Balance Hand wrestling - norfolk county golf partnership

Balance
G1
Hand wrestling
first
name
last
name
date
The only points of contact, push and impact are the palms.
Pairs stand opposite each other and on same selected
leg. Hands are placed up and must be kept up, do not
stand too far from each other.
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
key point:
Push your opponent off their foot or make them hop and you
win. Hands can be pulled away, fake a push, draw them on to
you, push one hand, vary your attacks and defence.
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
This is a great way of introducing balance as a
sub-conscious motor skill rather than a static
voluntary process.
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G2
Wrist follows
first
name
last
name
date
Insides of wrists are placed firmly together and must stay
so. The driver takes the balancer on a movement challenge
extending them high, low and around.
Pairs work together to investigate the limits of their
balance in single foot stance. One is the balancer the
other is the ‘driver’.
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
key point:
Balancer must stay solid on the one foot and not lose contact
at the wrist. Swap partners, swap feet.
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
The point of contact at the wrist gives some
confidence allowing the young players to
experiment with their end ranges of stretch
and balance.
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G3 Kinetic limits
first
name
last
name
Place two clubs down and ‘fix’ a foot in single leg stance
between them… the foot must not move or twist from this
fix during the activity.
date
Driver tempts the balancer to reach out and touch
their hand, or pick a ball off them... the driver tries to
extend this range to its maximum but the balancer
must stay in control.
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
Try different positions, levels and different hand/feet
combinations. The balancer must be able to recover
back to a centralised single foot stance from the
extreme balance.
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
key point:
All the greatest balance players can ‘get there
and come back’. Encouraging great excursion of
movement but also control and confidence.
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G4 Ball dribble
first
name
last
name
date
A quick balance challenge that
can also be used as a warm up
activity. Drop a golf ball down and
dribble it around the stance foot
without losing balance.
Use pairs and group races,
reverse directions, swap feet,
pass and dribble between
pairs, teams etc.
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G5
Pick-ups put-downs
first
name
last
name
date
Single leg pick-ups. Put a ball down,
recover back up, then go down and get
it again. A simple but effective challenge
that can be varied for distance from foot,
number of balls, pick up and ‘pocket’
them one at a time.
One partner can hold a ball basket at
head height, 5 balls on floor, balancer
has to pick up and ‘basket’ a set of
balls one by one without falling.
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
key point:
In general it is often best to concentrate on
‘opposite hand/opposite foot’ versions of these
activities as illustrated above. This provides the
correct motor co-ordination and sequencing for
athletic balance.
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G6
The compass challenge
first
name
last
name
date
They push (NOT KICK or ROLL) the balls out as far as
they can along the vectors/clubs. They must not dab
down the raised foot, or put bodyweight on the balls… its
all about the balance! They plot the limits of their balance
out on the floor.
Place eight clubs out in a compass shape with a ball at
the butt of each club. Player puts the chosen foot aligned
exactly on the north south vectors.
key points:
Study the three vectors pictured here as
they are potentially the most functionally
important for dynamic golf balance skills as
they also challenge lateral hip stability and
internal rotation at the hip.
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
As an extension it is great fun then to get a partner
(potentially of similar size!) to then step in, place the same
foot and then try and draw the balls back whilst holding the
balance position. If they can draw them back they win a point,
if they drop the foot down or lose balance they lose a point.
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G6
The compass challenge
Progress the compass challenge. Set up as above
but this time pick up the balls and place (NOT
THROW or ROLL) them along the vectors.
Plot your balance limits and then ask a partner to
come in, place the same foot and see if they can reach
and bring them back without toppling.
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G7
Three plane swings
first
name
last
name
date
Set up on chosen single stance, club held in wide
grasp. Swing the club so that it drives the trunk and
the body through the three planes of motion available;
forwards and back, side to side and through rotation left
and right (see over).
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G7
Three plane swings
Note how the whole body moves including counter movement
of the pelvis and full spinal movements… it is NOT just
waving the arms. Large rhythmical full range body swings. If
the raised foot dabs down… forfeit time!
key points:
This is a simple but hugely effective technique to promote balance and body momentum control skills.
