Golf Tip of the Day - Mind Your Balance

Not many golfers have very good balance when they swing a golf club. At impact, many are up on their toes, falling forward, falling backward, or spinning out on their heels. This is mainly because they do not have a good set up.

When you set up to the golf ball, assuming you have a level lie, you should typically have your weight balanced evenly between both feet, and the weight should be balanced just behind the balls of the feet. More often than not, golfers have their weight too much on their heels or too much on their toes.

When you set up with the weight too much on your heels, you typically will not have enough bend at the hips. This will likely cause a couple different swing faults. If you do not have enough bend at the hips, the tendency is to pull the club too far inside on the takeaway. Also, it may cause you to rise up and down during the golf swing, or you may lean forward in the backswing.

If your weight is too much on the toes, the tendency is to fall back on your heels at some point in the swing. You may also be bent over too much as you address the ball, and that often leads to a steep takeaway.

In regard to the takeaway, once the club gets on the wrong path, it needs to be re-routed somehow in order to get back on plane. Unfortunately, most golfers are not skilled or athletic enough to pull this off. Most then end up with a swing that results in a slice.

With that in mind, be more mindful of your balance at set up. Just a few simple adjustments may go a long way toward better ball striking.

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com