Swing Into Golf

by Paula Allia PT, DHSc, MTC, OCS

There are many sports that people participate in that torque the body. Torque is a force that causes rotation or torsion and in golf this occurs with every swing.

Golf incorporates a combination of movements from your toes all the way up the chain to your head. The combination of trunk and pelvis rotation with the hips distally and the shoulders proximally make all of the difference in fluid movement.

Do you have the right range of motion in your joints to coordinate the proper movement pattern resulting in a good swing? Do you have the proper amount of flexibility in the muscles and other connective tissue to work with the joint’s range of motion? So many variables.

It is no wonder most people’s golf swing is not consistent. Learning to rotate the spine in combination with your hips is a major component to having success in a golf swing. In addition, the shoulders need flexibility to come across the trunk. Proper length of the rotator cuff and shoulder muscles along with good biomechanics of the joints involved in the shoulder complex can allow flawless motion.

Having both the flexibility in the muscles and the mobilityin the joints is key to the proper mechanics of a golf swing. In addition, the coordinated efforts of proper muscle recruitment timing and coordination complete the task.

Many middle-aged adults and older have movement impairmentsthat actually inhibit that perfect golf swing. How does one swing as properly as possible? This is something that most people try to attain every time they step foot on the course or practice facilities.

Learning how to compensate for imbalances will help the golf game tremendously. Many golfers experience low back or hip pain. Chronic low backpain and dysfunction are common in those who play a lot of golf and have disc, facet joint, and or arthritic problems.

If muscles are tight and not recruited properly, excessive compressive loads can cause further breakdown and over time become debilitating. Also, a stiff spine in the thoracic area working with the arms will cause altered mechanics.

People pull muscles all the time in golf.

The mobile segments of the spine that are functioning properly are stable. When and if a segment’s quality of motion changes, a segment can become hypomobile. This can be due to a tight joint capsule around the joint(s) of that spinal segment (facet joints). If a joint does become restricted, movement in another vertebral segment may actually loosen and become hypermobile to make up for the restrictions in the tight joint. Both can become problematic and can lead to disc and arthritic changes with continued overuse of the hypermobile segment or underuse of the hypomobile joint.

Smooth segmental recruitment from vertebra to vertebra allows the spine to rotate without excessive torque on one level. The interesting dynamic is that if someone has a hypomobile segment where the disc and the vertebra are restricted, the next mobile segment takes on more torque.

A hypermobile segment is a segment that has more laxity in the joint capsule and/or ligaments. When someone pops their own back, the segment that moves is likely the hypermobile joint, not the one that is actually restricted.

Since the back is weight bearing and loaded most of the time just with body weight and gravity, this can cause weasand tear and arthritic conditions as well and wear down and thin the discs. If someone has arthritis evident in an x-ray, where the ligaments or muscles pull on the joint bone spurring can result in adding more issues.

Exercise to warm up the joints and muscles to prepare for activities.

It is now evident that in order to be able to participate in golf and not cause further breakdown, having the necessary flexibility and mechanics is most beneficial. A properly executed backswing will help allow the club to do the work improving the club speed. Do not try and muscle the swing as this leads to more strain.

If you are limited, do not just start taking anti-inflammatories and painkillers because the body will worsen. After golf, unload the spine and stretch. Try and avoid sitting too long after golf, as sitting does compress the spine and cause increased disc pressure. Work on an exercise program that will help maintain or gain mobility, stretch tight muscles to allow for normal flexibility, and strengthen the muscles in a coordinated manner to allow for good neuromuscular recruitment adding to a more consistent swing.

Happy New Year to all !

Commit to get fit in 2025 !