It Don’t Mean A Thing If You Ain’t Got the Swing Part 3: Balance

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So, now that we have control of both the speed and length of our swing, let’s focus on the balance of our body as we swing. 

Being able to remain balanced, it directly affects both the speed and length of your entire stroke. When you are off–balance, you often feel like you may fall, which will naturally make you want to slow down, which will naturally prevent you from wanting to follow through, which will actually make you more off balance. It’s a vicious circle! 

Here’s a way to trick yourself into being more balanced.  

Focus on the end of the swing first. 

By envisioning yourself being as balanced as possible at the end of your follow–through, you will naturally allow yourself to swing more smoothly through your entire stroke. 

As a right–hander, make sure you finish with your weight on the front of your left foot, while kind of pointing and dragging the toe of your right foot behind you. This will help to counterbalance all of the forward momentum created by your shoulders and arms, which tends to make our upper body off–balance in relation to our lower body. 

Properly blending the speed, length, and balance of your swing will improve your consistency, raise your percentages, and allow you to have more confidence in your strokes. 

Wayne Clark is a professional tennis instructor with over 25 years’ experience coaching players on all levels of the game. Wayne is also qualified in pickleball instruction and is on staff as an instructor with The Pickleball Academy of Southwest Florida at East Naples Community Park. Contact Coach Wayne by email at coachwayneclark@aol.com, or by or by phone or text at 239-450-6161.