Lesson #1: Intro to Active Awareness

Before you do anything else, You need to take a walk with the sole intention of keeping your best posture during the whole walk. It’s very important to do this simple exercise because it parallels how you are currently swinging the golf club.

Make the walk long enough so that you must work to maintain your focus on your posture. Then answer these questions.

  1. What thoughts were you using to keep your posture working properly?
  2. How do you know if your posture was correct?
  3. Did your muscles fatigue during this process or even cramp up?
  4. Did this seem natural?

If you aren’t sure if your posture was perfect and /or your muscles fatigued while doing this exercise, then lesson 1 will hit home.

Lesson 1 addresses a very important part of your golf swing – What is your golf swing REALLY doing? I’ve seen so many golfers who didn’t believe what they saw on the video, often stating, “My golf swing doesn’t feel ANYTHING like that!”

So how can you possibly correct your golf swing if it feels nothing like it looks?

The answer lies in where you are feeling your golf swing. If you are trying to feel your muscles, it’s like shooting a fast moving target. Your muscle state and the related feel is constantly changing just as they do when you are walking and trying to maintain posture.

There IS however, one feel that never changes. That feel is your body’s reaction to gravity. It is called balance feedback and it is felt under the bottoms of your feet.

This first video demonstrates how feeling real movement works using balance feedback. The process is called Active Awareness.

I demonstrate how this works using the simple task of walking. Like your golf swing, you probably are not truly aware of how you really walk, so the first step is awareness through balance feedback.

An important note about balance…

Most golf instructors only touch on balance. They’ll tell you to “get comfortable” or “get balanced” but not much more. The problem is, Balance isn’t a simple matter. There are many factors that are involved in balance.

But most important to remember:

If your body isn’t in balance, it will try to self-correct once you start movement. Even if you body is only slightly out of balance (that you can’t tell), your mind will engage to try to correct it. Sounds like a plus, but the process of balance correction actually takes away from your golf swing.

When you practice your golf swing on the range for hours and feel like no two swings feel the same, it’s because every pass at the ball was a little out of balance.

This is the big take-away: IN balance, your body will always repeat the same golf swing .

When you have completed each lesson on video, make sure you take the time to read the material on the page as well.

Although this lesson seems relatively simple, it is of vital importance if you wish to achieve your highest level golf game.

The question here is: Were you able to pinpoint where the majority of the weight was felt under your feet at different times as you walked?

If you could, it means that you saw the images that your subconscious sees during movement. This exercise shows how easy it is to connect with the subconscious mind, which is step 1 of the Bio-Visual Focus process for your golf swing.

After all, you can’t correct what you can’t accurately feel!

If you weren’t able to pinpoint where your weight was moving as you walked, keep trying.  Closing your eyes will also help.

This exercise helped a member with little feeling in their feet after a hip operation to not only regain feeling, but to get back out on the golf course and play after years with no hope for doing so.

DON’T FORGET to email Tracy on the “Contact Us” page after each lesson and report your results to him to get the most from each lesson.

150 thoughts on “Lesson #1: Intro to Active Awareness”

  1. For many years I have paid careful attention to walking with my feet straight so as not to overload my knees or hips. In walking I therefore land on my heel and progress to the ball before pushing off and landing on the next heel. I normally visualise my feet from the top, as if looking down at them but given some attention I can also imagine the process from underneath,

  2. Interesting. I walk funny. My feet are all over the place. Its a miracle I never fall down in the course of a day.It did take a minute okay twenty and numerous trips around the block but I finally got a grasp of the principle. I think. What I came away with was a visual of each foot making contact on the ground in my mind. Its actually still there. Uh! What do I do with it now?

  3. I can visualize where the heel, balls and toes hit and move as I walk and after reflection on what happened. Each foot does have a different action and I can recall where the parts come in contact with the surface below.

  4. I see and fell the bottoms of my feet as I walk. I was surprised that they were different. I strike my left foot on the inner heel and proceed to inside of the ball of my foot. My right foot is different I hit in the center of the right heel and center of the ball of the foot. I saw the bottoms of my feet as I was walking

  5. I see and feel the heel of my left foot in perfect balance
    to the center of the middle of my foot.

    My right foot I see and feel the heel in perfect balance but then coming down I hit about 2-3 inches out to the right, landing closer to the right side just slightly below
    my little toe?

