Self Optimization

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