INCREASING RANGE OF MOTION FOR SENIORS MEANS MORE DISTANCE
Bob Forman
Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
One of the most common complaints from older golfers is that they can’t seem to be able to hit the ball as far as they used to. For some, this frustration often leads to less playing time or giving up the game entirely.
If the senior tees are not an option, here is a factor to consider when evaluating your game. Range of motion or the degree of movement one has for a particular body part, can play a vital role in the golfer’s ability to obtain distance on their shots. In particular, is the ability to get the club back during the backswing in order to produce sufficient clubhead speed at impact.
One of the preventable consequences of aging is a loss of flexibility and range of motion. This often is the result of a more sedentary lifestyle and/or the absence of a stretching routine. The stretching routine probably being the more significant of the two as even individuals who are active will lose their ability to move body parts, as stronger muscles tend to become tighter muscles. A consistent flexibility program will offset the tightness that develops through activity or the lack thereof.
As far as the backswing is concerned, many aging golfers lose their ability to disassociate their upper from their lower bodies, the X-factor as it’s known in the golfing world, resulting in a progressive limitation in their takeaways. This lack of mobility consequently reduces the distance the club head will travel during the downswing, thereby decreasing the ability to generate speed. Less speed generally results in less distance, unless other swing components are enhanced. . . like the hinging of the wrists for an example.
Another factor could be lack of external rotation in the shoulder joint. The inability to rotate the arm back from the shoulder while holding the arm out to the side and elbow bent 90 degrees (as when winding up to throw a ball), can also play an integral role in a restricted backswing.
Other commonly seen factors include tightness in the chest muscles and/or lats, as well as limited flexibility in the thoracic or mid back area. The latter also results, especially in amateurs, in a greater reliance on the lower back to swing the golf club. This may increase the potential for lower back injury as it places greater stress to that area.
A physical assessment evaluating the various anatomical components of the golf swing will identify where the deficiencies are, and help plan a course of action to begin the corrective phase. Precise exercises to improve flexibility can be recommended to enhance range of motion and improve swing performance.
The aging golfer who never really did much in terms of stretching to improve their game will be quite surprised to see how much of a difference it will make. . . in a relatively short period of time. The key is to first identify the deficiencies, so that a more targeted focus on the weakness/tightness can be achieved. A reputable golf fitness instructor will be able to assess and develop a personalized program that will better your body to better your swing, and increase distance.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
New Golf Academy at Barefoot Resort
Dyer, Schatz open school
Barefoot Resort has a new golf school headed by Alasdair Dyer and Will Schatz, and Nick Bradley is no longer professionally affiliated with the four-course facility.
Bradley, the swing coach for Englishman Justin Rose, the 19th-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking, is engrossed in his work with Rose and writing his second book, a follow-up to "The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing." The new book should be available for purchase by December.
He remains a resident of the Grand Strand, however. His wife and son live in a house in Sunset Beach, N.C., and he also has a condo at Myrtle Beach National. "I'm delighted that Alasdair has the opportunity and I wish him the best of luck," said Bradley, who hired Dyer to work with him at Barefoot from England.
Dyer said the Dyer & Schatz Academy of Golf has a three-year lease agreement with Barefoot. Schatz is a Grand Strand Professional Golf Tour player and part-owner who is foraying into teaching.
The Barefoot practice facility consists of a 30-acre driving range, pizza parlor and bar, and a Golf Dimensions retail store that offers extensive club and equipment testing and has certified club-fitters on site. Dyer and Schatz also fit students for clubs.
Barefoot also has a number of rental condos and villas through Premier Resorts that can house academy students. "It's a No. 1 place to stay, has the best practice facility and a group of four of the best golf courses in the area," Dyer said. "Why would you go anywhere else? That's what I'm hoping people will realize."
The new golf school has a fitness director in Bob Forman, the director at a medical fitness center in Greensboro, N.C., and mental coach in Dr. Jim E. Bordieri, a professor of clinical psychology at Southern Illinois University.
Both Forman and Bordieri are members at Barefoot Resort, and Dyer said they'll be included in the curriculum during occasional all-encompassing weekend golf schools.
"I have some out-of-the-box ideas for golf schools," Dyer said. "It will be a 48-hour intensive workout. I think here we've got the facility to do it."
Dyer is also considering a singles golf school, and cites the amount of interest in social Web sites such as E Harmony for evidence it might work. "Why not try to put them in a scene where they each have a mutual interest," he said. "Nobody else does it. Find love through me. I'll be a matchmaker."
Dyer's pupils include Kevin Streelman, a second-year PGA Tour member who he works with about three days a month, and Duramed Futures Tour member Katie Allison of Little River, who also teaches at the academy. Dyer said Allison will play at least the first half of the season and see if her play and financial situation warrant more tournaments.
