Most golfers are told to set up in an “athletic position” with their weight on the balls of their feet. Don Peterson disagrees.
After more than 100,000 lessons, the Top 50 instructor teaches a simpler, more stable concept: balance like a table with four points of contact.
A table with four legs is solid. Tip it onto two legs and it becomes wobbly. Your feet work the same way. Each foot has a heel and a ball (the area under the big toe). That gives you four points of contact with the ground. When you balance evenly over all four, your body stays quiet and ready to rotate. When you lean only on the balls of the feet or only on the heels, you create instability before you even start the swing.
Why the “Athletic Position” Often Fails in Golf
In football or baseball, leaning on the balls of the feet makes sense. A linebacker or outfielder needs to explode forward, backward, or sideways. Golf is different. The primary movement is rotation, not linear explosion.
When you deliberately set up on the balls of your feet, your mind senses that you are out of balance. As soon as you start the swing, your brain tries to correct that imbalance. The result is often extra movement, early weight shift, or a loss of posture. Peterson’s preference is a quiet, centered setup so the body can rotate freely without fighting itself.
How to Find True Balance
- Stand normally first — Stand straight up and feel where your weight naturally settles. Most people do not stand with all their weight on the balls of their feet in everyday life.
- Feel the four points — Notice the heel and ball of each foot. These are your four “table legs.”
- Take your golf posture from balance — Stick your seat out slightly, flex your knees, and let your arms hang. Keep the weight distributed evenly across the four points.
- Avoid the two extremes — Do not lean forward onto the balls of the feet. Do not sit back on the heels. Both create a two-legged table that is less stable.
- Maintain the feeling through the swing — A balanced setup makes it easier to stay centered while rotating and to finish tall and stable.
What Improves When You Get This Right
- Your setup feels quieter and more repeatable.
- Rotation becomes freer because the body is not fighting an unbalanced starting position.
- You are less likely to sway or early-extend.
- The finish looks more balanced and upright — the same look you see in good players.
- Many golfers report better contact simply because the lower body stays more stable.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forcing an “athletic” lean onto the balls of the feet because it looks ready or aggressive.
- Sitting too far back on the heels, which restricts hip turn.
- Trying to keep the head perfectly still by freezing the lower body instead of staying balanced while rotating.
- Changing balance mid-swing in an attempt to create power.
How This Fits the Miyagi For Golf Method
Balance is foundational in Don Peterson’s teaching. Before students worry about positions or power, they learn to set up in a way that allows natural, athletic movement. The four-points concept supports the ground-up sequence taught in drills like the Pickle Drill and the rotational work that creates centrifugal force.
A stable base lets the body do what it is designed to do — rotate — without constant mid-swing corrections.
Practice Suggestions
- Practice the setup without a club until the four-point feeling is automatic.
- Make slow, continuous rotations while staying over the four points and notice how quiet the lower body feels.
- Film yourself from face-on and down-the-line to check that you are not leaning excessively forward or backward at address.
- Combine this setup with the Pickle Drill so the change of direction happens from a stable base.
Watch the original teaching:
Stable Like a Table: The Key to Better Balance in Your Golf Swing
The Secret To Perfect Balance In Your Golf Swing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I set up on the balls of my feet in golf?
Don Peterson advises against it. He prefers even balance across the heel and ball of each foot so the body is stable for rotation rather than prepared to explode linearly.
What are the four points of balance?
The heel and the ball (area under the big toe) of each foot — four points of contact with the ground, like the legs of a table.
Does better balance help with power?
Yes. A stable base allows cleaner weight transfer and more efficient rotation, which supports both consistency and speed.
Build a More Stable Swing
Learn the complete ground-up sequence, balance concepts, and progressive drills inside the full Miyagi For Golf system — available online or through in-person lessons in the Atlanta area.