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For me it is more... "Keep your head still".
I tend to move my head to the right when I swing. I have been conscientiously making an effort to keep "Still" and it has helped some. I still have other issues but I would say "Keep you head up and still with eyes down".

All you've said is true. But most of the time the diagnosis is wrong. People utter this 'diagnosis' whenever someone misses or skulls the ball. But often they should say:

You know, if you swing any harder I swear your going to jump right out of those shoes.

When David Ledbetter said you should swing around your spine, I don't think he meant for you to change your spine angle at the top of your swing and spin like a top.

You might not believe me, but if you wait until you complete your backswing to start your downswing and then accelerate smoothly you might have better luck getting back to the ball...and I'm pretty sure the ball will still be where you left it.

You were in the Army weren't you? That explains why you snapped to attention right at the start of your downswing.

You know if I pulled up away from the ball like that and put all my weight on my back foot I couldn't reach the ball either.

I'm a big a fan as anyone when it comes to ballroom dancing, but I don't think there's suppose to be any dipping in golf.

Let your head move as natural as possible...... a long as your head is not dipping up & down which will get your spine angle to get out of alignment... your good to go. Free your swing up and be you. Side to side or staying level with you head is ok. Yes Head up Eyes down....

Actually head movement back and forth is a problem for many golfers. Any head movement means one more moving part that has to get back to its starting point at the moment of impact. Excessive movement of the head back and forth both alters the spine angle (just on a different axis) and can cause your weight to get outside your feet.

Among excellent ballstrikers you'll see some with a little head movement along the target line (I emphasis LITTLE) and some with no head movement at all. But they ALL have their head at the setup position when they reach the point of impact.

There are a few exceptions to having your

Whoops.

There are a few exceptions to having your head back to setup position at impact. Sorenstam and Duval come to mind.

yes yes yes.... but those 2 and others are the exceptions.... as their are always exception to all..... good point... very good point... ?

Good post

Keep your hands soft, your grip pressure light. I agree with both theories mentioned in the above posts: keep you head up with eyes down, and keep your head still. I've found that whenever I move my head, or pull my head, it's because I've death-gripped the club during the swing and that tension goes from the hands, up the arms to the shoulders, into the neck and back, and finally to my head.

Harvey Penick said that by the time you've pulled your head up, the real culprit, or mistake in the swing, had already been done. He also said that you should "place" your hands on the club, rather than "grip" the club because that word, grip, implies pressure and tension. I'm sure he related the two somewhere in his 8 decades of teaching.

You can always tell when someone has no idea what they're talking about when they say, "keep your head down". If the say, "you're moving your head", then I know they probably know what they're talking about and that I'm probably death-gripping the club.

Good topic! Hope this helps someone.

This is actually one I have to disagree with slightly. What happens with a lot of people when you tell them "head up/eyes down" is they straighten that neck up. That's a problem! Because the human spine is a curve. (I have the same issue when people say "keep your back straight!") You want to set up in a way that does not compromise your spine's natural curvature. You don't want to slouch, obviously, but you also don't want to straighten out so much that you're stiff as a board...and frankly that's what happens to a lot of amateurs when they hear "back straight and head up." That tension in the upper body can actually restrict the free rotation of the shoulders.

Anyway, following the spine's natural curve means there will be a slight bend in the neck and upper back. You see this in so many of the great ballstrikers from yesteryear.

I've put together a little collage of different great players' setups. Notice how every single one of them is looking directly down at the ball with the whole head, not just the eyes.

Now I DO agree that just saying "keep your head down" isn't always the best advice. I see so many people that are so preoccupied with keeping the head down that they end up stopping their free rotation through the shot, and they can't hit it out of their shadow. So after you watch the club hit the ball, that head can rotate right on up so as to not impede the motion of the rest of your body.

I just tell folks to just bend naturally. Don't slouch, or straighten, or anything else that is unnatural. Let the natural curve of the spine dictate where your head position is...and I'll guarantee your head will be looking directly at the ball.

Here's that collage (we got Trevino, Nicklaus, Snead, Knudson, M. Norman, Hogan, Watson):

For me its keep my head behind the ball at impact. As a reminder I turn my head...ala Jack Nicklaus...so my left eye is focused on the ball.

It creates a power draw which has helped me pick up 30 yards with the driver.

One of the best ways I know to keep my head still, is to focus on the smallest feature I can see on the ball. Like the dimple reflecting the sun or the dot over the "i" in Titleist. This also helps me slow down my backswing, it's the only way I can stay locked on to the spot.

I find myself having to focus on something as well. It is more of an issue for me in the short game. It seems like I want to see where the goes before I actually hit it! Good discussion.

Now that's where the head lift will kill me. Those little greenside chips and 40 yard pitches. Lift the head, try to take an early peek towards the hole and instant blade it over the green into oblivion. Keep the head down is great advice there!

Strange tip I stole out of a recent Golf Magazine: close your right eye (left eye if you're left-handed) and force your single eye to focus on the ball during your backswing.

It forces you to allow your shoulders to turn underneath your chin while still being able to focus on the ball with your one open eye. It's another way to help maximize your coil. It's helped me every so often when I start to get away from the basics....maybe it helps someone else, too?