Buying a new set of clubs, finding the perfect pair of shoes for the course, or seeking out instruction from a golf pro are just a few of the things golfers do when looking to improve their performance. Although all of these things are beneficial to sharpening your skills on the course, many golfers overlook one important aspect: balance and stability
Balance and stability are critical components for almost every sport or activity. Without them, our movements are uncoordinated, less powerful and less consistent, and the likelihood of producing an injury increases significantly. If you are a right-handed golfer, you will load your back leg on the back swing and finish by shifting your weight to your left leg on the down swing, requiring adequate balance and proprioception to execute a smooth and efficient transition from right to left. Proprioception is the awareness of your limbs in space; without this awareness balance will quickly deteriorate.
If you are not sure how good your balance is, you may complete a short test. Start by lifting your arms away from your sides, making a “T.” Next, lift one leg off the ground making your thigh parallel to the floor and close your eyes. Count how long you can maintain this stance without losing your balance or wildly flailing your arms. A time of 20 seconds or less is a good indicator that your balance needs improvement.
Now that you know where your balance stands, how do you improve it? The answer is often much more than simply performing the test over and over until your time improves. Instead, you need to look at your overall mobility first. If your ankles are locked up, if you have tight hamstrings, or if your hips are stiff, this reduces proprioception to your surroundings. This makes that road map in your brain less accurate and fuzzy, and some movements uncoordinated or limited. To see if mobility is the culprit for your poor balance, you will perform three test; a toe touch, deep squat, and ankle dorsiflexion test. Although there are many other screenings that can be used, these three have the biggest correlation to golf performance.
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