Balance – Too Much On The Toes

[GlasgowsGreen]

I had the shanks recently and on examination my pro told me that I was leaning forward during the downswing. He said I was too much on my toes at impact and should try to be more balanced. This is also evident with my right heel coming up early.

I’m looking for some advice as to how I correct this. It’s said that if you want to make a change to your swing then you have to go from one extreme to the other i.e. to correct a slice you should try to draw the ball instead rather than simply try to hit the ball straight.

Consequently I have tried swinging with my weight on my heels. Obviously this isn’t a long term solution, but trying to stay on the balls of my feet isn’t working.

What’s your thoughts on this approach?

Any other good drills to improve balance?

[stoverny]

I think this may have gone out of fashion, but I still find Hogan's chapter on the setup from Five Lessons to be great for getting into a balanced position.  If you setup like Ben tells you, you will feel solid and balanced over the ball.

He recommends a slight inward bend of both knees (less so with the lead knee, more with the rear).  This setup helps make the whole thing feel "compact" and helps lead to a more balanced rotational takeaway and swing "into" the right side (rather than swaying backwards over the right side).

[Chas]

I used to consistently hit full shots with my weight too far forward (towards the toes). Sometimes I would even have to take a mini step forward after contact, particularly with driver. Not good. What has helped me a lot is to work my foot pressure back and forth a few times as I stand at address, until I feel that my center of gravity is where it should be. You'll see many pros doing this if you watch closely.

[GlasgowsGreen]

Thanks, I'll give those ideas a try

[Mac62]

I'm pretty sure it's in one of the 5SK videos (and if so, I'm sure Iacas or mvmac will pop in with a link to it) where they suggest lifting your toes upward in your shoes to avoid putting your weight too far forward.  If your toes aren't touching the ground, you can't balance on them!

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Mac62

I'm pretty sure it's in one of the 5SK videos (and if so, I'm sure Iacas or mvmac will pop in with a link to it) where they suggest lifting your toes upward in your shoes to avoid putting your weight too far forward.  If your toes aren't touching the ground, you can't balance on them!

[GlasgowsGreen]

Thanks for this gents!