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.
Showing posts with label golf training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label golf training. Show all posts
Thursday, January 15, 2009
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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