A golf swing involves the whole body—and any part of the body can be injured in the course of play. The act of swinging a golf club is an extremely demanding sports activity. The swing produces as much as many times your body weight in compressive forces on the spine, especially the lumbar area. Add to this the fact that the swing takes place in approximately one second and many times over in a single round. Keep in mind that the vast majority of golf injuries are not the result of single traumatic or freak accidents but instead occur as a result of tissue damage sustained over time from overuse, misuse, and improper swing technique. The most common golfing injuries and pain occur in the soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) and joints of the upper body (back, elbow, wrist, and shoulder). In general, a professional golfer has more overuse injuries due to many hours of practice while amateurs are more likely to get injured due to their lack of physical conditioning and/or poor swing mechanics.
Joseph Pilates believed that the kinetic chain for the movement of the body began with the feet. Since the golf swing starts from the ground up, then the feet are the logical place to start. In other mammals, the weight of the body is distributed among four feet. We, as humans, have adopted a bipedal posture with the feet taking on a difficult double function: bearing the weight of the entire body, and performing the complex movements necessary for walking, running, and yes, playing golf. This requires both strength and flexibility. Our feet take us the equivalent of five times around the earth in a normal lifetime yet we give them far less attention than they deserve.
We believe the majority of “swing faults” are actually “body faults”. Simply put if you are not strong in the areas of your body to maintain your golf posture, you will have limited ability to have an efficient golf swing. In learning about the various swing/body faults, you can’t help but notice how they are related. Also, be advised that the golf swing relies on the coiling of the upper body around the stable lower body. This is referred to as the “X” Factor, which is elastic energy production.
Compensations in the golf swing (swing faults) indicate that an error exists in the actual mechanics of the golf swing. The normal approach for correction is through a qualified PGA teaching professional. Proper instruction and practice is absolutely necessary if the amateur wants to improve his or her golf game. However, this may not be all that is required for improvement. The golf swing requires high levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power within the body to execute the proper golf swing. If a golfer is lacking in one or more of these areas, compensations will occur, not from the actual biomechanics of the swing but rather from the body's inability to perform.
There are six basic principles of Pilates: control, concentration, breath, precision, centering, and flow.
We must also be aware of the five dimensions of golf performance: posture, functional strength, stability, flexibility, and coordination.
Posture – poor posture and posture patterns result in muscular imbalances. These posture faults result in swing faults, compensations made by the body which deteriorate the golf swing.
Functional strength – functional strength also means functional movement. Breaking down the golf swing, we see a static address position then accelerating and decelerating into the back swing . . . stabilizing . . . accelerating into impact . . . driving through the ball . . . then decelerating and stabilizing. We use eccentric strength to store the energy in the stretching muscles and then release the energy concentrically to strike the ball. As you can see, the swing is powered by muscles that are strong but also elastic.
Stability – golf requires us to move one area of our body while we stabilize another and to maintain proper posture throughout the swing. Stability is the combination of balance, core strength, foot/ankle/knee strength, and endurance.
Flexibility – combined with stability creates the “X Factor”, or elastic energy production, that produces the power for the golf swing. Without proper flexibility, golfers will not use this stored energy and will be “arm swingers”.
Coordination – the golf swing utilizes the kinetic chain which is the efficient transfer of energy from one body segment to another. The four parts of the kinetic chain are: legs to torso, torso to arms, arms to hands, and hands to club.
Golf is not simple nor is Pilates. Both require control, balance, coordination, stability, and rhythm. To perform both to the best of our ability, there must be an emphasis on strength and flexibility with a focus on individual development. Balanced strength and fluidity is the ideal combination for the golfer and that is the Pilates philosophy. In essence, we want to stretch the tight body components and strengthen the weak ones.
Max was 3 1/2 years old at the time this series was taken. He is the grandson of our clients, Laural and Kim. We love these photos because they show the flexibility, range of motion, and incredible form that any adult would envy. Unfortunately, our Pilates FORE Golf program cannot promise to give you the body of a three-year-old, but we do promise that your body will be the best it can be.
