More Balance - the ignored essential

[Augusta Golf]

Yes I am reviving an old post. I see many, many students who come to me with bad balance and wonder why the ball goes sideways. I talk to them about balance and they want to rush past the topic for something more exciting. The body always seeks balance and it doesn't care if you are hitting a golf ball! There's a big reason balance is one of the three Essentials!!!

[okie]

How do you define balance? I still have a hard time nailing that one down. To me balance is all about "head control" i.e. where my head is at any given time in the stroke. The head being relatively heavy and very capable of movement it can change the balance of things! I have paid dearly for having my head too far right of low point at address

[golfbulldog]

you can no more isolate balance in one body part than you can define the location of the soul or spirit.

It must be experienced as a whole.

It is dynamic. It can make things happen. Balance can drive your motion.

[GPStyles]

In one of the "On tour with LBG" threads, Yoda talks of working with Brian Gay who made swings on a buson (sp) ball.

I have a pair of agility discs that really make you unstable and once off them help you feel really 'grounded'. Making a full swing on them is very challenging for me, mostly I want to fall over after contact with ball (I only ever make practice swings with them) if one was there and the momentum is a forwards and out movement.

My question is, at what stage should one make use of these sort of aids? Should it be when you have a fully functioning G.O.L.F. swing or as you are building one?

Assuming the answer is 'as you build it', how often and for how long should one incorporate them into practice.

Thanks in advance!

[okie]

"Balance is holding the center of gravity of the body inside The Stance without moving the Head." Most people would benefit from "reducing" balance to keeping their respective heads between their feet thereby assisting in keeping the COG inside the stance. A floppy head seldom helps. Leave that alone, Crews!

[Mike O]

"Balance is holding the center of gravity of the body inside The Stance without moving the Head." Most people would benefit from "reducing" balance to keeping their respective heads between their feet thereby assisting in keeping the COG inside the stance. A floppy head seldom helps. Leave that alone, Crews!

Well said Okie- Crews is definitely inside the gates and lurking, posting, causing problems- I'm working on deleting the virus but until then be careful!

[okie]

If it were NOT for the zealous outworkings of HIS evil inclination how would we know if up is really up? Bucket is perhaps the default setting of the universe!

[Augusta Golf]

I'm paraphrasing Ben Doyle but his definition of balance was something to the effect of cancelling out or

"cancellation of all forces by equal opposing forces."

When the ball starts going sideways remember "Off-balance force is notoriously erratic." 1-L

Check your balance at Basic Motion, then Acquired, etc.

[david sandridge]

Ben Doyle illustrates balance by performing swing while standing on a plastic crate turned upside down. Improving core strength improves balance.

[okie]

What are we checking for? I view balance from the perspective of an alignment i.e. tripod. I am sure there are more complete definitions. I have also noticed that the only way I can stand on a crate (like Mr. Doyle does) is to keep my head between my feet. I used to work on a "steady head" , but it was was seldom a centered head. Balance is indeed essentially without it there is little chance of a centered arc for impact etc.