The most important job of our body in good golf is to provide the most efficient blend of balance (legs, hips, spine), speed (arms), and reliability (club face). When we get this blend correct, rhythm, power, consistency, and confidence are the by-products.
The most common error in combining this blend is that misguided effort will create distance without regard for balance and reliability. The greatest inhibitor of good balance is too much effort at the wrong time from the wrong place. This puts the speed mechanisms – arms and hands – in bad positions to create speed in the desired direction. Sometimes it is because of a physical deficiency, inflexibility or lack of adequate strength in a part of the body. Most often it is because of a misunderstanding of how speed and efficiency are created.
Speed is a result of good balance and coordination of body, arms, and arm rotation. Reliability is a result of good balance (contact) and clubface awareness (direction). Complicated, inefficient swings are usually the result of bad balance, and/or an inefficient sequence of motion.
Good balance is very attainable for most any golfer if it is made a priority. Once we have good balance, proper sequence becomes very possible. It must be understood conceptually and practiced consistently.
The most important component to balance is a stable lower body. Lower body stability will allow the upper body to rotate behind the ball in the backswing and flow through the ball during the forward swing. Inefficient lower body movement will make it almost impossible to create efficient upper body movement and flow.
If the pursuit of speed compromises balance and reliability, it is very harmful to good golf. Our priority should be to only swing as fast as we can maintain good balance and ball flight reliability. Once we get in good balance, our arms will be able to move faster, in the right direction.
Being a good player is being smart about our approach, not simply expecting to bully the ball around the course.
