May 17, 2008 













Coordination for the Golf Swing

Watson's superb swing sequence enables him to generate exceptional power for his body type and size.

Tom Watson continued to win on the PGA Tour until his late 40s. Each week he competed against players half his age.

His ball striking ability was always one of the best on the tour. Although he has lost some driving distance, compared to 10 years ago, he continues to drive the ball an exceptionally long way.

At the 1994 U.S. Open played at Oakmont, Tom was paired with two very long hitters during one of the rounds. On a short, uphill par-4 that measured a little over 300 yards, several players had tried unsuccessfully to reach the green off the tee. The one player who had the length and accuracy to put his tee shot on the edge of the green was Tom Watson.

Tom was 44 years old then. When you look at his build, you wouldn't think that he could hit the ball that far, but his superb swing sequence enables him to generate exceptional power for his body type and size.

Sequencing of the swing with efficiency and power is much more important than absolute strength.

We define movement as a series of repeated muscular contractions regulated by the nervous system and directed by motor learning pathways. Purposeful movement depends on intimate communication among all the mechanisms that regulate muscle length and tension.

In athletics, success depends on the speed and sequence at which these impulses are transmitted to achieve the desired body action.

Because all movements in both competitive athletics and normal daily activities involve a repeated series of muscle stretch and shortening cycles, specific func- tional exercise best prepares the individual for the activity.

The central nervous system processes information provided through five basic sensory analyzers:

  1. Proprioceptive or body awareness
  2. Tactile or sense of touch
  3. Vestibular or balance and equilibrium
  4. Optic or visual
  5. Acoustic or auditory

At least three of these information processing and feedback systems - body awareness, balance, and visual focus-are important factors in developing a productive and reproducible golf swing.

Fitness Tip Archive
Tip #30Greg Norman's Workout
Tip #29The 15-Minute Workout
Tip #28Peaking at the Right Time
Tip #27Three Steps to Better Nutrition
Tip #26Nutritional Overview
Tip #25Nutrition for Golf Energy Needs
Tip #24Club Release
Tip #23Energy Transfer
Tip #22Defining the Forces of the Golf Swing
Tip #21Coordination for the Golf Swing
Tip #20Strengthening Your Postural Muscles
Tip #19Posture Means Power
Tip #18Postural Stability for a Consistent Swing Plane
Tip #17Strength for Maximum Distance and Control
Tip #16On-Course Warm-Up
Tip #15Stretches For Young Golfers
Tip #14Golf Stretching Routine
Tip #13Mobility Versus Stability
Tip #12Flexibility For Full Swing Mechanics
Tip #11Driving Range Evaluation Form
Tip #10Functional Performance Model
Tip #9Screening Procedures
Tip #8Golf Fitness Evaluation
Tip #7Motor Learning & Nutrition
Tip #6Functional Flexibility
Tip #5Cardiorespiratory Endurance
Tip #4Swing Sequence
Tip #3Improve Your Fitness - Improve Your Game
Tip #2Fitness Essentials for Golf
Tip #1Introduction to Complete Conditioning for Golf


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