Tom Watson watched enough of Jack Nicklaus over the years to pick up more than a thing or two about how to improve the golf swing.
Watson and Nicklaus battled it out many times over the years and in their peak, few players have swung a golf club better than them.
Of course, Nicklaus holds the upper-hand when it comes to success, with 18 majors to Watson’s eight.
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And when it comes to taking notes off the ‘Golden Bear’, Watson is never shy in explaining what he did pick up from the 18-time major winner.
Tom Watson’s swing tip for amateurs that Jack Nicklaus did
We hear so often in coaching videos in the modern era of ‘keeping your head still’ while going through the golf swing.
However, that is not always true and some golf coaches will actually insist that the head does indeed move a bit.
Furthermore, looking back at an old swing tip from Tom Watson, he explained all about head movement, including the slight move that Nicklaus had.
“It really has to do with keeping your shoulder tilt the same at impact as it was at address, that is keeping your eye on the ball,” Watson explained.
“Another couple of things, I like to go back to what Jack Nicklaus does with his head right before he takes the club back, he’ll look at it like this and then turn his head as if he’s look at it out of his left eye. What that does is it frees up the shoulder turn, that’s a good move to start the backswing with.
“The one thing you don’t want to happen with your head is to bob it up and down. Especially to bob up and down before it gets to impact. I think it’s ok for the head to slide off the ball and then slide into the ball. I think it’s ok like Annika Sorenstam, if your head starts to turn. But the one thing I don’t want to see is the bob, so it goes down, then it comes up.”
Why amateur golfers shouldn’t always keep the head still
While in the main, the fundamental advice of keeping the head steady is correct, it doesn’t always serve every amateur golfer well.
Indeed, keeping your head completely still can sometimes lead to you tightening up in the golf swing and as Watson explains here, that means your shoulders aren’t free.
In the end, it’s all about doing what works for you and getting the best out of your own swing.
But becoming bogged down in the keep your head still advice isn’t always the best way to go. Put simply, see a golf coach if you’re struggling, or try what Nicklaus did here!
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