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Where should your head be at address in golf?

Author

Emily Ross

Published Jan 07, 2026

At address, your head should be behind the golf ball slightly, feeling as if your left cheek lines up with the back of the ball. This movement should be accentuated when setting up for the driver, as the greater spine tilt will naturally move your head a little farther behind the ball.

Should your head be behind the golf ball at address?

You should always set up with the left side of your head either on this line, or behind it, on all your golf shots. Now, as the ball moves farther up in the stance with the driver, you'll see in a minute that you can set up farther behind this, but your head should never, ever, ever be in front of that line.

Where should your head be when hitting irons?

By keeping your head at least slightly behind the ball, it is almost automatic that you'll be able to hit up nicely through impact. To flip that around to the other end of the spectrum in your golf bag, you need to have your head just slightly in front of the ball at impact in order to hit down on your wedges.

How should the driver head look at address?

Yes, it's important to keep your head still at address but note that the best position of the head at address is tilted or turned slightly away from the target. This slight adjustment allows better spine rotation during the backswing.

Should the driver be flat at address?

The golf club should address the ball with the toe set a few millimetres in the air – the clubhead should never sit flat on the turf. You should be able to fit a small coin under the toe of the club at address, with the heel remaining in contact with the ground.

42 related questions found

Should driver head sit flat at address?

Drivers should always have the toe up at address ' if the hands return close to this position while impacting the ball -- because during the last portion of the swing there is a centrifugal force of up to 70 pounds just before impact, acting at the center of gravity (c.g.) of the head.

Should I keep my head down in golf swing?

The club head strikes the golf ball first, then continues to drive into the grass where eventually the club bottoms out. When golfers are told to “keep their head down”, it robs them of their ability to shift their weight into their left side, and rotate the hips and chest toward the target.

How do I keep my head down in golf?

Here's how. Pose like you see here (above, left)— legs straightened, shoulders and hips facing the target, head rotated in that direction, too, and the grip extended as far away from the body as possible—that's key.

Should head stay still in golf swing?

Finally, don't forget about your head position during impact. But first, it's time to dispel a myth… you do not need to keep your head still (or head down) in the golf swing as you make impact. You need to lift it as you're hitting the shot so you can keep rotating through toward the target.

How do you address a golf ball?

At address, the ball will be located in front of you, somewhere in between your two feet. It will normally be located in the middle when using a short iron and progressively towards the front foot as the length of the club increases.

Why do I hit behind the golf ball with my irons?

Improper Weight Transfer

During the backswing, the player's weight is on the back foot. Failure to naturally transfer the weight through the ball and onto the left commonly causes the club to drop behind the ball. The body and the club must work together in a proper weight transfer.

Should your head be behind the ball when chipping?

Now, as you set up to the ball, especially when pitching and chipping the ball, note the position of the shaft from your perspective. Because your head should be slightly forward of the ball position, you should be looking more at the front side of the shaft so to speak.

Should I keep my eye on the golf ball?

It is a perfect chant for the golf player at every turn. If you cannot see the ball clearly, your chances of hitting it are slim to none! When you look at the ball, you want to keep your eyes on one spot. Do not look at your club to see if it is squared to the ball.

Should golf club be flat on ground at address?

When the club comes into contact with the ball most players correctly recognize that the sole of the club should be flat to the ground at impact. This will mean the sole of the club creates a divot that is equally deep on the toe end of the club as it is on the heel end.

Do you look at the front or back of the golf ball?

THINK AHEAD: KEEP YOUR FOCUS IN FRONT OF THE BALL

Telling golfers to keep their heads down and watch the ball has been a staple of bad advice since the game was played with wooden clubs and goose-feather balls. Trying to keep your eye on the ball pretty much ensures that your club will bottom out too soon.

Should your hands be in front of the golf ball?

The grip and hands must be in front of the clubhead and ball. Many amateur golfers believe that the grip and clubhead come back to the position they are in during the setup. The hands and grip must move forward before the clubhead in order to properly compress and control the ball.

Which foot do you put your weight on when chipping?

1. Keep your weight on your front foot. “You cannot chip with the weight on your back foot or the leading edge comes up,” Mickelson says. “So the weight has to be forward.”

What is the correct stance for golf?

Your rear foot should be at right angles to the target line. Your front foot can be angled outwards but only slightly. Knees should be lightly flexed but not bent. Your body weight should be spread 50/50 between your toes and heels as well as 50/50 between your left and right foot for most shots.

Where do you put the ball in your stance for each club?

Calvin recommends that each club length you go down you should place the ball about one ball distance back in your stance. This will help you to be able to set up each time and know about what distance you want the ball back.