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One Simple, Yet Powerful, Tip From Jack Nicklaus We Should All Follow

By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on

With Jack Nicklaus's Memorial being held this week at his famed Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, I’ve been reflecting on some of the best tips and secrets I’ve heard over the years from one of the best of all time. Like many 40-plus year old golfers, books like Jack's Golf My Way were required reading for me. To this day, I still turn to some of the countless tips and concepts I learned from Jack.
Steady Head
One of Jack's most simple yet powerful tips is the idea of the head staying steady both at address, as we move back to the top and especially down and through impact.
Jack say's...
"Every golfer should understand that golf is a game of balance, rhythm and timing. You have to swing the club. To do that, your body must be in position, beginning with your head, which needs to start behind the ball and stay there all the way through impact."
To add to Jack's thoughts, I feel it's important for me to dispel a common golf myth…
"Keep your Head Down" is NOT the same thing as "Keep your Head Steady." The head may in fact rotate some as you go back. This slight rotation of the head will help you rotate your torso properly, and get yourself loaded, and into a powerful position at the top. Nicklaus famously imparted a slight turning or rotating of his head as he turned back. This allowed him to clear his shoulders and make a solid turn back as he moved up to the top.
Nicklaus once said…
"I played with Sam Snead when I was 16 and watched that little cocking of his head. I thought...if it's good enough for Sam, it's good enough for me."
One of the most important moments in the swing, where keeping that head steady and back really matters, is at impact. Doing so will allow you to fully release the club after impact, which is a sign of fluid, continuous motion from beginning to end.
Many amateurs move laterally, or sway, as they go back. Some do so as they are coming down from the top. And some do so in both instances. An unsteady head is without question a contributing factor to this.
To this day, and many years after his prime, the Golden Bear remains one of the best examples of what proper execution of even the simplest of fundamentals can do for your game.
Brendon R. Elliott, PGA

Sorrento, FL

Brendon Elliott

Director of Instruction, Freelance Golf Writer

[Brendon Elliott, PGA](https://brendonelliott.com/), is an award-winning PGA Professional, player-development coach and nationally recognized golf writer with three decades of experience in the golf industry. As of 2026, he has been a PGA Professional for 17 years and has earned more than 25 PGA Section and Chapter honors for his work in coaching, education and player development. In 2017, he received the PGA of America National Youth Player Development Award. ## Coaching Competitive Teenage Golfers Through [BE A GOLFER](https://beagolfer.golf/home), Brendon specializes in working with competitive teenage golfers who want to improve their performance, better understand their games and prepare for the demands of high school, junior tournament and college golf. His primary focus is [Remote Coaching](https://beagolfer.golf/remote-coaching), which allows him to remain actively involved in a player’s development regardless of location. Rather than relying on occasional lessons or isolated swing fixes, Brendon works with players throughout their competitive journey. His coaching covers much more than the golf swing. Players receive ongoing guidance in structured practice, short-game development, putting, course management, tournament preparation, performance analysis, goal setting and the mental and physical habits required to improve over time. Using video analysis, virtual coaching sessions, performance data and regular communication, Brendon helps each player understand what to work on, why it matters and how to make meaningful progress between practices and tournaments. Brendon accepts only a limited number of in-person students in Central Florida. His priority is building long-term [Remote Coaching](https://beagolfer.golf/remote-coaching) relationships with competitive teenage golfers and their families. The goal is not simply to help a young player hit better shots. It is to help that player become more prepared, more accountable and more capable of navigating everything competitive golf demands. Brendon’s career has included serving as a head golf professional, general manager, college golf educator, career development director, academy owner and longtime junior golf leader. He founded Little Linksters Golf Academy in 2008 and led the organization for more than 16 years before selling the academy in late 2024 and launching [BE A GOLFER](https://beagolfer.golf/home). ## Golf Writing and Media Brendon is also a nationally recognized and prolific golf writer and storyteller. He is the Senior Golf Writer for [Athlon Sports](https://athlonsports.com/author/brendon-elliott) and has written extensively about professional golf, instruction, player development, equipment, golf history and the people shaping the game. His work has also appeared with PGA.com, GolfWRX, PGA Magazine, MyGolfSpy and several other prominent golf media outlets. Through [One More Roll Golf Media](https://onemorerollgolf.com/), Brendon provides editorial content, feature writing, consulting and media services throughout the golf industry. His background as a coach and educator shapes the way he writes, while his work as a writer strengthens the way he coaches. He understands how to explain complicated ideas clearly, ask better questions and connect the technical, strategic and personal sides of golf.