Tap Your Toe for a Balanced Finish

When learning how to play the game, once we have learned the basics about the grip and stance we normally learn about the swing and the motion required to make the swing as fluent as possible. When juniors have trouble with the motion of the swing, I have noticed that instead of sticking with the basics they tend to get technical and work on difficult things.

I personally think that if you can start in an athletic and BALANCED starting position with your weight equally distributed between both feet, than you have got a good chance of turning the majority of your weight onto your back foot (furthest from the target) at the top of your swing and have your weight working for you instead of against you through the hitting area and finishing with your weight on your front foot (closest to the target) with your back foot standing tall as demonstrated in the photo.

One of my favourite drills to prescribe for junior’s having trouble in this area is to ask them to swing a mid iron, let’s say a 7 iron and never use a ball or actually hit the ball at this stage of learning, it is difficult enough just trying to think about the new skill let alone try and hit the ball straight as well. So swinging this seven iron make a swing and at the finish position pose for two seconds and tap your back toe on the grass twice.(for a right handed player your right foot). If you feel a little rushed pose for five seconds and then tap your toe twice.

This is a great drill to get you through the hitting area to the finish position in one flowing motion, it will also encourage you to use the power that you build up during your swing on the ball and not have too much in you at the finish position. As you can see with this junior she is resting in a balanced finish position.

So next time when you feel like you have lost your balance make a few swings without a ball using the toe tapping drill and regain your balance and confidence.

APGA