Compare this example to the photo at right. In this swing, I've maintained my spine angle from address, and my head has neither lifted up or lowered. By keeping my center steady, I've given myself the best chance of hitting correctly down and through the ball. The third true swing element is radius. Maintaining your radius allows you to strike the golf ball solidly.
Many amateur golfers force the shaft of the club past their lead arm prior to impact.
This causes the clubhead to travel up, not down often resulting in fat and thin shots. In addition to fat and thin results, not maintaining the radius can result in hooks, slices, a loss of distance and plenty of other on-course misery. The fourth and final true basic is centering. While there's certainly some movement of the spine in good golf swings, most golfers would do well to keep their spine, or center, steady. A steady center involves two dimensions.