It’s that time of year again (depending on where you live) in which the 28 million golfers in America stare at their dusty clubs and ponder: “I think I’ll give it another shot this year.” If you’re one of the 28 million and hope to erase a few strokes off your handicap this season I have a few tips and facts to offer. First, medical research states that 50% of all who play golf become injured. Playing injury free is key. Golf injuries are generally repetitive strains and sprains of the muscles, tendon and ligaments of the body secondary to
1. Poor golf-specific posture
2. Poor golf-specific flexibility
3. Poor swing mechanics
The second thing you should be aware of is that golf is an athletic event (some may giggle at this but look at the club speed you must generate to have a 300 yard drive) and as with any sport, injuries lead to poor performance and altered biomechanics.
*Average club head speed for an amateur golfer: 90mph
*Average club head speed for a tour pro: 115mph
*Average club head speed needed for a 300 yard drive: 125mph
I know what you’re thinking at this point. I just bought the best clubs on the market that should help me out. It may be a nice placebo effect but the handicap for men in 1974 was 16 and the handicap in 2000 was 16. The handicap for women in 1974 was 29 and was 29 in 2000. Technology hasn’t helped scores, but it has helped people hit the ball farther that’s it.
So here are some of the barriers to performance:
1. Lack of flexibility (If you have no flexibility in your thoracic and lumbar spine and/or posterior rotator cuff, you’ll be forced to bend your leading arm, taking you off plane and creating a short lever instead of keeping a straight longer lever that will generate much more power)
2. Unstable posture (A stable golf swing is made of 3 components: 1. Alignment of the back knee over the back ankle 2. Gluts that are fit and conditioned to stabilize hips and knees 3. Quads that can support the transfer of body weight onto the back leg at the top of the back swing.)
3. Enviro….mental (What are you thinking right before you hit your shot? Message me and I’ll tell you what the pro’s mental thoughts when hitting the ball)
4. Nutrition/Hydration (Beer seems to help some peoples golf games, but for most of us it doesn’t. This is a no brainer really, eating and drinking correctly will aide any athlete.)
TAKE HOME: The only way to hit longer and more powerful golf shots is to increase your club head speed. The only way to increase your club head speed is to increase your range of motion in your spine and upper extremities. Watch Tiger Woods’s golf swing below to see the flexibility and stability I’m talking about. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me.
Thanks,
Dr. Rhodes DC
