Balance is a Sport-Specific Skill
by Dr. T. J. Tomasi, Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research
Science Says:
Stronger muscles allow you to have better balance because you can better hold the high-speed positions during the golf swing. But it probably won’t help your swing to train the balance system by doing general (generic) balance exercises. “For any sport, the optimal method to improve balance and core stability is to practice the skill itself on the same surface on which the skill will be performed during competition,” says Jeffrey M. Willardson, Ph.D., writing in Strength and Conditioning Journal. “There is little transfer between balancing skills because balance is skill-specific. Performing resistance exercises on stability balls, foam rollers, wobble boards, etc., has not been shown to enhance sports-related skills.”
So, if you want good balance in golf, develop your core for stability and hit a lot of golf balls to improve swing balance. If you make good balance a fundamental of your swing, you can improve your swing — with every swing.
Golf Balance
Impact requires an unusual set of body positions. The head is out over the ball, the weight is on the front side, the fanny is sticking out, and the lower body has slid out from under the upper. The average human head weighs 10 pounds, and at impact, it’s like having a bowling ball hanging out over your shoulders while swinging a 70-pound hammer that’s pulling you toward the ground. It creates the feeling of falling, and only the well-trained and physically fit can resist straightening up.
But this unusual balance arrangement must be learned before the golfer can ignore their brain’s instinctive warning that she/he is falling over. It has been my observation that many golfers never learn this skill. They learn to swing without falling down (maintaining street balance), but they don’t learn to swing while staying in golf balance. Learning to maintain golf balance, so your brain won’t think you’re falling has to do with how you move your weight around. Here are three things to try on the practice tee to improve your golf balance:
- Hit balls barefoot. This will give you a new kinesthetic perspective about your connection to the ground.
- Pose in the correct impact position, alternating between having your eyes open and closed.
- Practice hitting balls with your driver at full speed, focusing on your balance through impact and the finish. Hold your finish position while someone gently tries to push you off balance.
Takeaway: The best way to build the muscles of golf balance is to practice golf balance at golf speed.
In the initial stages of learning your swing being in golf balance at impact feels like you’re falling down, and while muscles don’t house memories, your brain does – so devote training time to being in golf balance every swing.
If you’d like to study with Dr. Tomasi and other PGA Master Professionals, contact The College of Golf today.
