[Choi Myung-ho's Quick Lesson] 3. Swing Balance "Maintain Your Center"

Golf is a Centrifugal Force Exercise, Causes Excessive Center Shift and Reverse Pivot, Recent Players Prefer 'Compact Swing'

Precise swing balance of KLPGA Tour's top rookie Oh Kyung-eun.

"The center of the swing is the middle of the spine."

After completing the preparations to swing the golf club through the previous two lessons on 'Set up Balance' and 'Main Axis,' the third lesson in is 'Swing Balance.' This refers to the balance throughout all phases: takeaway, backswing, downswing, impact, follow-through, and finish. Above all, golf requires maximizing centrifugal force. Remember that centrifugal force is only possible when the center is stable.

The swing center (the body's center) can be considered about the size of an apple located at the middle of the spine (around the solar plexus). Amateur golfers tend to focus on the position of the head, both arms, or lower body, but these are just personal preferences and patterns, not the true center of centrifugal force. The 'apple (swing center)' moves complexly throughout the shot, and the larger the movement, the more the centrifugal force collapses at the moment of impact. In other words, this means inconsistency in the shot.

There is no change in the swing center during the takeaway process.

This is why coaches use video recordings to observe changes in the center from various angles and apply this to their teaching. Let’s look at of KLPGA Tour’s top rookie Oh Kyung-eun (20, PNS). Her spinal angle is well maintained. Next is the takeaway, shown in . It greatly affects the balance of the backswing. Generally, it is believed that a longer takeaway helps accumulate energy in the backswing.

However, amateur golfers often cause excessive center movement during this process, leading to the worst case called reverse pivot (a phenomenon where the spinal angle reverses during the backswing). The solution is simple: reduce the swing size. It may feel like "swinging less," but this means you have become accustomed to unnecessary overswing. Recently, even professional players prefer a compact swing to improve accuracy.

Precisely transitioning from the backswing top to the downswing.

Next, the transition from the top of the backswing to the downswing is crucial. Although it may look slow, it actually happens at a very fast timing and is much more difficult than the takeaway. This is because it is the process of transferring the energy gathered in the backswing to the ball by changing the motion. It is recommended to practice in front of a mirror by pausing briefly at the top of the backswing, then using a slight rebound (higher than the top position) to transition into the downswing.

▲ Instruction by: Pro Choi Myung-ho

▲ Demonstration by: Pro Oh Kyung-eun

▲ Filming location: Yangyang Seolhaewon Golden Beach

▲ Compiled by: Golf specialist reporter Kim Hyun-jun golfkim@asiae.co.kr

▲ Photos by: Reporter Yoon Dong-joo doso7@asiae.co.kr