Pete Dixon's Golf Tips

All golfers do one of three things with their heads and spines in the golf swing.

In scenario #1, the golfer holds the head and spine still keeping both in the middle of their legs as they swing.

In scenario #2, the golfer shifts the head and spine into the front leg on the backswing and into the back leg on the forward swing. Neither of these scenarios produces positive results.
There needs to be an athletic motion in the golf swing. Your head is a 17lb. weight on the top of your spine and both must move in the same direction in the swing.

In scenario #3, all great players make a coiling action of the head and spine into the back leg on the backswing along with an uncoiling action of both into the front leg on the forward swing. At the end of your backswing, try to have your front shoulder, head and spine coiled into your back leg. Feel “loaded” with power in your back leg and side before any forward motion occurs toward and through the ball to the finish of the swing.

You have probably heard that your left shoulder needs to work effectively in your golf swing.

This is true! You need to coil your left shoulder behind the ball into the back leg on your backswing. It helps a lot if you understand what constitutes the left shoulder. It is not the shoulder blade or joint.

Your left shoulder is the entire pectoral muscle and the entire lat muscle. It is the area including the large muscles of the back and chest. It is the whole shoulder girdle.

To coil the left shoulder into the right leg, the spine and head must flow to the right leg also. If the spine and head refuse to flow to the right, the left shoulder cannot coil into the right leg and a reverse weight shift will occur. However, taking the club back with the entire shoulder coiling into the right leg provides the swing with power.
The swing is connected and will yield more power when the left arm and the left shoulder area operate as a unit.

Be careful when well-meaning people encourage you to “turn” in your golf swing.

This word ruins the chance to learn a fundamentally solid golf swing. The word encourages golfers to twist into a reverse weight shift rather than coiling into a powerful backswing position at the top. (This reverse weight shift especially occurs if you are also trying to hold your head still or centered with the ball as you turn).

If you were standing on just your right leg you could turn. However, it is physically impossible to turn in a golf swing as you stand on both legs. Perhaps the best way to visualize this is to imagine you had a stake driven down through your spine into the ground. If you tried to turn, your weight would shift to your front leg and the reverse pivot would be in place.

Forget the word turn. Rather, attempt to shift your spine approximately 6” into the set of the right leg as you also coil your left shoulder into your right leg.

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