    Cyril Fox

  6. i visualize the type of footprint i make when my feet are wet, its pretty crazy.i cant do it when i’m listening to music.(can’t concentrate long enough)

  7. left foot goes towards outside of heel then rolls to along side of my foot to the ball then ends up at the big toe. right foot is more center ,but ends up also at the big toe

  8. I have been duck walking. Start on the heel then the weight moves along the outside and push off at ball just behind large toe.

  9. My left foot touches the ground heel first and rolls over in a normal way. My right foot heel touches the ground first but the foot turns slightly inwards before rolling over.

  10. RT FOOT GOES A LITTLE OFF CENTER BALANCE WISE ON TO THE RT OR OUTSIDE OF FOOT WHEN BALL OF FOOT CONTACTS GROUND. THEN PUSHES OFF SQUARE AND STRAIGHT TO THIS POSITION, AND LANDS ON RT HEEL IN SAME MANNER AS THE FOOT .

    LT FOOT LANDS SQ AND STRAIGHT ON BALL OF FOOT THEN PUSHES OFF SQ AND STRAIGHT AND LANDS ON HEEL IN SAME MANNER AS FOOT.

  11. left foot – heel, passing inside arch to ball pad under big toe

    right foot – heel, slight pressure rolling outside to pushing off outer ball pad

  12. right -heel to out side of foot seems to roll to my big toe, and then seems to push off the big toe. the left -heel to the ball of the foot then pushes off the big toe again…….

  13. left foot cener of heel ball push off
    right foot outside of foot adjusts toward ball push off
    picture-webb feet both turned slightly out… actually, picture did’nt come until after the correction walk

  14. left heel outer edge bears more weight rolling along outer edge smoothly ending on ball of foot with just a light touch of the big toe feeling pressure on the push off, the right starts the same but with a feeling of much more pressure on the outer heel rolling along the outer part of foot with most of the weight pressuring the outer ball and last three toes on push off, probably due to bow leg.

  15. The feet balances itself on the inside of the insteps/balls[behind the toes] of the feet on landing and the inside of the heels on pushing off

  16. i land on the center of my heel; roll forward on the center of my feet, then push forward to the ball of my feet between the thumb & the next toe for the push-off…. i’ve always been conscious of the way i walk ever since i was a kid; & i guess ive consciously developed this…

  17. I guess what I have learnt is complete trust and knowledge that I have done it a thousand times before whether walking or swinging the golf club

  18. My rt foot roles to the ball of my foot behind rt big toe-left foot roles a little more to left side of ball little more to left of big toe.

  19. Left leg – lands on inside of right heel, rolls forward onto inside of foot the right portion of the sole. Primary pressure on the push off comes via the the right toe as it crunches up and pushes off. A secondary or a lesser sensation comes through the adjacent toe.
    Right foot – Lands on the middle to right hand side of right heel. Rolls forward to right hand quadrant of soft section of the foot behind the outside toes of this foot.Less pressure on the push off than the left foot but what exists comes from the outer three toes on the right foot.

  20. I pictured both feet striking on the outside heel and rolling forward and in to the ball of the foot, then a slight push off onto the big toe which is semi extended.

  21. my right outside heel touches the ground first and then I feel the weight on the ball of my foot. The same for the left foot. I do have flat feet and just started using custom insets in my golf shoes

  22. I have a very clear picture of the bottom of my feet-each foot is a circle –heel and front separated by a straight piece–this image works well for both feeling the bottom of my feet and where the weight is distributed .
    You are a great communicator–your comments on golf instruction are dead on–I have had hundreds of lessons from great teachers and with no emphasis on visualization it is a real struggle. Howat

  23. First lesson results are left foot equally centered heel and ball of foot, right foot heel centered and weight more on right side of ball of foot.

  24. Right foot – right heel to left arch push off.
    Left foot- left heel to right arch center push off.

  25. Everything is pretty straight other than weight is on outer left foot when supporting and pushing weight off the ground.

  26. wow! crazy to learn that the balance points are different in each foot and that you get that vivid picture instantly in your mind. good stuff!

