The Key to Hitting Longer, More Powerful Golf Shots

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

Tiger Woods golf swing in slow motion

The almighty bench press.

I would like to preface this post by saying I neglected my shoulder problems too long and caused irreversible damage and I’m paying for it now. Thus, I’ve made it one of my missions to become one of the most knowledgeable doctors on non-surgical treatment of the shoulder. If you read anything that is incorrect please let me know. I hope this information will enlighten you.

Why the shoulder pain?

First, there is a huge list of reasons why your shoulder is hurting while bench pressing, too many to list. However, I will discuss a few potential causes. The forced horizontal adduction of the bench press puts an abnormally large load on the acromioclavicular joint (AC joint) causing pain. The AC amplifies the range of motion of the humerus yet lacks structural support. Another reason for frequent injury. Excessive weight also causes the glenohumeral (GH) joint to become a weight-bearing joint. These forces can lead to premature degeneration of the shoulder complex. The bench also pins down your shoulder blades. You’ve seen the guy benching with his rear in the air, not so good. This places excessive stress to their thoracic spine, possibly exacerbating or creating back pain, and immobilizing the scapulothoracic complex. Fluid scapular motion and a strong rotator cuff are key to a healthy shoulder. So what happens if your shoulder blades can’t work in harmony with the rest of your arm? Excessive motion about the AC and GH joint, leading to pain and/or instability.

More on the rotator cuff.

Many gym junkies rip out 30 minutes on the bench and go home, neglecting the rotator cuff (RTC). You could quit benching for two weeks, strengthen the RTCs and see an increase in your max. The RTC is vital for shoulder stability and strength. The rotator cuff is a set of four muscles; the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis. Most people have no idea what the rotator cuff actually is, so you’re ahead of the game. A few sources indicate that your RTC strength should be 9.8% of your one rep bench max. Not sure how much validation there is behind that number but its worth mentioning.

Fixing the pain.

I give props to everyone in the gym, but some of the routines I see are only contributing to bad shoulders. There are plenty of great RTC strengthening programs/exercises, but if you really want to fix your shoulder consult with a sports doctor. Remember I mentioned the huge list of possible reasons why your shoulder hurts? They’ve memorized it and know it. Each person is different, that is why it’s key to have a thorough evaluation to identify any pathologies, muscle weaknesses and supply a comprehensive strengthening package. A doctor certified in Active Release Technique (ART) is the best route to go. Almost every profession sports team in the U.S. has an ART doctor. No idea what this is? Watch the video below. Or visit this link: http://www.activerelease.com/

Conclusions.
I’m not saying everyone should skip the bench, but if you keep hurting yourself doing it stop and fix the problem. Strengthen your RTCs, try free weights if its pain free and if you can afford it, get an ART and/or a sports medicine doc to evaluate you. Lastly educate yourself, I highly suggest the Buchberger-12 it’s a Rotator cuff and Scapular Strengthening Program designed by Dale Buchberger D.C., P.T. and CSCS.

Other exercises to consider limiting or cutting out of your program:
1. Lat pull downs behind the neck.
2. Military press.
3. Upright rows.
4. Empty can exercises.


*Don’t hurt yourself, consult with your doctor to see what you should and shouldn’t be doing.

What is Active Release Technique? Watch and find out.

US Army General Rebecca Halstead

In honor of Veterans Day, watch this video of US Army General Rebecca Halstead discussing why chiropractic care is essential in ensuring our troops in Afghanistan are battle ready.

New D.C.? Go electronic for cheap.

To all my fellow D.C. friends,
Our generation of health care providers must migrate towards electronic note taking; the government will soon require it and start penalizing offices in 2015 that don’t. Plus, if you're like me you're not entering any penmanship contests soon . Thus, I have done a little research to find a solution for POOR D.C. graduates. I was recently talking to a new graduate about an electronic health care records company called future health. He got my attention when I heard I didn’t need $15,000 to start. The basic program is around $25/month then you add “apps” as you need them. I haven’t actually used this program in a working clinic, but have downloaded it for a free 3 month trial. They do NOT collect any credit card information, so if you hate it then uninstall with no consequences. I attached an introduction video for your convenience. If anyone has actually been using this software in practice I would love to hear your thoughts. I have no affiliation with this company.

Poppin' Bottles

As an alternative health care provider to be, I’m constantly surrounded by the world of supplementation. I’ve attended many health seminars with various supplementation companies represented. To be quite frank many of them are flat out garbage. Money talks and it shows. I believe there is a time and place for supplementation, however, we have been trained that the answer lies in a capsule or powder. In my opinion, our focus/efforts should be turned toward shopping, cooking and eating habits. Diet and exercise can go a long way to cure disease. Start the change this week! I’m not meaning throw out all your food and start growing everything in your backyard. Make the change slowly, buy one “new” fruit or vegetable each time you shop this month and buy one less unhealthy item. I grew up in a family where eggs, bacon and pancakes were the well rounded breakfast. It took me years to escape the trap and to shed the pounds. No ideas? Buy a handful of Kiwi fruit and throw it in with your cereal or yogurt. They are cheap and chalked full of Vitamin C. If you are still reading this, thanks, and please spend 30 seconds to respond to my questionnaire in the upper right corner of this page.

ElliptiGO. No more stationary elliptical workouts.

We all understand the benefits of the low impact cardiovascular machine. It’s a great way to sweat and keep your knees edema free, but how many hours have you been on the elliptical bored out of your mind? The new ElliptiGO bike might just be the solution to this problem. It’s a hybrid between a traditional bike and an elliptical. The ElliptiGO was created by a former cyclist and Ironman triathlete that found traditional biking uncomfortable and elliptical workouts in the gym boring. The ElliptiGO has 8 speeds and according to their website and customer reviews they are very easy to ride, including hill climbs. The only down side to the product is that it costs a little over $2,000. However, there are demo locations around the U.S. as well as a 60-day money back guarantee. It’s worth checking out.

http://www.elliptigo.com/