Learning to control the bodies own momentum can be difficult for young players and this is a useful
foundation technique. Integrate into warm-ups and range break-up activities.
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G8
Wood-chop balance
first
name
last
name
date
Balancer grasps a club-head and
partner grasps the grip…. opposite
hand – opposite foot as shown.
The balancer pulls the club up and
then pushes it down in a cross body
diagonal ‘wood-chop’.
The balancer must fight to stay stable on the
stance single leg whilst the partner provides a
smooth resistance to the pull up and the push
down. The partner is working WITH their balancer
and not trying to push or pull them over. Swap
partners, swap feet etc.
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
key point:
Note how in picture one the balancer is
challenging the left leg stance stability with
left glute strength and right lat strength... they
will do vice versa off the other foot. These are
physical components that support ‘X-factor’
and ‘X-strength’ within the golf swing.
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G9
Side stride ‘sticks’
first
name
last
name
date
Use a line, or set out a line of clubs. Line up facing in one
direction side on to the line.
Powerfully side stride towards the line and leap into the final
stride at the line.
‘Stick’ the jump, hold it, don’t go past the line, hold it still,
if you are well short or lose control or dab your foot down
you lose… forfeit!
Increase the speed, increase the leap, but hold the ‘stick’.
Finally ask the players to take their counter-balancing arms
out of the equation by grasping their waist band and pulling
elbows back.
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
key point:
Controlling body momentum in a ‘lateral
transfer’ builds the stability and strength
foundation to promote a young golfers
powerful leg and hip action.
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G10
Medicine ball throw sequence
first
name
last
name
date
note This sequence is always taught and built progressively in the stages below.
Good control should be demonstrated at each level before progressing on.
For under 11’s use 1kg med. balls, and for teens use 3kg balls.
1.
Lay out some clubs to provide a target line and square
the feet. Perform a double handed throw using a full
rotation technique.
2.
On catching the ball the partner fully rotates and
absorbs the balls momentum and then returns. Build a
rhythm, keep the throws out in front.
3.
4.
From two foot stance progress to toe touch of the
OUTSIDE foot. Still encourage full rotation on throw
production and absorption.
Progress to elevating the outside foot. Even though
the pair are on single leg continue to encourage a
full rotary action. The players can dip down into the
ball catch/absorption.
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G10
Medicine ball throw sequence
The full pattern can now be attempted:
Lift the outside knee high, load the ball into full rotation of
the trunk and arms. As the rotary throw is performed the
elevated outside leg is driven back into extension. The
body momentum at release of the ball should cause the
thrower to drop down bending at the hip and knee.
The thrower waits in this position in order to receive
the ball back. On catching they use the momentum of
the ball to drive them back up high into the full starting
position with the knee returning into the lift.
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
key points:
The aim is for the pairs to be working as mirror images of
throw and catch positions with a rhythmical passing action.
Ensure partners swap sides for symmetry. Performed
correctly this is a tough pattern to master and initially it may
pay to have one partner simply feeding the ball into the
other, then swap and return the favour.
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
The aim of the sequence is to establish
good skills with the full pattern. This pattern
provides an integration of balance, stability
and strength components that support
‘propulsive’ movement from a fixed stance…
the essence of striking sports such as golf.
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game
Balance
G11 Bomb the tripod
Establish a throw line, clubs work well. Set up
a club tripod at your selected distance.
The aim is to perform a perfect
‘propulsion pattern’ single leg stance
throw (as practiced), and bomb the
tripod down with the medicine ball.
Fun and function!
repetitions,
time, sets?
notes
www.englandgolfpartnership.com
key point:
In the images above notice how this activity
promotes a powerful body release action
through a strong and stable left leg. Right
handed golfers will feel most comfortable with
this left leg stance pattern but encourage them to
reverse this to train for symmetry and balance.
EGP Academy use
Growing the Game