  27. my right foot is consistently landing on the center to inside portion of my heel and pushing off on the ball and big toe of my foot. The left foot is much more unstable in terms of consistent feel. At times I feel the inside center of the heel lands first and at other times I catch the step more with the outside center of the right heel. I do push off consistently with the ball and big toe of the left foot (so much like the right foot in that respect). I tried it barefoot and with shoes. Both time felt the same as far as pressure points.

  28. I found that I land on the heels pretty centered, but roll to the out side as if staying clear of the arch. The pinky toe is the strongest part of the foot, just like the hand, pinky finger is like a vis gripper. I notice i have a sort of push that sends energy up my leg to my hip. There is a hip swivel motion slightly forward. It’s like a silent comunication from my feet. I guess I do it unconscously, since there is no sub-conscous.

  29. I have been working hard at this for 3 days. I land on the out side half of my heals and the weight exits between the ball and the end of my big toe. When I am paying attention I can see my foot and how the weight goes through it

  30. Left heel hits quite central. Right heel hits to the outside. Both feet roll to the outside and back round to the ball. It’s quite uncanny I am starting to see my other body parts when I want to.

  31. The walking visualization lesson is simple and an effective way to tap into the balance mechanism. It worked for me and I discovered that my two feet did hit differntly. Thanks for the start.

  32. Sorry for my english, I am from Prague, Czech Republic. I used also mirror to see what I feel and it is terrible. Mine walk is not good. I always use outside part of foot. Maybe I need to start to teach walk first. In mine mind I see my feet.

  33. I found my feet adjusting where the weight was distributed depending on the un-evenness of the ground. It was pretty enlightening once I paid attention to it.

  34. I felt the weight coming down different on both feet,so I currected it and started walking the right way and the muscles in my feet started to fill sore from not being used at all . Pretty amazing stuff.

  35. Hi Tracy….well basically when i land on my heels (dead centre) my weight is first transfered to the inner balls of my big toe (same for both feet) and susequently evens out to the rest of my feet…does this make sense?
    cheers,

  36. My both feet are even though I land slightly outside the heels by about 1/4 inch. The wear on my old shoes attest to that.

  37. I put more weight toward the outside of both heels and then more weght onto the ball of my right foot with a slight thrusting motion. The soles of my golf shoes bear this out.

  38. have had foot problems in recent years., so very conscious of my feet. This if first time I have consciously attempted to change how I transfer weight through my feet in walking.
    Noted right foot is very much on outside of heel and roll is up right side, virtually skipping the ball. Left foot is on inside of heel and roll more to ball.
    I see the bottom of my feet and making adjustment to center both feet, put me off balance at first but becoming easier.

  39. I can easily see an image of me feet when walking. This comes very easy for me. I strike slightly on the lateral side of the heel and roll up though the middle over the bubbling well. I can correct it whenever I bring my attention there. I notice how just the small amount of heel strike off center makes my knees slightly turn out.

  40. Firstly, I visualize that when I step down, I step down with heel first, I see and feel the weight of it pushing down and moving it to the balls of my feet. I imagine different blue parts for where the weight is on the foot. This gives me a better sense, for focus and to realize where the weight is when I walk. I think I do better without music because my mind and soul connect when this happens.

  41. I start out with my weight in the center of the heel pad on the left foot then the weight moves to the left of the ball of foot and pushes off to the center. My right foot is different. My weight starts in the center of the heel, then shifts to the ball of the foot and pushes off to the center. I can clearly visualize my feet.

  42. after all this.i still cannot “see” the bottoms of my feet; but i can “feel”them and have thereby corrected them by walking

    1. Here’s the funny thing. If you can pinpoint the feel, your conscious has to be able to access the subconscious to see the pictures. The only thing you need to do is increase your awareness of the pictures your mind is already witnessing.

      If you relax and maybe even close your eyes as you walk, eventually, you’ll become aware or the pictures by the process of myelination explained in the book, “The Talent Code”

    1. This exercise is designed to help you to connect with your subconscious. If you don’t get it at first, keep working on it. A subscriber told me that it helped him start to feel his feet despite years of neuropathy.

  43. My right foot goes heel then outside of foot – left goes heeel & outside of foot. More pressure on landing felt by right foot under pad of big toe.

  44. My both feet goes heel – outside of foot – ball and big toe. But if I visualized only one foot I noticed, that it want to push stronger than another. The same phenomenon with both feet.

