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The Biomechanics of Balance: Part 5

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David F. Wright, Ph.D., PGA

(Who lost the bet? - see "Announcements" at the bottom of this newsletter for the results)

This month I am going to begin with alignment with the help of one of my very dear friends, Sandra Palmer. Sandra won 19 LPGA events, a US Open and 30 events worldwide. She made 25 straight cuts at the Nabisco Dinah Shore, also an LPGA Major, and she won the Dinah Shore. She was named Golf Magazine's Golfer of the Year in 1975.

Sandra is in her first annual winter with us at the back of the range at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club teaching. She will return March 1, 2006 to her home at Sahalee Golf Club in Seattle where she teaches during the spring and summer.

Balance and Alignment

One of my teaching goals is to have every players' hips and shoulders parallel to each other and to the target line with the clubface aimed at the target in their address position. Sandra is illustrating parallel hips and shoulders and a clubface aimed down the target line in these photos.

In the first photo you can see that Sandra's hips and shoulders are parallel to each other and to the target line. In the second photo note that Sandra's clubface is aimed down the target line.

We have used these same lines in the biomechanics lab to evaluate the tour player's balance in their set up and swing. We used the dowel poles with light electrodes attached to validate the use of the "bars" in instruction, as seen in the above photos.

One of the findings in the lab is that we only "see" lines accurately when we stand behind the ball in balance. The "line" players are seeing is an imaginary "line" they draw from their ball to a precise target. In the biomechanics lab we have a chart on the wall with 24 vertical lines. Each line is 1 inch apart and numbered 1 through 24. The line colors are rotated and there is a dotted line between every solid line representing the ½ inch mark.

There is a red rope that hangs from the ceiling in the lab that intersects line number 12 on the chart from a known point where the player stands.

When a player stands behind the ball out of balance, they report that their perceived intersection of the rope line on the wall chart moves from 12 to 7 or higher, never on line 12. Very few right-handers perceive the line moving right of line 12 (line 13 or higher,) the "known" point of intersection. The perception of the line moving left explains why the average right-hander aligns themselves right of their target line. The more left they perceive the "known" line moving, the more right they will draw their imaginary line. This imaginary line is the line on which they align their stance, hips and shoulders.

We have determined that how a player stands behind the ball on the range and on the golf course (square) and their stance width play a major role in how accurately they see their imaginary line from their ball to their target. The first thing they notice is that their intermediate target moves (just like the rope in the lab) when they change their stance.

When a player finds balance behind the ball they begin to assume a set up to the ball with a stance line that is square to the target line. As an additional note, a square stance line does not fit 95% (as described in the October / November 05 tip) of all golfers unless they have done the 3 minutes to square trunk stabilization exercises. When their core is square, I can check their set up for a square stance line.

A player cannot find a balanced set up to the ball unless they are able to visually draw an accurate line from their ball to a precise target. Thus, my belief is that the set up to the golf ball begins with balance behind the ball a precise focus on a line from their ball to a precise target.

Next month we will continue to explore the lines of balance at address and the factors that influence them one at a time.

Announcements:

Gift certificates are available for the Holidays. To purchase email our office from the contact us link at www.WrightBalance.com or call 888.620.4653. We can meet any gift need you may have.
Our NEW Golf School Dates and Locations for 2006 have been posted online.
Sandra Palmer will be speaking in January for our Winter Evening on the Green Program. The date is still to be determined. Please email us and we will be happy to let you know the date when it is determined.
Who lost the bet?!

Bobby Lasken was the Captain of the 1988 NCAA Championship UCLA Golf team. We teach together at the back of the range at Arroyo Trabuco. As you can see from these photos, we have a great time with a lot of humor. He and I had a bet on the USC vs UCLA football game. Bobby obviously lost the bet and had to wear this hat for 2 days while teaching.

At the end of the first day Bobby looked at me and said: "I'm getting a headache! I have an urge to go to a Range Rover dealership and I want my parents to pay for everything!!"

Had I lost the bet...It just wasn't going to happen. Not this year.

From our Lesson Tee to your home, the staff of the Wright Balance Golf Academy wishes you a Safe, Happy Holiday Season.

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