Learn the feeling of a balanced address and finish
for more consistent shots (Part 1)

If you’re looking for the biggest difference between amateur and professional swings, look no further than balance. You could watch Nick Price, Fred Couples, Greg Norman, and Ernie Els play every day for the rest of the year and never see one of them lose his balance during the swing. Meanwhile, your Saturday foursome probably can’t make it to the second tee without at least one of you falling out of your finish position.

Nearly every professional swings with excellent balance, but hardly any amateurs do. Why is this so important? Because you can’t strike the ball consistently in the middle of the clubface if you don’t stay in balance.

I’ve found the quickest and easiest way to improve balance is to learn and practice proper address and finish positions. It’s relatively easy to teach yourself to start and finish in balance because these positions are static and easy to check. To speed the learning process, practice in front of a mirror (with or without a club) matching your­ self to the positions shown in the photographs.

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Address Check Points
Start with your weight centered over the middle of your feet. Flex your knees only slightly. Most amateurs bend too deeply, moving their weight onto their heels during the swing, a definite balance buster. Bend forward at your waist, your spine tilted forward and angled slightly away from the target (to help you turn over your back foot on the backswing). Complete your set-up by pushing your posterior backward to counterbalance the forward spinal tilt. If available, stand on range buckets to more easily feel any off-balance movement.