  45. Heel to toe left foot is more on the inside of the heel and ball of the foot (left knee replacement). Heel to toe of right foot is pretty much to the mid-line from the heel to the ball of the foot, but the right foot tends to flare a bit to the right.

  46. Heel to toe outside foot pushing off big toe right foot.
    Heel to toe inside foot pushing off big toe left foot.

  47. Left foot slightly canted to left (open). Heel, outside of foot then toe. Rt foot heel to ball to toe strike.

    1. Mike,
      Had you ever noticed this before? You notice it because you have tapped into the bio-feedback and your mind has seen the bio-feedback pictures the body is sending back. When you do lesson 2, you’ll actually be correcting and resending those pictures.
      Let me know what happens on the “Contact us” form.
      Regards,
      Tracy

  48. I feel I land on the heel with weight on the outside then the weight transfers to the balls of my feet and then to my toes with almost a push with my big toe. Both feet seem fairly similar in weight transfer and I have an image of my sole foot print as a bare foot

  49. noticed that two feet are different. I place my rf on centre of heel but outside of ball of foot. Lf is inside of heel to inside of ball. Curious.

    1. The real purpose was to be able to realize the clear images that tell you where the weight is felt. This demonstrates that it is easy to enter the subconscious mind and see the subconscious images. Once you can see them, you can use them to correct movement as you’ll do in #2.
      Go on to #2.

  50. I visualized the bottoms of my feet hitting the ground,almost like wet feet on dry concrete.Left foot heel inside, roll inside, and push off inside,right foot center heel,roll outside, and push off outside.

  51. Interesting felt I was on the outside of my left heel and then checked my shoes sure enough the left side of the heel is wearing away!! Huh

  52. It’s much easier to visualize where the weigh is when walking bare foot. I felt my weigh on outside of my heel for both feet.

  53. Went for a walk. It took a little bit but I soon visualized how the weight shifted with my steps. My weight with each step starts at the middle of my heel i gently roll on a line toward the toe closest the big one.

    1. Interesting, you walk properly. You’ll have to walk differently in lesson 2 just to see how changing the image changes the walk.

  54. Easier to feel this test/process initially barefoot and then by putting shoes on and re-doing the test you get a more specific picture/feedback of the weight transfer going on with each step. I saw it visually in my mind from the top and from the bottom of my feet where the weight was going. Is it better to only form one picture?

  55. i felt right foot on outside heel and left on outside heel.
    confirm the sole of shoes wearing outsideheel both.
    and felt the weight internally. it is first exersice intentionally.
    good job by foot.

  56. Looking at the wear on my shoes, I know I land on the outside of my heels and then move onto the outside of front of the foot. Imaging it is easy. The picture I can see is a bit like an x-ray

    1. The point of the exercise is NOT to know but instead to connect the feel and picture in your mind. That’s why taking shortcuts leads to disaster.

  57. Outside of left heel transitions to outside of ball.
    Centre of right heel transitions to inside of ball.
    Was never aware if this before, and now that I am, feel a compelling need to change it.

  58. outside of both heels to outside ball under little toe. Right foot cocked out and left foot straight.

  59. Haven’t paid that much attention to how my foot hits the ground, and that is surprising as I have science fiction like flat feet, and aggressive arthritis as a result….I have a lot of foot pain! Definitely different between the two, right foot was landing on outside of heal and rolling on the outside edge with a push off that was pretty even across the front pad of my foot. The right foot has been surgically disassembled and rebuilt to align it better. The left foot has not, and so it is an inner heal hit that rolls along my nonexistent arch to the ball of my foot. I also put my foot down pretty flat, not much roll action.

  60. centre of left heel to inside of left ball,inside of right heel to centre of ball, kind of like an out to in on both feet,mite explain my slice from time to time lol

  61. Right foot-center heel, inside ball, big toe push.
    Left foot – left center heel, left center ball, middle toes push.

  62. My feet fall is symmetrical. Both right and left heels contact the ground slightly to the outside of center (my legs are slightly bandy) then my weight rolls toward the balls of my feet then I push off with weight on my big, second and third toes.

  63. Hi Tracy
    Yes, both feet nearly the same with inner heel landing and weight shifting to ball and front big toe push-off.

