Balance From Start to Finish – Part 1

The term “balance” may mean different things to different people. There is a “balance sheet” in business. What if there are problems there? If you do things that may seem unorthodox, some say you are a little “unbalanced.” I think the one thing we can all agree on is that if you become physically unbalanced in any sport, your possibility for success is greatly diminished.

I am always amazed at how a gymnast can be so perfect in the “Balance Beam” event. You ask me to walk on a line on the ground that is four inches wide and I have to concentrate hard before I veer off the line. We all marvel at those circus performers on the high wire. Talk about balance!

Is there any sport you can think of in which the participants do not need good balance? How many times have we found ourselves unbalanced as we delivered the ball? What caused that? Where did it start? What can we do about it? Those questions (and answers) will be the subject of my next two articles.

Causes of balance issues

Like it or not, as we age, balance becomes an issue with which we will all have to understand and master. Some people may be prone to balance issues due to a past injury or a chronic condition. At some time in our lives, we may have had an inner ear infection which affected our equilibrium. We were off balance for some reason we just didn’t know why? Alas, the doctor figured it out and cured us, thank goodness. Some of ...