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 Whether it’s generating power in your swing, getting in proper alignment or the simple fact that your feet are what support you during a five-hour round, the position of your feet and adequate footwear shouldn’t be ignored. “Your feet are the only part of your body connected to the ground and I’ve always looked at them like the roots on a tree,” said Virginia Country Club chief operations officer Jamie Mulligan. “The more secured they are on the ground, the more able the tree can do its work. The great players have always been grounded and solid. You look at old pictures of Ben Hogan and you can see how grounded his feet and shoes are. And the great players of today — from Els and Annika to Fred Couples — really use their feet as a base.” Without proper foot positioning and a decent pair of shoes, a golfer’s balance is adversely affected. And when balance goes, so do distance and accuracy, since everything from weight distribution, energy transfer and swing alignment suffers. “One of the great advantages of physical training like yoga or Pilates is that it helps to get your body grounded and focusing your energy on the golf stance in your feet,” Mulligan said. “That improves the way you support yourself and the way your spine moves.” The golf swing also can take a toll on your body, since the stress it creates affects the back, spine, shoulders, neck, feet and ankles. If your body is firmly planted on the ground, all of these moving parts will be more in sync. But if the feet aren’t positioned correctly because of an improper stance or other defect, the entire body gets out of position, which adds to the stress and could lead to injuries. Dr. Michael Heaslet, an Irvine-based podiatrist and distance runner who plays golf, said more aches and pains result from golf than most other sports because many players repeat swing flaws time after time, which leads to more stress. Improper mechanics also compound the stress by making other parts of the body compensate, he said. If you’re serious about the game, or at least serious about keeping your feet comfortable, consider buying shoes based solely on structure and comfort, rather than brand or price. “There are a lot of different brands and people need to spend a fair amount of money to get a good one,” said Heaslet, adding that something as simple as spike placement can make one person uncomfortable while not affecting another. “A lot of time, people are so worried about style that they neglect to get some really grounded shoes,” Mulligan said. “There is a lot of torque and pressure being generated by the golf swing and you need shoes that feel solid, not just comfortable and light.” The Roger Dunn Superstore in Santa Ana stocks up to 5,000 pairs of shoes in a variety of materials, sizes and styles. “Most lower-end shoes are synthetic leather and non-waterproof, so they don’t last that long, but that’s just the start of shoe selections,” said foot and bag specialist Tom Pak. Footjoy remains the Cadillac of the market, and its GelFusion shoe is one of its most popular higher-priced offerings. The Eccos brand also has attracted a lot of customers. “It’s one of the pricier shoes and is a little more dressy, but it’s very classically designed and comfortable and offers a lot of support,” Pak said. Online companies also sell custom-made orthotics for feet. OurFootDoctor.com touts shoes that hold feet in a neutral or normal position, compensating for any physical defects, while Dr. Foot Sports Insoles (www.drfoot.com) offers silicon implants in its shoes. But “even the best shoe may not help” someone who is experiencing problems with their feet, Heaslet said. “If faulty foot structure is the cause of the pain, seeing a podiatrist for an evaluation and being fitted with prescriptive custom orthotics may be necessary to help address one’s faulty foot or leg alignment,” he said. |
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