  64. For the right foot, my weight is center of heel to ball of big toe.
    Left foot, the weight is heel to ball of foot more toward the middle-outer toes

  65. What was interesting is that I actually tried to walk at first what I perceived as correctly walking heal to toe. It actually hurt my right foot. I tried to just walk as I would normally and sense my feet and noticed both heals land in the center but left foot rolls out then back to the ball for push off. I actually felt the ball at the bottom of my foot. Right foot rolls out and only gets back to the center of foot for push off. I became very conscious of what the feet were doing to support my weight.

  66. For my right foot I feel the weight as I walk on the entire heel evenly and than to the ball of my foot favoring the big toe. For my left foot the weight is middle to outside on the heel and than to the middle of the ball of my foot and shifting quickly to the outside towards the two toes. I am significantly bowlegged and my heels of my shoes wear unevenly, in particular the left side. Now I think it is more clear as to why I pull the shot more often than not. I can’t say that I can see my feet but I feel every little weight movement and the heaviness as the weight moves into a somewhat uncomfortable area of my left foot.

  67. My back is bothering me however I can feel my left foot roll outward to inward and forward to the balls of my feet to push off. My right foot seems to follow along but hits the center of the heels and rolls inward and the to the ball of my feet. I couldn’t see anything visually to your point of seeing something.

  68. right foot center heel and push off center ball of right foot
    left foot center heel and push off on the left side of the ball
    on that foot

  69. Left foot is normal, right foot starts out on the outside of the heel and stays on the outside as I push off. I felt this yesterday when I did the exercise but missed the visualization part until today. Now I see the bone structure of the foot as the various parts of each bone receive the weight…like looking at a walking skeleton from behind.

  70. left foot is heel to the ball to push off, right is center of the heel but rolls to the outside and them pushes off from outside to the ball.

  71. both feet i start in the center of the heel them move into the inside when my foot is on the ground but i roll it to the outside to push off

  72. It was not too difficult to visualize the contact between foot and ground Doing so it creates an inner feeling of security walkwise, which I have never felt so strong before.

  73. Both feet move in the same way. Start centered on heel, roll slightly to the inside, then push off mainly from the ball and big toe

  74. I land on the outside of the heel of each foot and push off using the outside of each sole. Both feet are equal.

    1. Tom,
      The most important part of the exercise is realizing that to know where your weight moves under your feet, you have to get in touch with the subconscious images sent to the brain by the feet. The clearer you can see those images, the better. Go on to lesson 2.

  75. When I first started walking I was actually wobbly while concentrating on my feet, after several steps I began to visualise my steps and the pressure points, outside right heel to side of foot and then to the ball and push off. The left foot was more centered but the interesting thing was, after several more steps, I felt more relaxed and stability in my walk.

    1. Perfect, the object is to see the images sent from the bottoms of your feet to your subconscious. Gp to lesson 2.
      Tracy

  76. I land on the lateral side of each heel and the weight rolls along lateral (outside) of each foot and then across the ball of the foot. Standing statically, my right foot is balanced (i.e. even spread of weight across by ball of the foot. The left has more weight on the medial side of the ball. (I have Mortons phenomena which results in the foot tending to roll inwards).

    The awareness creates the visualization in my mind
    Raymond

  77. right heel mostly in the center with transfer to ball

    left heel outside barely with transfer to outside arch to ball

    definitely could see it in my mind.

  78. I land on my heels and then go to my inside or right behind my big toes on each foot, with my foot pretty well straight ahead.
    James Morris

  79. I have always worked on my “pigeon toed” walk. I feel each of my heals striking the ground and then my as my foot rolls forward my large toe is always working outwards to try and keep my feet straight. Of course now I have a sore spot on each large toe where I have worked on keeping my feet more straight.

    1. The idea is to see a visual of the weight movement felt in the feet as you walk. If you saw it go to the next lesson.

  80. both feet basically the same – outside of heel then lateral side of each foot ending at center of front foot. Push off forward is centered between ball and outside of foot.

  81. When I step w/ right foot, I land on the outside of right heel, then I roll thru the big toe. From that, I land on the back center heel of left foot & roll thru all toes, a little splay footed. Thx Troy M

  82. I can definetly see image of my feet. sort of like the image from the Dr Schoals commercial on the machine where they fit you for the shoe inserts.

