Why Working on your Balance for a golfer is key to hit longer Drives? Better Balance = Better Golf Swing

If you mention the word Balance associated with the  golf swing it is often overlooked and not considered a priority. 
A good balance for a golfer is the core foundation of a solid golf swing as every other components of fitness are interlinked. 
The great news is that every golfer can benefit from improving their balance after just a few mini training sessions they will notice an increase of club head speed, more precision in ball striking, greater power output and the ability to finish their swing with good balance.  
You can do these exercises anytime & anywhere, 3-5  times a week, you will start noticing the difference in your swing, hitting the ball further with more precision.   

My Top 5 Golf Balance exercises

      1. Balance assessment on 1 leg, arms alongside the body

How long can you hold this position in perfect balance with    your eyes open?
I do this assessment in my socks on a driving range mat as it is more challenging to achieve perfect balance. Start with a hard surface to stand on and progress to a softer surface like a driving range mat or on a soft, thick carpet.
Record your time on each leg, stop as soon as you start to wobble and lose balance, 30 seconds is a good time and your ultimate goal is 1 minute. Focus on progressing the time.

      2.Tennis ball under foot rolls, 10 passes  

Roll a tennis ball 10 times under your foot early in the morning to wake up the proprioceptors of your foot (This help to improve your balance and release tension under your foot) 

      3. ​Cone, box, touches 

Level 1 - Select a box, chair, couch, (pic on the left) anything at approximately knee height and slowly hinge from the hips to touch the box, alternate leg and repeat 6 times the exercise. 

Level 2 - Place on the ground a cone (Pic on the right), or a 2-litre bottle of water and repeat the same amount of repetitions as for level 1 above. This exercise is more challenging as you have to hinge more and lower your trunk to touch the cone. 

      4. ​3 balls 3 cones single leg challenge

This exercise is the most challenging one. Place your foot from your supporting leg near the cone placed in the center, grab 3  tennis balls and drop 1 ball at a time in each cone, returning to an upright single leg  posture each time. You can vary in between holding the ball on right hand/left leg supporting or holding the ball on same side as your supporting leg which is more challenging. 

​      5. ​Standing on 1 leg in golf posture do mini swings in slow motion with a club. (Pw-7 iron)

Only the swing the club where the shaft stops when it is parallel to the ground. Do 3 swings in a row on each leg, as you progress you can hit shots on the range or into a net. It is best to do this exercise without shoes on if possible, to train your foot balance receptors, improving balance in your swing.

Why Train bare footed on a soft surface to improve your foot proprioception & balance?

Nowadays we’ve got used to wear shoes that are very comfortable with a thick cushion sole to absorb shocks (runners) This places your foot almost like in a cast where full range of movement for the foot and ankle is not possible compare to being barefooted. In training without shoes, you will re-train your foot receptors, strengthen your tendons and ligaments, improve the mobility in your foot & ankle and develop more stability around your knee joint.  

What is Proprioception?

Also called kinaesthesia, is the body's ability to sense its location, movements, and actions. It's the reason we're able to move freely without consciously thinking about our environment 

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