Stay Behind the Ball
Also known as: stay behind the ball, staying behind the ball, keep my head behind the ball, head behind the ball at impact
Yes, your head and chest should stay behind the ball at impact, but your weight should not. Good players keep their head slightly behind the ball while most of their pressure has moved to the lead foot. Staying back with your whole body causes hanging back and fat or thin shots.
"Stay behind the ball" is a cue to stop golfers from lunging toward the target. When the head and chest drift ahead of the ball, the club comes in steep and the face often opens.
The cue goes wrong when golfers keep their weight back too. The low point of the swing then falls behind the ball. Irons hit the ground first, and drivers get topped or hit high on the face.
The right picture is a head that stays roughly where it started, or slightly behind the ball. At the same time, the hips and pressure move forward and turn. With the driver, the head can stay a little farther back because you want to hit slightly up.
Tips by skill level
Put a towel just ahead of the ball and try to brush the grass after the ball while your head stays still.
Film face-on. At impact your head should be behind the ball and your belt buckle should be ahead of it. If both are behind, you are hanging back.
Example
He keeps his head back but hangs on his trail foot, so he hits his irons fat. His coach keeps the head still but has him push his pressure into the lead foot, and his divots move ahead of the ball.
Why it matters
It matters because the cue is half right. Keeping the head back helps, but keeping the weight back ruins the strike.
Common mistakes
- Keeping the weight back along with the head
- Leaning away from the target to lift the ball
- Lunging the head toward the target
- Using a driver cue for irons
Frequently asked questions
What does stay behind the ball mean in golf?
It means keeping your head and chest behind the ball until after impact, so you don't lunge at it. It does not mean leaving your weight on your trail foot.
Should I stay behind the ball with my irons?
Your head can stay slightly behind it, but the low point must be ahead of the ball. Move your pressure into your lead foot so you strike the ball first, then the turf.
Related terms
- Hanging BackHanging back is not shifting enough weight to the lead side by impact. The body's weight stays mostly on the trail foot at the moment of the strike.
- Weight TransferWeight transfer is the movement of the body's center of pressure from the trail side (backswing) to the lead side (downswing). A complete transfer through impact is a fundamental source of power and consistency.
- Low PointLow point is where the clubhead reaches the bottom of its arc through impact. Controlling it — keeping it at or just ahead of the ball with irons — is the basis of pure contact.
- Spine TiltSpine tilt is a slight lean of the spine away from the target at address, especially with a driver. It promotes a positive attack angle and a lower trail shoulder.
- Reverse PivotA reverse pivot is weight moving toward the lead side during the backswing instead of the trail side. That leaves the golfer with nowhere effective to shift on the downswing.
Related guides & benchmarks
Put this into practice
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