Success comes with balance

By T.J. TOMASI

The advice Rory McIlroy received that carried him to a record-setting U.S. Open win after his Masters collapse was to find a way to be comfortable being uncomfortable. But how? The answer was simple: Under intense pressure, he used the thought of hitting his balance point.

Balance is the self-organizing principle around which your golf swing is built. If you have the basic mechanics of grip, stance, posture, aim, alignment, etc., then all you have to do is turn your entire swing over to good balance, and the proper sequence will unfold.

Of course, you are in balance because you made a good swing, but there is another way to look at it: You make a good swing because you are in balance. I have found it to be very effective when a golfer learns his or her balance point at the finish of the swing, and then swings to this balance point.

Your goal is to become a golfing archaeologist, someone who can analyze the remains of his swing, i.e., the follow-through, to discover important information about what went on ­during the downswing and at impact. So learn the basics and then focus on hitting your balance point. You’ll find that relying on balance to get the job done while you swing is much more effective than thinking about swing mechanics.

Here’s a handy drill to help you find your balance point:

Close your eyes, make a swing and pose in your finish position for a slow count of three. Make sure to brush the ground at impact — it doesn’t count if you don’t brush.  Open your eyes and check your feet, the curve of your body, your back knee (should be even with your forward knee and pointing at the target), and make certain that your belt buckle is facing the target. It should be your goal to nail this position for every swing, using your balance point as a magnet that pulls you into position time after time.