take on the old adages. I want my students to "see the impact". I have watched too many golfers keep their head down to such a degree that it inhibits their turn and weight shift, resulting in fat shots. Head down keeps the body from moving freely through impact. So while we need to remain bent forward at impact, there should be more emphasis on seeing the impact. And in some cases, a need to see the divot in front of the ball before turning to watch the flight of the ball.

The biggest difference between keeping your head down and seeing the impact is in how you mentally process the idea of "head down". When you are simply thinking of seeing the impact of the club hitting the ball, your only effort is to watch it happen.  When this concept is taken further to include the divot (to see the dirt after impact), consistently students make a swing that is more aggressive through the impact zone. By seeing through to the divot, this inevitably repositions the bottom of the swing to be just in front of the ball (rather than in line with your body) creating a trapping effect. This concept does not attempt to address direction or spin on the ball, it is simply an effort that increases the odds of hitting the ground in the same place every time. So while I might work with a student regarding their swing path, rotation on the back swing or alignment, there is always the overarching rule: SEE THE IMPACT!