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Have you ever tried throwing an object while standing on one leg?

If you haven’t, try it. You’ll find that it’s impossible to throw the object anywhere near as far as you would normally; you don’t have a stable base to work from, and the more energy you put into making the object go forwards, the more likely it is that you’ll just fall over backwards.

Its Primary school physics – Newton’s theory that ‘every action has an equal and opposite reaction’ – but it illustrates very effectively the importance of transferring your weight in such a way that energy can be collected, stored, and then unleashed. Just look at the three pictures below and you’ll see what we mean.

Three completely different sports, yet the weight transfer principles are very similar. Each Professional positions themselves to strike with the weight over the back leg, using it as a solid platform from which they can push off, uncoiling and springing forwards, generating power. Post impact the weight transfers naturally onto the front leg.

How efficiently are you poised to strike?

How would a typical club golfer’s weight transfer and balance compare to a Professional’s? To find out we found a camera and got to work… What we discovered was that a number of club golfers share a series of problematic movements and weight transfers called the “reverse pivot”.

It starts with a ‘swaying’ motion rather than a rotation. At the top of the swing the hips lead rather than the hands, and at impact the weight is still on the back foot as the golfer attempts to ‘steer’ the ball into the air using the hands, rather than rotating through the ball.

More often than not this results in poor consistency, a horrible lack of distance, and the ball sliding off into the right rough… Sound familiar?

If so then click here, or on the video above as we explain the problem in more detail, and provide a quick tip that will help you to identify whether your weight transfer is working with you or against you.

There’s no “Quick Fix”

The golf swing is made up of hundreds of tiny movements, and a change in any one may cause a corrective action to occur in another. The problem is that every golfer is unique, so that’s why we try and refrain from giving a “one size fits all” tip like you would find in a magazine. Instead, we prefer to focus on education and methods for identifying faults, which we can then use to provide a custom solution that works for your game.

If you have any questions about your technique or you would like to book yourself a lesson contact Lisa Newling on 9974 4079.