  83. Was able to do this drill rather easily because I went through the Ultimate Golf System, which, by the way, was the best golf instruction I ever studied. I did find a difference in how each foot laid down which I did not expect.

    1. You should have seen the image in your mind created by the feel. This image will take you from the Ultimate Golf System to the next level. If you saw the images, go to the next lesson.
      Tracy

  84. Being a golf professional we have boditrack and I see the same exact images of colors & %of pressure.. I have a very bad left knee from an old football injury and my left knee turns out.Knew my gait was bad but until doing this exercise did not know where my left foot hit.Right perfect ball &heel square landing. Left land on toes to outside of foot. Thanks, today going to look into Aline orthotics.

  85. Feeling the weight is the easy part. Seeing the image took a little more effort and time. Weight tends to be on the outside of left foot and more centered on the right foot.

  86. I feel the pressure areas on the feet and only after get some image. The pressure is central at the heel and this is transferred to the ball of the foot as weight moves forward. Both feet are simiar.

    1. If you continue to practice this drill the images will become more clear as you myelinate the neurons responsible for transferring the feel to images.

  87. Never noticed how I walk until started this lesson. Basically when you start to think about this motion you get feed back from your auto balance indicating how, where and why. I believe after walking that you can train yourself to walk straight eg; centre of the heel, ball and push off from the centre. I do not get a picture as yet but, find some unbalancing in my stride during the exercise.

    1. If you keep practicing, you will eventually start seeing the images. It’s also good because it mylinates the neurons involves in the process of converting feel to visual images.

  88. Hi Tracy
    Yes I can picture my feet. I feel that I have little pressure on the heels unless I deliberately try to walk that way.
    My natural walk creates a feeling and then image of greatest pressure being on inside of the soles and big toes as I push off to go forwards.
    Cheers

  89. Thankfully this is right up my alley as a good sportsman in track 100 , 200 , 400 , 800 and long jump , rugby , cricket ..my feet has set me apart and I have been aware of how I plant the feet and kick away with my front and toes to win in all aforementioned sports ..at age 15 golf bit me and speed of the feet through impact was a big component of my winning repetoire …however I may not have realised how crucial it was to successful results Lefty

  90. Hi Tracy

    I feel most of my weight through my outside heels and then the balls of my feet. I now walk around everywhere noticing were my weight is on my feet. Sometimes my weight is not always in the same place.

    Cheers

  91. Tracy
    My right foot has a centre strike but the weight feels as if it all goes down the left side and out through the big toe. The left foot has a left side heel strike and the weight going down the left side and out the small toe.I see blue shoes

  92. My right foot weight goes from back of heel to ball of foot near the toes. My left foot goes from middle of heel & weight lands on the ball of the foot but closer to the toes & toward the outside of the foot.

  93. My right foot heel contact after my weight went forward then wt.shifted onto rt. foot laterally then to ball then to big toe,as the heel has come off the ground and laterally contact with ground as a continuous rock from heel to toes w/Rt.foot pointing straight ahead. The wt. comes off of the rt. toes as left heel accepts the wt. as I continues to have my wt. forward of cog. and sequence is the same w/ the left foot except it is a little pigeoned toed.

    Rick B

  94. For me the sensations and visualization change with the footwear. Barefoot or sock feet, there is heavy outside heel pressure rolling up to the outer balls of the feet finishing on the big toes. Wearing dress shoes, it is a similar pattern but stepping heavier on the right heel and more pressure on the outside ball of the right foot than the left. Wearing Asics running shoes for walking the treadmill there is less pressure on the outsides of the heel because of the extra heel support to prevent over-pronation. The right heel strikes heavier than the left but both feel similar in the middle ball of the foot rolling up to the toes.

  95. Land on outside more so on right of the heel both feet roll a little and I push off the ball and big toe

  96. Left land on center heel, move to outside then push from ball.
    Right land on the outside heel, move to outside then push with the ball and big toe.

  97. The left foot has more support in the left part of the foot and the,rihgt foot fell the weight more straight with slihgt tendency in the left part.

  98. The weight goes inward on both feet landing behind the big toes. Yet the heels of my shoes are always worn down on the outside.

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