Balance isn't the same as standing still
On 2 November 2026, PGA teaching professional Erika Larkin published a lesson on Women & Golf exploring static and dynamic balance. Being comfortable at address does not necessarily mean your body will remain controlled through a full swing. Larkin suggests looking at the finish as an accessible clue about movement—not treating the address position as the entire story.
During a swing, the body rotates, pressure under the feet changes and the club accelerates. Dynamic balance does not mean freezing the lower body or trying to keep precisely equal pressure on both feet.
What can the finish tell you?
Notice whether you can complete your swing without an involuntary step or a backward stumble. A tidy finish does not prove that the strike was perfect: contact quality, starting direction and ball flight still matter. But repeatedly losing balance gives you something specific to discuss with a coach.
The trail-toe tap
Larkin revisits a toe-tap check in her November lesson. Her earlier 8 October demonstration supplies the detail: after the shot, lightly tap your trail toe on the ground three times. The aim is to check whether you can keep your main support over the lead leg at the finish. It is a check, not a command to shove your weight forward or exaggerate your movement.
Try it only once the swing has stopped and you are steady. Start without a ball on level, nonslip ground. If you cannot hold the position comfortably, return to gentle rehearsal swings instead of forcing a one-legged pose.
A practical range routine
The following sequence is an editorial practice suggestion, not a test conducted or validated by Larkin.
- Make a few unhurried practice swings without a ball, observing whether you can hold the finish for several seconds.
- If stable, add three gentle trail-toe taps after each finish. Do not rush or distort your stance to make the taps happen.
- Hit a small set of comfortable iron shots. Note strike quality, the ball's starting direction and your control at the finish.
- Look for a repeated pattern, not a single good shot. If balance keeps breaking down, ask a qualified coach to review your setup, foot support and movement sequence.
This check requires no pressure plate. Equally, it cannot measure centre of pressure, diagnose an individual's swing or guarantee extra distance. See Larkin's Women & Golf lesson and the full video for the original demonstration.
