Rotate around a fixed axis to repeat your swing.

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One of the most important lessons a junior player can learn is that a correct, repeating swing happens around a fixed axis. That can be a tough one to absorb – especially for a younger, smaller player – because the instinct is to dip the head through impact to try to generate more speed and help lift the ball. This dipping causes inconsistent contact, and the player actually loses power.

A good focal point for a junior golfer – or any golfer, really – is to keep the head steady during the swing. Here, I’m holding Caroline’s head while she hits some short iron shots so she rotates back and through on a fixed axis. This way, her swing bottoms out in the same place every time. The feeling you want is that the clubhead, not your head, is swinging to the ball.

Body rotation around that axis is how you get the clubhead moving faster and in the right direction.

When we did this drill at the range, Caroline could feel how much more clubhead speed she was generating, and how much higher her shots were going. That helped her resist the temptation to dip her head to try to help the ball up.

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