Golf Fitness 101: How can you improve your balance to improve your golf game
Balance is usually associated with dancing, gymnastics, or other activities embodying quick and complex body movements.
What many golfers don’t realize is good balance is also crucial for the game of golf. Yet it’s often one of the most overlooked aspects of golf-specific training. People tend to think a loss of balance is an unwanted side effect of aging. It’s true—like so many things related to our bodies—balance does diminish with age… but only if not practiced.
Here’s the encouraging news: balance can improve when practiced regularly.
Generating maximum power and consistency in your golf swing requires that all of the body’s systems related to balance work together: your vestibular system (inner ear), proprioceptive system (cells found in ligaments and joints that tell your brain where your limbs are in space), muscular system, and visual system. It’s important to challenge these systems individually and together.
The best way to do this? Practicing simple balance drills. A great exercise to build balance by activating multiple systems is with the Single-Leg Balance with Head Turn exercisewe shared this week.
Many more of these types of exercises can be found throughout the GOLFFOREVER program. Committing to these simple exercises for just a few minutes a day can dramatically improve your balance (and your game!) in just a few weeks.
Just as strength training makes muscles stronger and cardiovascular training keeps your heart healthy, balance drills improve the body’s ability to know where each body part is in space and maintain solid footing as numerous parts move at the same time.
Remember, balance isn’t just for dancing or walking a tightrope. It’s essential for power and accuracy in your golf swing, and it can get better or worse as you age, depending on how much attention you put toward it.
Key Takeaways:
- Good balance is a function of three systems: visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular
- You need to train all of these systems to improve balance
- Balance is an most overlooked aspect of golf training but is very important for powerful consistent swing
- Balance diminishes with age if not practiced
- Loss of balance can be reversed and improved if you practice it
Are you ready to get started?
Want to learn more? Visit GOLFFOREVER.COM to build flexibility, mobility, strength and more confidence in your game than ever before.
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All GOLFFOREVER content and exercises are presented with the expressed understanding that you should visit a doctor to determine the cause of any pain you may be feeling and in some rare cases that can include cancer, fractures, infection and more. It should also be understood that you are strongly advised to first receive clearance from a physician before following any exercises or advice presented on this site, and that Morning Read and its partner, GOLFFOREVER, are not liable for any injuries that may occur.