Dyer's others students include mini-tour player Lee Williams of Alabama, Futures Tour member Christina Tucker and Virada Nirapathpongporn, who has a lot of promise but is rehabbing a shoulder injury.
Barefoot Resort has a new golf school headed by Alasdair Dyer and Will Schatz, and Nick Bradley is no longer professionally affiliated with the four-course facility.
Bradley, the swing coach for Englishman Justin Rose, the 19th-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking, is engrossed in his work with Rose and writing his second book, a follow-up to "The 7 Laws of the Golf Swing." The new book should be available for purchase by December.
He remains a resident of the Grand Strand, however. His wife and son live in a house in Sunset Beach, N.C., and he also has a condo at Myrtle Beach National. "I'm delighted that Alasdair has the opportunity and I wish him the best of luck," said Bradley, who hired Dyer to work with him at Barefoot from England.
Dyer said the Dyer & Schatz Academy of Golf has a three-year lease agreement with Barefoot. Schatz is a Grand Strand Professional Golf Tour player and part-owner who is foraying into teaching.
The Barefoot practice facility consists of a 30-acre driving range, pizza parlor and bar, and a Golf Dimensions retail store that offers extensive club and equipment testing and has certified club-fitters on site. Dyer and Schatz also fit students for clubs.
Barefoot also has a number of rental condos and villas through Premier Resorts that can house academy students. "It's a No. 1 place to stay, has the best practice facility and a group of four of the best golf courses in the area," Dyer said. "Why would you go anywhere else? That's what I'm hoping people will realize."
The new golf school has a fitness director in Bob Forman, the director at a medical fitness center in Greensboro, N.C., and mental coach in Dr. Jim E. Bordieri, a professor of clinical psychology at Southern Illinois University.
Both Forman and Bordieri are members at Barefoot Resort, and Dyer said they'll be included in the curriculum during occasional all-encompassing weekend golf schools.
"I have some out-of-the-box ideas for golf schools," Dyer said. "It will be a 48-hour intensive workout. I think here we've got the facility to do it."
Dyer is also considering a singles golf school, and cites the amount of interest in social Web sites such as E Harmony for evidence it might work. "Why not try to put them in a scene where they each have a mutual interest," he said. "Nobody else does it. Find love through me. I'll be a matchmaker."
Dyer's pupils include Kevin Streelman, a second-year PGA Tour member who he works with about three days a month, and Duramed Futures Tour member Katie Allison of Little River, who also teaches at the academy. Dyer said Allison will play at least the first half of the season and see if her play and financial situation warrant more tournaments.
Dyer's others students include mini-tour player Lee Williams of Alabama, Futures Tour member Christina Tucker and Virada Nirapathpongporn, who has a lot of promise but is rehabbing a shoulder injury.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Why has fitness for golf all of a sudden become so popular?
One word. . .Tiger. More relevant, though, for us amateurs is the relatively new evidence-based conclusions that most swing faults are the result of muscle deficiencies. These deficiencies (muscle tightness, weakness, and imbalances) detract from swing efficiency and therefore are primarily responsible for poor swing mechanics, loss of power and distance, and increase risk of both acute and chronic discomfort/injury. This all leads up to poor performance and player dissatisfaction.
The absolute must in any golf fitness program is that the golfer's deficiencies need to be identified before a personalized exercise program can be designed. Without this assessment component, the golfer is flying blind and will not optimize his/her time nor improvements. As a matter of fact, by not knowing the weaker links, you may actually be making worse an existing deficiency! Lack of an initial assessment is the main problem with most of the generic golf fitness programs being sold on the market, and until a few years ago, the individual components of the assessment were known mainly by movement and rehab specialists.
A truly effective golf fitness program will bring to light the golfer's problem areas and then design an exercise program to correct those deficiencies. In doing so, you'll better the body to better the swing and improve performance.
The absolute must in any golf fitness program is that the golfer's deficiencies need to be identified before a personalized exercise program can be designed. Without this assessment component, the golfer is flying blind and will not optimize his/her time nor improvements. As a matter of fact, by not knowing the weaker links, you may actually be making worse an existing deficiency! Lack of an initial assessment is the main problem with most of the generic golf fitness programs being sold on the market, and until a few years ago, the individual components of the assessment were known mainly by movement and rehab specialists.
A truly effective golf fitness program will bring to light the golfer's problem areas and then design an exercise program to correct those deficiencies. In doing so, you'll better the body to better the swing and improve performance.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
SITTING, AND HOW IT IMPACTS YOUR GOLF SWING
Bob Forman
Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
If you tend to be sedentary and sit for a good part of the day, you’re developing imbalances in the body that will not bode well for your golf game. The problem is that most people don’t stop to think just how much they do sit during a typical day at work, in the car, or at home, and therefore don’t realize how it’s affecting their health or golf performance.
