“The Cutting Edge of Golf”

“The Cutting Edge of Golf”

Mechanics +Biomechanics = Better Golf

Golf fitness:

Perhaps one of the biggest changes in the golf world today is the increased emphasis on fitness for golf. Tour professionals and amateurs alike are practicing regular
fitness routines specifically targeted for golf. The results are more powerful
and stable golf swings. And lower scores.

Not that long ago many people commonly assumed that
strong muscles were slow muscles, and anyone who worked out with weights ran
the risk of becoming a muscle incapable of swinging a golf club or having the
touch for short chips, pitches, and putts. Big, strong muscles were bad in
golf, or so said the conventional wisdom.

We all know how Tiger Woods is when it comes to his physical preparation. Annika Sorenstam is 14% leaner and drives 25 yards longer.

The truth is, professionals like Tiger Woods, Annika, VJ ,David Duval, and Ernie Els make the game look easy because they’re strong and fit enough to make the golf swing
look simple.

Very few amateurs can devote that amount of time, energy, and money to their
golf games, but that shouldn’t stop those amateurs from making positive changes
in their games and personal life, by improving their strength and conditioning.

It comes down to this idea: the mechanics of a golf swing require specific levels of
flexibility, balance, stability, strength, endurance and power to perform it
efficiently. Regardless of how much time you work on your swing mechanics, if
your body doesn’t have the golf strength to support your swing, you are
limiting your potential.

We see it everyday on the range, people practicing at the range who struggle, not because of trying to get better, but because their bodies are limiting what they can do with their swing.

with limited flexibility, poor balance capabilities and low levels of strength and power.

The bottom line is that your mechanics won’t get
better until you fix the body that swings the club.

The pros are all aware of the importance of golf strength, so you should be, too. 

Strength for Your Game 
Today the value of strength in golf is almost universally recognized. Strength in all major and minor muscle groups plays a critical role in the golf swing:

Strong external stomach muscles, are essential for good posture at
address. This becomes especially critical for golfers with the increased risk
of back and neck injury resulting from poor posture.

Shoulder, arm, and upper back strength are crucial in the takeaway, the
downswing, the follow-through, and the short game. Your swing is initiated with
the shoulders and hips rotating away from the target. The forearms and wrist
engage to keep the club in a cocked position. The triceps extend to keep the
target arm straight, while the biceps flex the opposite or non-target arm. The
rotator cuff muscles work to stabilize the shoulder girdle and turn with the
shoulders and arms. The rotator cuff of the non-target arm pulls the club back
and externally rotates the arm. The hamstrings and external obliques assist hip
rotation during the backswing, creating a stable stance and good posture. The
weight shifts from an almost equal distribution at address to upwards of 85
percent on the rear foot due to the redistribution of the upper body.

The lower back is a source of much pain and misery in many golfers. The
coiling of the upper body around a resistant lower body coupled with the
twisting of the back during the downswing and follow-through can have
devastating results. Even in a properly executed golf swing, back muscles pull
at the lumbar, and, if a golfer isn’t strong, the discs are susceptible to
strain and injury. Nothing can guarantee that you won’t have back problems,
even if you do everything right, but a strong lower back is less likely to
become an injured lower back.

Strength in the legs and hips are also crucial. Strong hamstrings
provide a solid base at address while the inner thighs and hip flexors initiate
both the backswing and the downswing. The calf muscle, drives the lower body
through the swing, while the ankle flexors are critical for balance.

Golf requires flexibility of the body.

Tight muscles restrict and slow down the motion needed to effectively swing the golf club and as we age, muscles aren’t as naturally flexible and as they were in earlier years. That means golfers must work harder just to maintain the same level of flexibility they had in their younger days.

Keeping your flexibility requires a more than simply warming up with a few
stretches at the first tee before a round. Golfers who want to improve their
games need to take flexibility training as seriously as hitting practice balls
or working on the putting green. Here are some reasons why:

Stiff muscles and tendons in the trunk and lower body inhibit proper setup
and cause golfers to slouch. You can’t make a proper golf swing from a poor
setup, and you can’t set yourself in the proper position at address without
some degree of flexibility.

Making a proper shoulder turn is impossible if your the shoulder
muscles, the chest muscles, obliques the stomach muscles , and  the upper back muscles are stiff.. The backswing is a turn of the upper body around the relatively stable lower body. Upper body flexibility makes that turn possible.

The biceps, triceps, wrist and elbow flexors must also be flexible
in order for the arms to work properly in the swing. You may have heard the
phrase “releasing the golf club”. This term refers to the point in the swing
when the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and hands work together to generate the
greatest clubhead speed at the exact moment the club makes contact with the
ball. In order for those body parts to work in this  fashion, each muscle group in the arms and shoulders must be flexible.

The hip flexors and adductor muscles must also remain flexible if
you want to swing the club efficiently. Because the lower body initiates the
downswing and provides the stable base on which the entire swing is structured,
having a full range of motion with these muscles is critical.

Making a good golf swing also depends on a flexible back and abdominal
muscles. These opposing muscle groups are stretched to their limit in golf and players must go to great lengths to stretch these muscles properly. If you don’t, poor golf is the least of your worries.

Flexibility ay be your single biggest issue or just a small portion of the weaknesses you
face today. Maybe stamina is a small issue, yet strength loss is a major
factor. It could be just one thing or any combination of things that work
together and against your game.

Flexibility, stability and power are all improved by exercising
for golf. As you begin to develop a regular golf exercise regimen, be sure to
concentrate on functional exercise for golf. These exercises include a
combination of movements designed to both strengthen the muscles as well as
improve neuromuscular coordination. Therefore, when you take your golf swing,
the body’s already been conditioned to perform in a similar manner. Strength
training and stretching exercises will go the distance to improve your game.

“GOLFFITNESS IN DALLAS TX WITH TPI CERTIFIED GOLF FITNESS INSTRUCTOR CHRIS OWNBEY “

Healthy body = Healthy Game!

Golf Fitness Professional

Chris Ownbey

www.chrisownbeygolf.com