The Jack Nicklaus head trick Tom Watson once explained can improve amateur swings

Coaching videos often tell players to keep their head still during the golf swing.

That advice is not universal, though, and some coaches argue that a little head movement is actually natural.

Watson explained Nicklaus’ approach to head movement in an old swing tip he shared.

“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.

“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,” Watson concluded.

Why keeping your head still does not always work for every amateur

Although keeping the head steady is generally solid advice, it does not fit every amateur golfer.

Holding your head too still can make you tense up during the swing, and as Watson points out, that keeps your shoulders from moving freely.

What matters most is figuring out what suits you and helps you get the best results from your swing.

If you are finding the “keep your head still” approach is not working for you, it might be worth trying Nicklaus’ method or consulting a coach to find what fits best.