| |
| |
|
Golf Information |
|
Balance Your Checkbook and Golf Swing
We all search for it. Balance in our daily lives. Balance while riding a bike. Politicians are always debating a balanced budget in Washington, and most of us could use a little balance in our checkbooks. Balance is a term used in golf quite often as well. It's a "buzzword" and almost a cliché when it comes to the golf swing. I am sure you have heard numerous times from swing coaches that "you have to stay balanced when swinging your club." Others phrases that I hear when we talk about golf and balance are the following: "When it comes to a sand shot, dig your feet into the stand so you can stay balanced," "If the ball is on an uphill lie and above your feet, make sure you swing through the ball, and stayed balanced," and "Stay balanced when hitting the driver and get to the finish position in perfect balance." The list could go on and on, and I am sure all of you could probably add to the short list above. Two questions always arise in my mind when I hear the word balance in association with golf: 1) what does balance exactly mean, and 2) how do I create balance in my golf swing? I am guessing quite a few of you have these same questions, or similar ones, when you talk about the subject of balance in relation to the golf swing. I am going to answer both of these questions. We will first define balance and its relation to the golf swing. Secondly, we will discuss how you develop the balance capacities of your body in relation to the golf swing. So without further ado let's get started. What is Balance? This is a really great question and the perfect way to begin. So let's hear it! What is the definition of balance? Think about it for a minute and then write down a couple of your answers. I understand that this is not the easiest question to answer (trust me, I have asked it plenty of times), and it is okay if you are not able to create a good working definition of balance (that's part of what we are going to do with this article). Okay, time is up, what did you write down? Well, let me tell you some of the replies I have received for this question and we will take if from there. Here are just a few that I hear: "head over your belly button between your feet," "swinging a club on the correct path," "knowing where your body is in space," and "kinesthetic awareness." All of these answers are somewhat correct, but none of them gives us a good sound understanding of what balance really means. The definition of balance is simply the ability to control your body during movement. Sounds pretty simple, does it not? It really is when you think about it, but let's break this definition down so we understand it completely. Starting with the first portion of the definition: "the ability to control" means what? Well, it is probably easiest to imagine what "out of control" looks like. Take the mental image of a racecar crashing into the wall. We could describe the car as out of control. Now take the flip side of this, and what would this car look like if it were in control? It would probably zoom around the track without hitting anything. The body is the same; if your body is out of control it will, in a sense, crash or fall over. If the body is in control, then it performs whatever movement you are asking of it without "crashing." Take the example of a toddler running. Sometimes they get going so quickly that they get out of control and fall over. Other times they stay in control and are able to run. Moving onto the second part of the definition: "your body." Pretty easy concept to understand, don't you think? Your body includes your torso, head, arms, legs, and anything attached to the arms or legs, like a golf club. Up to this point we can put together the first two parts of the definition and summarize it as: the body (including your arms, legs, torso, head, and golf club) must be under control. Let us add the final part of the definition into the mix to complete our understanding. The final piece of the definition is: "during movement." This simply means anything your body is doing. It can be walking, running, throwing a baseball, or, in our world, swinging a golf club. Swinging a golf club is "our movement" when discussing this definition. We are now at the point to put the whole definition together. Let us use the example of a golf swing to create the connection we are looking for in terms of the definition. Balance is the ability of your body (i.e. nerves, muscles, and skeleton) to swing a golf club effectively and efficiently on the correct path without changing the position of your body in such a way that it is detrimental to the swing and its outcome (i.e. contact with the ball). Pretty simple definition when you break it down, and from now on when your swing coach says, "You have to stay balanced," you know what he is talking about. Developing Balance in Our Golf Swing Okay, we now know the definition of balance and its relationship to the golf swing. Now, for the second question of this article: "how do we develop balance in relationship to our golf swing?" This next section will answer this question for you. I would also bet that the answer is not as obvious as it appears. I will first say that developing balance in your swing is a combination of a couple of factors. The first and probably most obvious factor is mechanics. The golf swing is a biomechanical movement that requires the body to take the club through a specified swing path in a certain sequence and timing. The body must learn the biomechanical movement of a golf swing to become efficient with the movement. As your body becomes aware of the movement, more efficient with the movement, and has a better "feel" for the movement, the concept of balance in your swing will improve. So the first part of developing balance in your swing is linked to the mechanics of the swing and becoming more efficient with these mechanics. This all funnels down to two things: 1) proper instruction about the swing, and 2) practice. Practice, practice, and more practice is necessary to create better balance in your swing. The second factor has to do with a term that many of you have probably heard before. That term is "muscle memory." Realize that within your body the skeleton is controlled by your muscles, muscles are controlled by nerves, and the nerves are told what to do by your brain. The messages sent to your muscles through your nerves by the brain create movement (i.e. muscles working to make the body move). These movements can either be efficient or inefficient. Inefficient movements by the muscular system tend to be "sloppy" and "unrefined." Efficient movements are just the opposite. Efficient movements by your muscular system are refined and technical. Improvement in balance is a result of the latter (i.e. efficient muscular movement). Efficient muscular movement is developed through training the muscles and nerves of your body to become more efficient. This is not done through typical exercises like bench press or leg press, but through stabilization and balance exercises. As golfers we have our priorities. Let's get some balance in our golf swing by training our bodies, getting proper instruction, and certainly a lot of practice. Once we've got balance there, then we'll start talking about balancing our checkbook or helping Washington balance the federal budget. To learn more about improving your golf swing go to our web site www.bioforcegolf.com. Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. Check out his manual and DVD, Your Body & Your Swing, on BioForceGolf.com To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Golf - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Improve your Golf Game by Learning The Secrets of The Golf Club Grip Grips are the least expensive yet one of the most important parts of a golf club. Remember, the grip is the only part of the clubs that you make contact with, so it's extremely important to make sure that you have the right size and the right quality of material. Learn How To Correct A Golf Slice How to correct the golf slice? If that's a question you are asking yourself, this article will provide you with some places to get help.If you need to learn how to correct a golf slice you can go about it in several ways. Creating A Golf Fitness Program For the average golfer embarking on a total golf fitness program may sound a little overwhelming. Fitting the program into your schedule on a regular basis may seem like something for which you simply don't have the time. How To Improve Your Golf Swing Timing Golf swing timing is a key factor in being able to repeat a mechanically sound swing for 18 holes. In fact it is true to say that correct timing is everything. My Golf Disaster Although I was never picked for sports teams as a kid, I always thought that golf would be far easier than all the others as it required very little physical exertion in regards to chasing a ball up and down a field for 90 minutes while opponents try to take the legs out from under you.I mean, how difficult could it be? You stand still, look at the hole at the other end of the green, look at the ball and then hit it as hard as you can with a metal or wooden club. Getting to the Core of the Problem with Your Golf Game How do you fix it? Well, there's no magic core strength pill or patch. It takes some good, old-fashioned flexibility training and exercise. Flexibility For Golf Will Not Be Lost With Weight Training There is no doubt that body flexibility is extremely important for golf and to golfers. Little wonder that one of the biggest fears amongst many golfers looking to improve their game is that of losing their flexibility as a result of weight training that builds muscles and stretching exercises. What No Golf Bag Should Be Without Whether you are a golf pro or a rookie trying your best to learn the tricks of the trade, golf can be a very difficult sport to learn. Without the right equipment, becoming an expert golfer may be nearly impossible. Three Secrets of A Consistent Golf Stroke What you are about to read.. Try Developing Your Own Golf Style Some golf beginners think that all they have to do is copy Ernie Els, Tiger Woods or whoever their favorite golfer might be and bam, immediate golf success!I am sorry to say, it is just not that easy. If it were then everybody would be a lot better. Par and Beyond: Secrets to Better Golf You've bogeyed your last hole, you are about to hit your next drive. As you take your practice swings, your mind is still on the last putt that you blew. A Golf Exercise Program Will Leave Your Playing Partners In Envy It's no secret that a golf exercise program can put you heads and tails above your playing partners and competitors. Why do you think all the Pro's are doing it?Golf is no longer just the leisure game it used to be. Balance Your Checkbook and Golf Swing We all search for it. Balance in our daily lives. Simple Golf Warm Up Exercise Golf warm up you say? Aren't you supposed to rush to the course, pull out the BIG DOG, take a few hacks at it and start your round? Is that what you do? Come on be honest with yourself. If so, what was the result on the first tee? I'll bet it wasn't even a par! Am I wrong?I don't mean to add too much sarcasm in there, but I want to get your attention to the importance of doing golf warm up exercises to avoid those big numbers the first few holes. Components Of A Golf Exercise Program Golf exercise program - with the exploding number of so-called golf fitness experts these days, it becomes very confusing. It's easy for a golfer to be misled and end up in a program that will hardly have the desired objective of improving their game. Golf Schools Require Golf Fitness Are you planning on attending a golf school on your next golf vacation? Don't expect to kick your feet up, relax with a cold beer and nap every couple of hours. Furthermore, don't expect to enjoy your learning experience unless you prepare yourself physically. Online Golf Program Features and Benefits There are many features and benefits to look for when it comes to choosing an online golf program over a personal golf trainer who charges by the hour or lesson. In this article, I will focus on the most important benefits. Have A Golf Fitness Expert In Your Home The term golf fitness expert has grown in popularity for the last few years thanks to Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, Vijay Singh and many other tour players.They all have a golf fitness expert who actually travels with them to every tournament to keep them in top shape throughout their season. 2005 US Open Winner - What Does It Take? As the 2005 US Open began in Pinehurst, NC, the name Michael Campbell wasn't being touted as likely to finish first. Michael had attempted in four previous Opens and had not survived the weekend. Improve Your Golf Game Using the Unlimited Power of Your Imagination Today, it seems, that many people are all too familiar with what they can't do. We need to spend more time and thought on what we CAN do.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
