The 2026 Golf Season is Coming - Are Your Toes Ready?
Building a Tripod Foundation: Why Strong Arches are a Golfer’s Best Defence
After a winter of never-ending snowstorms, my back was in no mood for golf. My poor wife had to take care of the shovelling after the last four or five snowfalls because my back was having none of it. The thought of swinging a golf club even hurt.
When the soreness refused to budge, I finally visited an RMT who gave me a surprising bit of “homework” after my first visit. It turns out, the road to a healthy back starts way down at your toes.
The Towel Scrunch & The “Heel-Glue” Rule
The first part of the homework? Lay a hand towel on a smooth floor, place a glass of water at one end, and draw the towel toward you using nothing but your toes. This is best done sitting in a chair.
Here’s the Catch
Your heels must stay flat on the floor. No sliding, no lifting, no cheating. Keeping the heels stationary is non-negotiable because it isolates the intrinsic muscles of the foot. As soon as the heel lifts, you’re using your ankles to “cheat” the movement. By keeping your heels glued down, you force your toes to do the heavy lifting, which builds the internal support your arches need to stabilize your entire frame.
The Great Divide: The Big Toe Press
The second exercise my RMT threw at me moves beyond just strength and into the world of “brain-to-toe” coordination. It’s called the Big Toe Press.
While sitting with your feet flat, you attempt to pin your four “lesser” toes firmly to the ground while lifting only the big toe. Then, you reverse it: press the big toe down hard while attempting to fan and lift the other four.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Believe me, it’s much tougher than you think. When I first started, I was shocked at how weak my toes were—and how disconnected they felt from my brain. I also discovered that my right big toe was much weaker than the left one.
Finding Your “Tripod” Foundation
For a golfer, all of this is about building a strong “tripod” foundation between the heel, the big toe, and the little toe. Here’s why that matters for your game:
Ground Your Game: Strong toes allow you to “grip” the turf, providing a secure base during your swing.
Right the Ship: If your balance shifts or your alignment falters mid-swing, active foot muscles help you self-correct before the mistake reaches the clubhead.
Power Transfer: Preventing your feet from collapsing ensures a cleaner, more efficient transfer of power from the turf to the ball.
About That Weak Big Toe on My Right Foot
I told “Professor Google” that I was a lefty with a weak big toe on my right foot and asked what effect that would have on my golf swing.
The answer: It generally leads to a fade (or a slice). Since the right foot is the lead foot for a lefty, a weak big toe causes that “tripod” to collapse during the downswing. This often makes the lead hip spin out, or the weight fall toward the toes, forcing an “over-the-top” move that cuts across the ball.
Wow, I think Professor Google has seen my swing. I’ve hit more slices than I care to mention. Maybe I have finally found the root cause for my slice. Or perhaps I have discovered a new excuse to add to the list. I can call it WTF for short. (Weak Toe’s Fault)
So there you have it. Start scrunching those towels and mastering the Big Toe Press. If you can “right the ship” from the ground up, you might just say goodbye to those pesky hooks or slices. Here’s hoping anyway.
Happy Golfing, Everyone.
Stay safe. Stay Well. Have Fun.
Richard