Balance v's Counter Balance

There are two main types of balance used in the golf swing, static balance which is keeping balanced while still and dynamic balance is keeping balance while moving.

The greater of the two used in the golf swing is dynamic balance, keeping balanced whilst moving, however it is fair to say that at not many points in the swing is somebody totally balanced.

This can even be said of some of the top players of whom some fall back after they hit Montgomerie and others like Gary Player and Anthony Kim are shifting forward after they hit.

So where is it most important to be balanced in your swing? The answer is impact, where the body is returned to a stacked position with the shoulders above the hips and the pressure on the left leg, another word that gets used to describe this position is covering the ball.

The issue of balance arises when the top and bottom parts of the body get out of sync, for example a top leaning back too far is not balanced. 

For the most part as mentioned most golfer's are never totally balanced throughout their golf swings, instead a far more accurate description of what is happening is to say they are counter balancing.

Counter balance is the product of movement out of the correct hitting angles or changes in posture or even misconceptions about the set-up angles.

Think about this, have you ever been told that you are swinging too fast? This is the result of people observing too much movement in your swing and because speed relates to movement this is the reason they will say this. However slowing your swing down is not the answer as this will only lead to hitting the ball shorter distances.

Counter balance is again the product of being in the wrong set-up angles at the start and then like a chain reaction the body works to stay in balance perhaps a little bit like the video ....!

Defintion of balance:

A state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.

2. something used to produce equilibrium; counterpoise.

3. mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.

4. a state of bodily equilibrium: He lost his balance and fell down the stairs.

In this article we look at balance and the role it plays within the golf swing and specifically at impact but as you can see from the above definitions balance plays various roles in the game of golf. 

Balance At Impact

By the time you arrive at impact, approximately 70- to 75-percent of your weight should be shifted onto the front foot.

Your head must be behind the ball and your hips must shift forward approximately 4 inches past their starting position.

This increases the spine tilt by at least double.

Drill: Hit shots with your feet placed squarely together

This is one of the most popular practice exercises, because it will promote synchronization between your arms and body and prevent bad faults from creeping into your swing.

Place your feet together whenever you start to lose confidence in your swing because of repeated missed shots or ball flight problems.