The Golf Advice That Could Be Costing You Distance

Those were my words during a coaching session at our ProperGolfing studio in October 2025. “Keep your head down” is one of the most repeated tips in golf, and it could be costing you distance.

And I know some golfers reading this will be thinking, hang on, Julian. I’ve been told to keep my head down for the last 30 years.

Exactly.

It’s one of the most common pieces of advice in golf. Unfortunately, when golfers take it too literally, it can become one of the biggest restrictions in their swing.

A year after that lesson, I’ve just returned from our Timeless Golf Swing® coaching week in Tenerife, where I found myself helping golfers overcome exactly the same problem.

Different golfers. Different surroundings. Different abilities.

But a remarkably similar lesson.

Sometimes the reason you’re losing distance isn’t because you’re getting older, you’re not strong enough, or your swing needs rebuilding.

It’s because you’re stopping your body from moving freely.

Inside the Coaching Vault: Why “Keep Your Head Down” Holds You Back

Let me take you into a real lesson from our Coaching Vault.

The golfer, Gavin, was physically capable of hitting the ball considerably further than he was managing. But his swing had become increasingly restricted.

He was trying to control his movements, particularly through his arms and head, because he didn’t want to hit a bad shot. And that fear was creating tension.

During the lesson, I asked him a question.

That was an important moment. Because once a golfer starts worrying about making a mistake, something interesting happens.

• They tighten their grip.
• They stiffen their arms.
• They become determined to keep their head down.

And instead of swinging the golf club, they start trying to control it.

I explained to Gavin:

What I wanted Gavin to understand was that his body wasn’t necessarily the problem. It was the restrictions he’d introduced into his swing.

The Moment Things Started to Change

We began by working on the freedom of his arms.

Gavin had developed a rather rigid lead arm, which was restricting his backswing and limiting the movement of the club. Rather than asking him to make a complicated technical change, I encouraged him to soften the arm and allow a little more natural bend.

As he began to do this, we could see changes on the launch monitor.

But what interested me wasn’t simply the numbers. It was how the swing was beginning to feel.

There it was. A freer feeling, a little more speed and a better movement of the golf club.

Not because we’d asked Gavin to hit the ball harder. But because we’d started removing some of the restrictions.

“You’ve Been Wearing a Straightjacket”

Later in the lesson, I demonstrated what happens when golfers try to keep everything too controlled.

First, I made a swing while deliberately keeping my head down and my body restricted. Then I relaxed and allowed myself to move naturally. I explained:

I then demonstrated how holding the head down could restrict the body’s movement through the ball. And I told Gavin:

I love that description because it’s exactly what I see with so many golfers. They arrive for a lesson convinced they need another technical instruction.

But sometimes they simply need permission to move.

• To let their arms swing.
• To let their body turn.
• To allow their eyes to follow the ball towards the target.
• And to finish their swing without trying to hold everything in position.

That doesn’t mean lifting your head prematurely or losing your posture before impact. It means allowing your head and body to respond naturally as the club moves through the ball.

There is a big difference.

Fast-Forward One Year: Tenerife, October 2026

Last week, I was coaching eight wonderful golfers during our Timeless Golf Swing® coaching week in Tenerife.

We worked on driving, iron play, short game, putting and, perhaps most importantly, taking improvements from the practice ground onto the golf course.

One of the recurring themes was how much golfers restrict their own movement without realising it. And two golfers in particular reminded me of that lesson with Gavin.

Tenerife golfer

Mike: Stop Hitting the Ball. Start Swinging the Clubhead.

Mike arrived in Tenerife looking for consistency and a clear swing thought he could trust.

As we worked together, one of the most effective changes came from encouraging him to feel that he was swinging the clubhead, rather than trying to hit at the golf ball.

That might sound like a small distinction. But it’s enormous.

When you’re trying to hit something, you can easily become tense and aggressive. You tighten your arms, rush the transition and try to force the club into the ball. When you allow yourself to swing the clubhead, you start to appreciate the weight and momentum of the club.

With Mike, we saw his rhythm improve, his swing become freer and his release become more natural. We also worked on softening his grip pressure and allowing his body to move through to a balanced finish.

The objective wasn’t to manufacture the perfect golf swing. It was to help Mike rediscover a movement he could repeat and trust.

Tenerife golfer

Claire: Discovering Speed Without Forcing It

Claire had returned to golf and was looking for more consistent, straighter shots.

One of our biggest discoveries during the week came when she started thinking about swinging the clubhead rather than trying to control every part of the swing. As she developed that feeling, we saw more freedom in her movement and an increase in speed.

Of course, we still had work to do with clubface control. But what I liked was that Claire was beginning to experience something I want every golfer to discover.

You can create speed through freedom of movement, rather than effort alone.

And that’s something you can improve at any age.

What the Coaching Vault Keeps Teaching Me

I’ve been coaching golf for more than 30 years, and one of the reasons we record and study our lessons is to understand what genuinely helps golfers improve.

Not what looks fashionable. Not what sounds technically impressive. But what actually works when you’re standing in front of a golfer who is struggling.

And when I compare that lesson with Gavin in 2025 to what we were seeing in Tenerife last week, the similarities are fascinating.

In both situations, golfers were trying hard to improve. They cared about their golf. They wanted to hit better shots. But some of the things they believed they needed to do were actually making the game more difficult.

• Too much tension.
• Too much control.
• Too much effort to keep everything in the right position.
• And not enough freedom to swing the club.

Try This Instead of “Keep Your Head Down”

Here’s a simple exercise I’d like you to try the next time you visit the driving range. You don’t need any special equipment or a complicated swing thought.

Then notice how it feels. Freer? A little more speed? That’s exactly what we’re looking for.