The anatomy of a sitter goes like this. When you sit, you place the muscles in the front part of the hip, known as the hip flexors, and the ones in the back of the thigh, the hamstrings, in a shortened position. While this shortening is occurring, there is a concomitant lengthening and weakening of the opposing muscle groups. Affected are your glutes, or buttocks, opposite the hip flexors, and the quadriceps muscles in the front of your thigh, opposing the hamstrings.
The hip flexors and hamstrings can play a significant role in your golf posture and in the mobility of the hip. Tight hip flexors, for example, often times contribute to an S-posture or a swaying of the lower back while at address over the ball. This can very easily lead up to acute and chronic low back discomfort and pain, and appears to be more common in women.
Similarly, tight hamstrings are one of the bigger factors that lead up to low back problems in general, never mind golf. Combine this muscle deficiency, however, with the explosiveness of the golf swing and you set the stage for back injury.
Individually, or in combination, tight hip flexors and hamstrings can also limit the range of motion required both for front-to-back and side-to-side, rotational movements of the hip. This can detract from the efficiency of the golf swing and result in swing faults and/or loss of power and distance.
Weakening of the glutes or quadriceps can impact the stability and control of the lower body and decrease the amount of power that you might be able to produce while swinging the golf club. The glutes supply power in any swinging skill (i.e. golf, tennis, baseball). They also play a role in the ability to control the lateral movement of the hips during the swing, reducing the potential for sway in the backswing and slide in the downswing.
Another common occurrence in amateurs is the inability to maintain the bend in the trail leg while bringing the club back. This straightening of the back leg during the backswing, which among other things is a precursor for over rotation of the hips, can be linked to a lack of strength in the quadriceps muscles.
A good golf fitness program should identify these muscle deficiencies and imbalances, and then work to correct them. A brief interview with the golfer will establish lifestyle habits and the degree of daily activity, which should be considered when developing the exercise intervention. A physical assessment is an absolute must in order to identify and determine the extent of the weakness and/or tightness, and help to determine which particular type of exercise is necessary. Without this information, the golfer may be only making matters worse by strengthening an already tight muscle group, as an example, thereby enhancing the deficiency.
Sitting for a good part of the day can not only have deleterious effects on your physical health, it can wreak havoc on your golf swing. The often times undetected muscle imbalances that develop from sitting can be the underlying cause for poor golf performance and physical discomfort.
Bob Forman
Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
If you tend to be sedentary and sit for a good part of the day, you’re developing imbalances in the body that will not bode well for your golf game. The problem is that most people don’t stop to think just how much they do sit during a typical day at work, in the car, or at home, and therefore don’t realize how it’s affecting their health or golf performance.
The anatomy of a sitter goes like this. When you sit, you place the muscles in the front part of the hip, known as the hip flexors, and the ones in the back of the thigh, the hamstrings, in a shortened position. While this shortening is occurring, there is a concomitant lengthening and weakening of the opposing muscle groups. Affected are your glutes, or buttocks, opposite the hip flexors, and the quadriceps muscles in the front of your thigh, opposing the hamstrings.
The hip flexors and hamstrings can play a significant role in your golf posture and in the mobility of the hip. Tight hip flexors, for example, often times contribute to an S-posture or a swaying of the lower back while at address over the ball. This can very easily lead up to acute and chronic low back discomfort and pain, and appears to be more common in women.
Similarly, tight hamstrings are one of the bigger factors that lead up to low back problems in general, never mind golf. Combine this muscle deficiency, however, with the explosiveness of the golf swing and you set the stage for back injury.
Individually, or in combination, tight hip flexors and hamstrings can also limit the range of motion required both for front-to-back and side-to-side, rotational movements of the hip. This can detract from the efficiency of the golf swing and result in swing faults and/or loss of power and distance.
Weakening of the glutes or quadriceps can impact the stability and control of the lower body and decrease the amount of power that you might be able to produce while swinging the golf club. The glutes supply power in any swinging skill (i.e. golf, tennis, baseball). They also play a role in the ability to control the lateral movement of the hips during the swing, reducing the potential for sway in the backswing and slide in the downswing.
Another common occurrence in amateurs is the inability to maintain the bend in the trail leg while bringing the club back. This straightening of the back leg during the backswing, which among other things is a precursor for over rotation of the hips, can be linked to a lack of strength in the quadriceps muscles.
A good golf fitness program should identify these muscle deficiencies and imbalances, and then work to correct them. A brief interview with the golfer will establish lifestyle habits and the degree of daily activity, which should be considered when developing the exercise intervention. A physical assessment is an absolute must in order to identify and determine the extent of the weakness and/or tightness, and help to determine which particular type of exercise is necessary. Without this information, the golfer may be only making matters worse by strengthening an already tight muscle group, as an example, thereby enhancing the deficiency.
