The PGA Teaching Manual, written in 1990 by Gary Wiren, is a wonderful encyclopedia of golf terms, facts and history. In Chapter 6, Mr. Wiren breaks a golf swing down into two distinct phases -- the pre-swing and the actual swing. It is this first phase that I am interested in addressing in this article.
I would wager a guess that all golf instructors, and a large percentage of the golfing public as well, would know that the grip, aim and set up comprise the three pre-swing fundamentals. However, how many of these people would take balance, flexibility and coordination for granted? I would venture that nearly all would, which I believe to be a grave mistake.
Therefore, it is my contention that the rotational flexibility of the body combined with the balance and coordination of the individual is as much, if not more, of a pre-swing fundamental than grip, aim and set up combined. For without rotational flexibility, balance and coordination the most one could expect to produce in a golf swing would be a chip shot. So, having said all that, I would like to propose a new, fourth pre-swing fundamental that I will call rotational flexibility and balance.
Being a pre-swing fundamental means just that -- BEFORE you attempt to swing the golf club. So, what we as teachers should be doing with our students and what we as golfers should be doing as golfers is testing our rotational flexibility BEFORE we attempt to swing the golf club, take a golf lesson or venture out onto the golf course.
If your seated shoulder stretch, for instance, has 10 degrees of flexibility or your hip rotation is limited, attempting to make a powerful golf swing would be futile. How do we check our rotational flexibility and balance? Very simple. An example would be while sitting in a chair, place a golf club behind your neck and across your shoulders while holding onto each end. Turn your shoulders to the right and left without moving in the chair. Measure the amount of rotation you can make in relation to your hips. If you are not able to turn your shoulders more than say 20 degrees, then you may need a stretching program. For balance, simply stand on one foot. If you are able to stand without falling over, then try turning to the right and left. If you are unable to make a full turn while standing on one foot you may need to work on your rotational balance.
In my 35 years of playing and teaching the game of golf I have always sought to find the reasons why so many people struggle to make a powerful golf swing and others make it look so simple. My conclusion is that the most important pre-swing fundamental of all, rotational flexibility and balance, has been neglected because instructors have not wanted to discourage people from playing the game. I believe this is one reason why the game is losing players every year. Unfortunately, their heads are filled with swing preferences from a myriad of sources and would be much better served if they just improved their flexibility and balance.
The two best sources I have found for information on flexibility and body mechanics are www.bodybalancegolf.com and www.egoscue.com. Log onto both of these sites and check out what they can do for you. As for rotational balance and rotational flexibility the best training device I have found is at www.8board.com. This simple device, if used on a daily basis at home or in the office, will dramatically improve your rotational balance and flexibility.
John Mason teaches at the JC Golf School at Encinitas Ranch and is the 2006-08 San Diego Chapter PGA President. He was the 2005 Southern California Section PGA Teacher of the Year, 2004 San Diego Chapter PGA Teacher of the Year, 2003 Golf Digest Best Teachers in the State selection and also the 1999 and 2002 San Diego Chapter PGA Player of the Year.
