I describe the Peak Performance Golf Swing is a as ¾, limited turn swing on the maximum vertical, inclined plane for your posture. The last three words, 'for your posture,' tells you the importance of good posture for dynamic balance.
An athletically ready posture for a golf swing is similar to the ready position of a baseball infielder ready to field a hit ball, or a tennis player waiting to receive a serve, a basketball player ready to shoot a foul shot, and a football defensive player at the line, guarding the wide receiver. They are bent at the waist, with knees flexed in and the weight centered over their ankles. The weight centered over the ankles places the torso in a setup that is balanced for movement in all directions, with speed and balance.
The big question is how do you get into this posture? I have a simple move called the Accordion Affect. Assuming your posture with the accordion affect automatically gets you into an athletically ready posture. When you bend to address the ball, bend your upper torso over and knees inward, simultaneously. This automatically squeezes your hips out to create the counter balance that your balance system in your body has to do to keep you centered and balanced.
Try the following dynamic balance checkpoint to see if your weight is over your arches at address. While in posture, addressing the ball, with your right hand take your club from the ball, and place it against the center of your right hip 90 degrees vertical to the ground. You are dynamically balanced if the bottom of the shaft and your right ankle line up. If the shaft is lined up with your heel, or behind it, (and it can be as much as 2 -3 inches) you are on your heels and cannot swing vertically, only flat and inside.
Likewise, if you are dynamically balanced and try to swing with a big torso rotation, and at the top of your backswing your arms and club are on the so-called shoulder plane, which is flat and inside, relative to the vertical swing, you will loose your balance falling backward, as this top of backswing requires weight on the heels for balance. For this reason I find that all the rotational players I work with have their weight back on their heels to support the flat and inside swing. I cannot get them vertical until I first get their weight centered over their ankles.
Finally, why is having the weight centered over the arches so important for the vertical swing? Because this is the only position of weight distribution where the body can swing the arms and club vertically. Most golfers have been told to keep their weight back, on their heels, like sitting on a bar stool. With the weight back, you cannot swing your arms vertically, and even if you try, when your arms reach around chest high, the balance system senses that you will soon fall forward. It has to correct and pull them into you and they will now begin to collapse behind you.
So, to swing vertically, you have to have a dynamically balanced setup with the weight over the ankles. The accordion affect is the simple way to get a consistently balanced setup.
The Surge!