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Posture Means Power
Believe it or not, posture has a positive influence on power production.
Just as it is impossible to run fast without proper posture, it is unwise
to swing a golf club without appropriate postural stability. Functional
posture makes a world of difference in your swinging action and lets
you impart far more force in your ball strike. For a simple
demonstration, try sitting slumped in a chair with your head pushed forward.
Now try to raise your arm. Now try to turn your head to the left, as you
would have to do during the backswing. Now try to turn your body to
the right. Next, sit up straight with your chin pulled in and your back
slightly arched. Repeat the above motions and then decide which
posture produced a greater range of motion.
Body structure and posture are individual characteristics, but an
improper golf swing can cause certain muscle imbalances. These
imbalances might not be obvious until they cause a disruptive physical
problem. Some common physical limitations include:
- Reduced neck rotation can make it difficult to keep your eye on the
ball during the swing.
- Insufficient trunk strength interferes with your ability to transfer
forces from the lower body to the upper body. In addition, proper
spine angle will not be maintained during the swing.
- Tight hamstrings do not allow an effective address position to be
achieved.
- Reduced range of hip motion leads to compromised swing patterns.
- Decreased trunk rotation limits shoulder turn and causes poor
sequencing between the hips and trunk region.
- Insufficient shoulder strength, especially in the rotator cuff, leads
to decreased club head speed, as well as poor deceleration and club
control.
 | | Mark O'Meara hired a physical therapist the year he won two majors at 41. |
Many players think of these problems as a mere product of the sport
and resort to anti-inflammatory medication and other quick-fix
alternatives. These responses might reduce pain temporarily, but they rarely
solve the underlying problem. Most postural conditions do not occur
overnight. The body slowly adapts to poor posture, and some body
parts, like the neck, shoulder, back, and hip, may be overused to
compensate for loss of motion someplace else. By performing a few
simple exercises regularly, however, you can improve and maintain
good posture and thereby improve your swinging power.
The ability to maintain your functional trunk position for each shot is
an acquired skill. Teaching pros commonly refer to this position as
maintaining spine angle. When the spine is stable it serves as an efficient
and rigid lever to transfer energy from the lower body to the upper
body. By increasing the stability of the spine and the muscles that
support it, you therefore can improve your game.
Bending the spine places unnecessary stress on the lower back muscles
and joints. It also reduces your ability to transfer power from your lower
body to your upper body, which translates into decreased club head
speed. For example, when your upper back is bent forward or hunched
over, you place extra stress on your shoulders and neck as your
shoulders round forward, thereby causing the rotator cuff muscles (a
group of four small muscles that protect the shoulder joint) to work in
an abnormal position. This undesirable posture can produce tendonitis,
muscle strain, and joint sprain by placing the muscles at a mechanical
disadvantage. Of course, this position also limits your swing action to
a portion of the potential movement range.
Postural muscles (the muscles that maintain spine angle) are found
throughout the body and function more for endurance than for strength
or power. The main role of these muscles is to hold the skeletal system
and joint structures in proper alignment so the larger and stronger
muscles can produce the desired body movements with appropriate
forces in tandem with keeping good balance.
If you ever stood at the loop at St. Andrews and felt the wind blow, you
know the importance of balance. Balance is one of the golfer's key
fitness components. The balancing interactions of the body represent a
complex communication system. Balance is controlled by the central
nervous system, the eyes, the inner ear, and tiny message receptors in
the joints and soft tissues. When the ball lies uphill, downhill, level or
side hill, above or below the feet, poor balance definitely can contribute
to a poor shot from an imperfect lie. If we combine these factors with an
inability to maintain proper trunk position throughout the swing, we
increase both the probability of a poor shot and a physical injury. The
goal of the postural exercise program is to improve both static and
dynamic balance for the purpose of developing functional stability
during the swing.
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