Sitting for a good part of the day can not only have deleterious effects on your physical health, it can wreak havoc on your golf swing. The often times undetected muscle imbalances that develop from sitting can be the underlying cause for poor golf performance and physical discomfort.
GOLF POSTURE
Bob Forman
Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
The computer age has done wonders for bringing the world closer together, but it’s ruining our golf swings. Sitting all day, hunched over your computer, does not bode well for posture in general, and can wreck havoc on your performance on the golf course.
C-posture or that rounding of the shoulders and bending of the spine at address is more prevalent today due to a condition known as upper cross syndrome. The syndrome is characterized by a tightening of the chest muscles and a concomitant weakening of the upper back muscles, often the result of being over that computer. This combination pulls the shoulders forward creating the rounded shoulder posture that inevitably shows up in your golf stance.
It’s estimated that more than a third of all golfers have this condition and it will rob you of power, distance, and accuracy. C-posture reduces your ability to take the club back in your backswing by up to 30%, as you cannot rotate around a bent spine as easily as you can a straight one. This reduction in backswing may decrease your ability to generate clubhead speed and power, resulting in lost yardage.
The only way to increase your backswing, with a C-posture, is to stand taller as you bring the club back, allowing for greater range of motion. This “loss of posture” swing fault, however, can affect all aspects of the golf swing including your rhythm and balance.
To correct upper cross syndrome and that C-posture, you need to focus on specific exercises to stretch the tightness and strengthen the weakness. Two such exercises are the doorframe stretch and the upper back squeeze.
The doorframe stretch is a good exercise to stretch out the chest and front shoulder. Raise your arms about shoulder height and place your forearms against a doorframe with the elbows bent 90 degrees. Without moving your feet, gradually lean into the door until a gentle stretch is felt across the chest and/or shoulders. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 2 to 3 times. Remember to breathe normally.
The upper back squeeze will focus on the strengthening of the upper back. Take an exercise tube or band, wrap it around a solid fixture about chest height, and grab onto each end. Step back till a sufficient stretch is felt in the tube/band and arms are outstretched in front of you with palms down. From this starting position, slowly pull the arms back, keeping the elbows up and away from your body, as far as comfort permits and then return to the starting position. You should feel your shoulder blades squeezing together. Repeat 15 to 20 times. Exhale on the effort.
Correcting the upper cross syndrome will help your golf game and your posture in general. Eliminating the C-posture will get you more yards down the fairway and enhance your playing satisfaction.
Bob Forman
Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
The computer age has done wonders for bringing the world closer together, but it’s ruining our golf swings. Sitting all day, hunched over your computer, does not bode well for posture in general, and can wreck havoc on your performance on the golf course.
C-posture or that rounding of the shoulders and bending of the spine at address is more prevalent today due to a condition known as upper cross syndrome. The syndrome is characterized by a tightening of the chest muscles and a concomitant weakening of the upper back muscles, often the result of being over that computer. This combination pulls the shoulders forward creating the rounded shoulder posture that inevitably shows up in your golf stance.
It’s estimated that more than a third of all golfers have this condition and it will rob you of power, distance, and accuracy. C-posture reduces your ability to take the club back in your backswing by up to 30%, as you cannot rotate around a bent spine as easily as you can a straight one. This reduction in backswing may decrease your ability to generate clubhead speed and power, resulting in lost yardage.
The only way to increase your backswing, with a C-posture, is to stand taller as you bring the club back, allowing for greater range of motion. This “loss of posture” swing fault, however, can affect all aspects of the golf swing including your rhythm and balance.
To correct upper cross syndrome and that C-posture, you need to focus on specific exercises to stretch the tightness and strengthen the weakness. Two such exercises are the doorframe stretch and the upper back squeeze.
The doorframe stretch is a good exercise to stretch out the chest and front shoulder. Raise your arms about shoulder height and place your forearms against a doorframe with the elbows bent 90 degrees. Without moving your feet, gradually lean into the door until a gentle stretch is felt across the chest and/or shoulders. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 2 to 3 times. Remember to breathe normally.
The upper back squeeze will focus on the strengthening of the upper back. Take an exercise tube or band, wrap it around a solid fixture about chest height, and grab onto each end. Step back till a sufficient stretch is felt in the tube/band and arms are outstretched in front of you with palms down. From this starting position, slowly pull the arms back, keeping the elbows up and away from your body, as far as comfort permits and then return to the starting position. You should feel your shoulder blades squeezing together. Repeat 15 to 20 times. Exhale on the effort.
Correcting the upper cross syndrome will help your golf game and your posture in general. Eliminating the C-posture will get you more yards down the fairway and enhance your playing satisfaction.
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