Loss of Swing Plane? Faulty Clubface Angle at Impact? Use Posture to Improve Golf Swing Performance and Be Head and Neck Above the Rest!

As we discussed before in the post, Improve Golf Swing – Improve Golf Swing! – Every Golfer’s Mantra!, restoring and optimizing posture can improve golf swing performance.

A large component of golf swing performance is dictated by our ability to fully rotate. There exists a direct causal link between our capacity to rotate our body and our ability to produce greater swing power, swing speed and swing mechanics.

Paul Chek writes in his book, The Golf Biomechanic’s Manual – Whole in One Golf Conditioning, that, “to golf at full potential, the golfer must possess the ability to rotate almost every joint in the body to its functional capacity” and to improve golf swing performance one “must be able to rotate efficiently and explosively, repeatedly!”

That’s all well and good but, at what joint, does one start with to improve golf swing performance and mechanics? There are many joints involved in producing a golf swing pattern. I always like to start at the top, so, today’s post will quickly explore just one impact the head and neck have on golf swing mechanics.

Improve Golf Swing Mechanics – The Head and Neck and Keeping your Eyes on the Ball

The golf ball itself is small. It’s certainly smaller than balls used in other sports like basketball, softball, and baseball. Understanding this one can appreciate the old expression “you need to see the ball to hit the ball”.

The ability to maintain target acquisition (keeping your eye on the ball) throughout the golf swing is limited by the necks rotational capacity. Poor posture will produce improper length/tension relationships among the muscles comprising the neck complex and result in less than optimal rotational capacity.

Wow, that sounds interesting, but really, what does that mean to the golfer?

Let’s keep it simple. In his book Paul Chek does a terrific job of explaining to a golfer that, “if you are restricted in neck rotation, you most likely have to take your eyes off the ball momentarily during the back swing. This may result in loss of swing plane and/or faulty clubface angle at impact”.

Loss of Swing Plane?
Faulty Clubface Angle at Impact?

Golfer’s cringe when they hear these terms describe their golf swing mechanics and swing patterns.

These two mechanical defects will certainly ruin your golf game. Each could be attributed to postural deviations of the head and neck. If these are affecting your golf game improving the postural alignment of the head and neck may be the answer. Check back to view our posts on postural exercises for the head, neck and entire body to improve golf swing performance!