Golf Balance Training Aid & Golf Balance Board Training

Equipment

"In 2004 I want to work on driving the golf ball in play more consistently. This
is achieved with better balance. To have better balance, it was important that I
become physically stronger in my lower body through an extensive off-season
workout program. This increases my club head speed while allowing me to
maintain lower body stability." - Phil Mickelson

Are you satisfied with your current level of play or are you continuously looking to
improve your game?

Would consistently crushing long straight drives make you happier?

Have you ever or would you like to experience the following scenario?

Driver in hand, you strut out to the first hole. You bend over, balancing on one leg as you pierce
the ground with your tee. You like to leave about a knuckle-length between the ball and the
ground. As you step back away from the ball, you line up your grip on the club.

You peer over your shoulder with a quick glance at the line of foursomes waiting to tee off. You
take one last practice swing which seems to cut the grass like a razor…You're ready.

Your head is clear. Your eyes are focused on the ball as you bring the club head back. Feeling
totally balanced, confident and in control; there's a slight rush of adrenaline as you torque your
downswing and totally crush the ball on impact.

With a "geez" from the Rodney Dangerfield looking guy waiting his turn behind the bushes; you
watch your ball stop 310 yards down the center of the fairway. Nothing in golf compares to
crushing a long straight drive like it was shot out of a cannon. That my friend is what makes you
play the game.

You may think that the average hacker like me needs a few pars to get through an 18 hole bad-
hair day with enough of your ego still intact. Not true…Smashing that little white dimpled meatball
300 yards straight down the fairway like it was shot out of a 44 Magnum gets you out there for
another round.

I can tell you from experience that inconsistency fuels frustration regardless of how well you play
from one round to the next. You always want more, So what's one of the enablers for more
consistent play? "Balance" Now hearing this from a self proclaimed hacker like me isn't going to
blow your skirt up.

But hearing it from Manuel de la Torre a World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame Member and twice
named by Golf Magazine as one of the top 100 golf instructors in America will get your attention.
That's why we're going to have a little show-and-tell on golf balance training. With the help of Mr.
de la Torre, I'll show you how and why balance training gives you more consistency and what
balance board equipment you should add to your bag of tricks.
On the subject of golf balance training this is what Manuel de la Torre had to say:

If each swing feels different than the one before and your shots lack consistency, an aggressive
weight shift to your right side during the backswing may be disrupting your balance. I teach my
students to be in balance. To keep their weight centered between their feet from address until
impact.

Another way to think of this is that you should be able to stand and swing on a platform while
balancing on a log. See *Figure 1* above. Only after impact will the platform tilt toward the
target as the majority of your weight shifts to the left side.

Some teachers are in favor of a big shift to the right side, often known as "loading the right side."
But I've found that players who heed this advice have difficulty making consistently solid contact.
Loading the right side changes the bottom of your swing arc, that point where the club contacts
the ground. To understand the dangers, assume a top-of-the-swing position by making an
aggressive move to you right side. See *Figure 2* above. Then, without moving your legs or
body, let your arms lower the club to the ground. It will hit the ground several inches behind the
ball. That's because your center has been moved laterally from its address position that far behind
the ball.

To make solid contact, you must precisely reverse this lateral motion in the forward swing, a
difficult move to execute successfully and consistently unless you have hours to spend on the
practice range.
Swing to the top again, but this time, keep your weight evenly distributed between your feet, see
*Figure 3* above, and perform the same test. The club will drop into the position it held at
address because your center has remained fixed over the ball. This leads to greater consistency,
especially if your practice time is limited.

Use the image in *Figure 1* on top to acquire the feeling of centralized balance. As you swing
back, concentrate on rotating your torso around the center of your body and avoid any impulse to
move your center laterally. You'll quickly see a lot more consistency in your game.

By: Rick Contrata