I keep looking up!!!

[TheBoss]

Hi to you all, been playing golf for approx 6-7 years managed to get my handicap down to 18, but in the last 3 months its gone back up to 23!!!.

I for some reason have started looking up when striking the ball (something I used to do when I first started) are there any drills you can do to try and cure this, also I know of these laser gadgets that you line up to stop you looking up, any suggestions.

thanks for your help.

[msklar92]

Re: I keep looking up!!!

There is nothing wrong with turning your head to follow the ball. It will help you to follow though. You need to maintain the spine angle at address so when you do follow the ball your head should feel as if it resting on a pillow above your right shouler ( asuuming righty ) . if you are so intent on keeping your head "down" you may be getting stuck and need to lift up your spine angle to get through. Hope this helps

[TheBoss]

Re: I keep looking up!!!

Thanks, that all makes good sense will try and think about this next time I practice,

thanks again will keep you posted.

[Sumosid]

Re: I keep looking up!!!

I once had someone tell me that they didn't know why I was looking up, because the shots weren't anything to brag about. Hahaha... that broke my habit right away.

[ilang]

Re: I keep looking up!!!

Its usually caused by hitting from the top.Keep the swing smooth,start the the downswing with your legs,maintain the follow through.

[takinitdeep]

Re: I keep looking up!!!

Many times looking up is not the problem although coming up and out of the shot is the problem. If you allow your wrists to hinge properly by using a light grip pressure then bring the butt end of the club down the line on your downswing, it should keep you in the shot.
Try to swing slow enough to watch the clubhead contact the ball and don't sway on backswing, nice and easy.

[amcevoy]

Re: I keep looking up!!!

If you aim to take a beautiful divot you will keep your head down momentarily through impact... aim to take a nice divot after the ball and watch for that during the swing, follow through, then look back down to check it was ok... this helped me, hope it helps you

[Martin Levac]

Re: I keep looking up!!!

Anticipation is what causes me to look up when I do look up. To fix that, I practiced maintaining focus on the ball long after I struck it. Since I'm practicing, every ball is a waste so I don't worry about one bad shot or a thousand for that matter.

I don't really focus on the ball itself, instead I focus on the spot where the ball was long after I struck the ball and it's on its way down the range. I do focus on the ball before I strike it but I shift my focus, as I strike it, to the spot where it was. It's a drill of will, not a drill of technique. I will myself to stay focused on that spot even though my whole body wants to look up to see where the ball is going. It doesn't do much for technique, not in my case anyway. But it certainly does a whole lot for my confidence to strike a ball properly and that's what matters most to me. As my confidence improves, so does my ability.

Conversely, as my ability improves, so does my confidence.

To make that drill a little easier to practice, I do half swings instead. A full swing would force me to look up at some point because of the momentum of the club on the follow through. Incidentally, that drill allowed me to improve on my ability to strike the ball properly as well if only because I've improved my focus through it. Somebody at the range told me once that I had this sort of lag between the stroke and my head moving up. He told me he rarely saw anybody keep their head down for so long after the ball is gone.

If it will help to convince you of the benefit of that drill. Think that the only way to make the ball do what you want is by striking it with the club. For some reason, the ball just doesn't want to do my bidding even if I shout it down after it's gone. So, if the only way to make it do what you want is to strike it with the club, might as well focus on that part as much as possible, don't you think?

[TheBoss]

Re: I keep looking up!!!

Thanks, so much of that makes sense, you must have watched me play!!!, I do find it's the confidence that is lacking, frightened of playing bad shots but never really foscusing on the good (and there are some)!.

Thanks for all you replies and I will keep you posted as to how it all works out..

What would I ever do without this forum??????