Flexibility for Golf

Flexibility for Golf
Brian Sutton MA, NASM-CPT, PES, CES, CSCS

Introduction
Today’s typical golfer has many challenges to face. Not only are golf courses becoming longer and more challenging, but today’s golfer is actually less prepared to play them. In today’s automated society of long commutes, computers and television, many golfers are not properly conditioned because of lack of movement in their everyday lives. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (1983 vs. 1998), more people today are spending time in office-related jobs and more hours at work.1 Due to this, individuals are sitting for longer periods of time (less daily activity), increasing the chances of poor posture, muscle imbalances, poor cardiovascular conditioning which increases the chance of injury on or off the golf course. All these factors lead to inactivity, sedentary and more dysfunctional people unprepared to play 18 holes of golf. The combination of a dynamic movement like the golf swing and a 3-4 mile walk can be very challenging for most people leading to poor performance or injury. This article will discuss a biomechanical analysis of the golf swing to help design a flexibility program.

The Backswing
The purpose of the backswing is to help the golfer generate power in order to hit their desired shot. A proper backswing helps the golfer perform an accurate more powerful downswing and decreases the chances of a miss hit. The average duration of the backswing for elite players performing the drive has been found to be <1>

Golf Conditioning in Santa Barbara

Golf Specific Conditioning

Have you ever wondered why it was difficult to perform what your instructor was asking you to do with your golf swing, even though you completely understood?  Well with help from the  www.titleistperformanceinstitute.com can now explain the reason why. It is not that you don't understand, it's that your body may not be able to execute it. TPI has been researching how the body affects the golf swing for the last eleven years. They've learned that many common swing faults have a direct correlation to weakness or limitation in the body.

With TPI we now have a thorough screening process to help identify any physical factors that are limiting a player's performance. The screening will normally take between 30 to 60 minutes. This screening gives us an accurate way to identify the problem areas in your body that may be having a negative effect on your golf swing. Before you leave you will have a full report on these findings and comparison to the average PGA touring professional. With the report we will know how to choose and prescribe customized drills and exercises to help eliminate these limitations for good. Our teaching philosophy has always been that there are many ways to make and effective golf swing. This falls right in line with TPI's philosophy. They also feel that there is not just one way to swing a club, in fact there are an infinite number of ways.  What we aim to do is find the most efficient golf swing for you based on your physical abilities.

Research conducted at the Titleist Performance Institute using the latest 3-D motion analysis systems confirms what we have believed and taught about the golf swing. That is that there is an identical sequence of speed or energy generation for all great ball strikers. That is the proper sequence for the downswing, which is lower body first, trunk or torso second, arms third, and the club last.  Each segment of the body builds on the previous segment, increasing speed up the chain. Each segment of the chain slows down once the next segment begins to accelerate. Just like the cracking of a whip. You accelerate the handle of a whip, then you rapidly decelerate the handle to transfer speed to the next part of the whip. This is snapping the kinetic chain, and it is what the best ball strikers in the world do.

There are three things that can cause efficiency breakdowns in your ability to crack the whip. They are:

Poor Mechanics

• We will address these issues while making our swing analysis during the course of a lesson.

Poor Conditioning

• We will use our physical screen to isolate any limitations in the body.

Poor Equipment

• We have master club fitters to determine the best equipment for each player.Our goal is to help you crack that whip as efficiently as possible.

Programs

Golf Specific Assessment Including:

• Full Titleist Performance Institute Screen (12 specific tests)
• Functional Movement Screen (FMS)
• Anthropocentric Girth Measurements
• Core Stabilization Test

Personal Golf Specific Conditioning Session with TPI Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach

Core Laser Direct Visual Feedback Training

Small Group Training

Golf Pro Training