The Bubble Gum Theory of Footwork

Stop what you’re doing. Go to 7-11 or another store that sells gum. (Chewing gum is fine.) Buy some and enjoy the sweet taste and maybe even a burst of energy from the sugar. (Or become sugar-free.)

Now comes the part that will have every club owner yelling at me. Place the gum on the heel of your shoe. Now go play and never let him touch the ground.

This sounds strange, and it is – and yet I think you get the idea here. When playing, you should keep your weight toward the front of your feet, around the balls of your feet. There should be no weight on the heels. In reality, the heels should wipe the floor, but no more. But guess what the best way to develop the habit of not putting weight on your heels is? By keeping them out the ground – and that’s where the chewing gum comes into the picture.

During training sessions, you can even try walking between points without putting your weight on your heels. It will help you develop the right leg muscles. (1967 World Champion Nobuhiko Hasegawa made a habit of developing these muscles – and his leg muscles bulged noticeably.)

Now a reality check. I’ve never put chewing gum on the heel of my shoe, and I’ve never seen anyone else do it either. You don’t actually have to do it. The point is that the chewing gum idea gives you an idea of ​​what your feet should be doing when you play. Imagine chewing gum on your feet, and keep the club owner happy by not getting it on his floor.