‘It looked like it was a straight run!’ was my defence, ‘Idiot’ was my wife’s response, looking at the mess that was the thick, black silt residue which still remained after playing the remainder of the round, in mid-eighties heat. I then had to explain that the lithium battery still resided at the bottom of the lake and that it took all my effort to get the Tour bag and all of the clubs out, with the reluctant help of my opposition.
So there I was, all square now, stood on the third tee, sopping wet and barefoot trying to blank out the guilt of subjecting poor, young, undefeated Michael (my opponent) to seeing me stripped down to my then, thankfully clean boxers, wading into the water praying that I had zipped up my watch, wallet and car keys pocket.
This was exactly the moment I realised how natural the game felt barefoot, with your feet totally connected with the ground. I started to become aware of a level of movement, connection and most importantly balance never experienced before. All of these sensations masked by the shoes I had been wearing.
What was more startling was the control of the club, ball and body now being exhibited. Fairway found and green accomplished, hole after hole. By the time I put my shoes back on I was two up. But not wanting to literally lose that feeling, I kept on mentally recreating the connection and the swing feel.
Poor Michael lost his undefeated record that afternoon. Out of courtesy to his great ability, I joked to his teammates that he had seen sights which will more than likely have scarred him, it was a cruel way to distract an opponent. Inwardly though, I had discovered something. Something very important; balance is the most important factor in the swing.
Something, about which, Sam Snead was extolling the virtues within Life Magazine in 1959. Apparently he played barefoot up until he was 14. Whenever possible he would practice unencumbered, letting his mind feel the ground, maintaining perfect balance and tempo, until his feet were “as tough as wet leather!”
Sam Snead will always be remembered for his rhythm and beautifully balanced swing. It can’t be coincidence that a self taught player coming out of Hot Springs, Virginia, whose playing partners back then were characters called ‘Piggie McGuffin and Horsehair Brinkley’, balanced his way to a world class swing.
My revelation occurred fifty years after Snead’s interview, just going to show that there isn’t anything new in the golf swing, maybe only a new way of describing it.
However, there is now a way of measuring your balance during the swing. It’s called BalanceLab - a force plate, which measures your centre of balance from start to finish. Enabling you to see exactly what you are doing, where you are losing power and what you need to do to increase your consistency.
It is without a doubt the best coaching aid I have ever come across, especially when connected to our 40-inch flat screen. Positions and points, which could have once been disputed, are now uncontested. It has been said for years that 90% of all swing faults are due to a poor set up. Now it can be proven.
There is now an army of Biomechanists working alongside Physiotherapists, producing volumes of articles proving what was once opinion is fact. A body which maintains balance from start to finish, will produce a swing less prone to injury alongside a very consistent movement. Sounds simple doesn’t it?
The simplest way to describe the importance of balance is the age-old analogy of the iceberg; where the relation to everything balance-related is the enormous amount of ice under the water. If you mess with anything above the water without chiselling the mass below, nothing will change. But by changing the movement of balance everything above automatically moves far more efficiently.
I hope this has opened your mind to the world of balanced golf; if you can’t make it to our Academy at Vila Sol for a balance measurement, next time you go and practice leave the shoes in the car and discover your game Sam Snead style!
Sometimes old school is best.
Pestana Golf Integrated Academy, for further information call 912 263 555.