By Trent Malcolm

HAVE you ever noticed how often golf coaches talk about the importance of good posture in a golf swing?

Good posture is also very important in reducing the likelihood of injury, particularly to your back and neck.

Unfortunately for many people, their general lifestyle and/or line of work lend themselves toward poor posture, with too many hours spent sitting down, either watching television, working on a computer or driving a car.

Whilst some postural deterioration is expected with age, there are a number of exercises and stretches that can help rectify poor posture, which will improve your body for golf (and life).

Increased curvature of your low and middle back and rounded shoulders are all common postures that may contribute negatively to your swing mechanics (and increase potential for injury) and if unaddressed, over time can become very difficult to improve.

1. Increased forward tilt of your pelvis

This increases the curve of your lower back placing added stress on your spine and surrounding tissues.  This added stress can create tightness and some restriction of pelvic movement, which is essential for good swing mechanics.

You can test this yourself by standing with your heels, buttocks, back and head against a wall.

Place your hand in the space between the wall and your lower back; you should be able to get your fingers and about half of your hand into the space. Any more than this and your pelvis is probably tilted too far forward.

[A side note…if you are carrying excess body fat around your stomach this will likely add to the stress on your lower back and compound the problem].

An effective strength exercise for this posture is shown in Figure 1.

Starting with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your thighs pointing skyward, pull your knees in toward your chest to lift your buttocks 5 to 10 cm off the ground (Figure 1). Pause for a second then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.

Commonly, with this type of posture, golfers have tight hip flexors (muscles around the top of the thighs).  We need to stretch these out and Figure 2 demonstrates this effectively.  Use your buttocks to push your pelvis forward and try and straighten your trailing leg by pushing your heel back.  Maintain a tall upper body position and hold onto a chair for balance if you are a little shaky.  

Hold this stretch position for about 20 seconds.

2. Increased curvature of the middle back (kyphosis)

Increased rounding of the middle back places strain on the muscles and connective tissue around this area and can significantly limit your ability to rotate in the golf swing.

If you found it difficult to touch your head against the wall in the previous test, without lifting your chin up, there is a good chance you are too rounded through your thoracic spine.

Essentially we need to reverse this curve by stretching your spine in the opposite direction and increasing the strength of your back muscles surrounding this spinal segment.

To address this, lie on your stomach with your palms turned down.  Softly draw your stomach in and raise your chest off the mat, keeping your chin tucked in throughout the movement.

Roll your shoulders back and down at the end position (Figure 3).

Now lie on your stomach and slowly push off with your arms to bend your spine backwards.  Ensure your lower back muscles are relaxed, your chin is tucked in and your shoulders are down throughout the movement (Figure 4).

Caution: avoid over extending the lower back, as per Figure 4.

3.  Rounded shoulders

If you found it difficult to get your shoulders back against the wall in the previous test it is likely your shoulders are too rounded.

This goes hand in glove with increased curvature of the middle back (kyphosis), and is typified by tight chest and shoulder muscles and/or weak back muscles. 

Rounded shoulders can be linked to poor shoulder rotation and an arm-dominated swing. Figure 3 also demonstrates one way to increase the strength around your shoulder blades.

Stretching your chest and shoulders will also help. 

In the position shown in Figure 5, ensure your hand is well behind your body and feel as though you are rotating your shoulders away from your hand i.e. your left hand is in a doorway, and your shoulders are turning to the right to increase the stretch.

Despite your age and level of postural deterioration, a commitment to the stretches and exercises just outlined could be enough to improve your swing mechanics (and your health and well being).  This is the “THE POWER OF POSTURE!”

Trent Malcolm is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, specialising in golf-specific strength and conditioning.

Visit Active One Golf for more information on the importance of golf-specific exercise 

Before commencing any conditioning program it is recommended you consult a Medical or Allied Health Professional

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Could your body be limiting your golfing potential?

By Trent Malcolm

Are you trying to change your golf swing and finding it difficult to get into the positions your coach is asking for?  If this is the case then maybe your physical make up is slowing your progress.  Perhaps you are too stiff around your back or shoulders, maybe the co-ordination/timing of your body movements is a little off or maybe you are swaying and sliding in your swing?  A conditioning program specific to your body and your swing priorities can fast track your golf improvement and reduce the likelihood of injury.

Figure 1

 
In a standing position with your arms across your chest, rotate your shoulders around as far as you can without moving your head laterally (Figure 2).  Pause for a second and rotate to the opposite side.  Gradually increase the range of this dynamic stretch as you complete 20 repetitions.

Figure 2

Does the timing and co-ordination of your swing feel a little out?

Bishop also says “A physical issue or poor swing concept can produce timing and sequence problems in the swing. The upper body has furthest to rotate in the back swing so should lead the motion followed by the lower half. This is reversed in the downswing. Think of any throwing or hitting motion you have ever performed and you will better understand the correct sequence.”

The following movements work on increasing rotation into both left and right hips and are designed to give you the feeling of improved hip release (for better sequencing) from the top of the back swing.

In figures 3 and 4, imagine your pelvis and spine make up a steering wheel and the column it is attached to.  Turn the steering wheel (your pelvis) to the left and the right in isolation (no lateral movement) to improve the co-ordination and range of motion of your pelvis.  

The next exercise (Figure 5) is a lot more advanced, and the previous steering wheel analogy can also be used here.  In the position shown, turn the steering wheel (your pelvis) to the right, pause for 5 seconds then turn to the left.  Your upper body is working hard to stabilise your shoulders and the muscles through your trunk to your pelvis are creating this rotational movement.

Both these exercise are designed to help you dissociate your upper and lower body, important in good swing mechanics.

Does your body move too far laterally throughout your swing?

Lower body strength is imperative in golf.  Bishop says “The lower body is the foundation of the golf swing.  If you lack strength in your lower body you will not be able to provide the stability and balance necessary for your upper body to rotate, which can lead to unwanted lateral movement and inconsistent ball striking”.

Stand with a broomstick across your shoulders, your feet wider than shoulder width apart and your toes turned out 45 degrees.  Squat down and rotate your shoulders, ensuring your back is flat and head focused forward (Figure 6).  Alternate your shoulder turn after each repetition.  In this position your inner thighs (the adductors) are targeted, to help stabilise your lower body throughout the swing and the turn of the shoulders will also help improve the range of your back swing.

 
In the next exercise, lie on your back with your heels up on the ball and raise your buttocks off the ground to form a straight line from your ankles to shoulders (starting position).  Now raise your right leg (about 20 cm) and rotate your pelvis to take your leg over to the opposite side (Figure 7).  Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds and return to the starting position; alternate legs.  This more advanced exercise will increase the strength of important muscles around the outside of your hip (like gluteus medius) that resist lateral movement in your swing.

There are two important questions you need to ask yourself: what am I trying to improve in my golf swing, and could this be related to my body’s physical limitations?  To maximise your golfing potential, a golf-specific exercise physiologist will design an exercise program which integrates information from your coach and golf-specific physiotherapist.  If most tour players are doing it to enhance their performance and reduce the likelihood of injury, why shouldn’t you?

Trent Malcolm is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist specialising in golf-specific strength and conditioning.  He consults to the Australian Institute of Sport Golf Program, Women’s Golf Victoria, the Melbourne Golf Injury Clinic and the Sandhurst Club (in association with the PGA of Australia), working with some of Australia’s finest young talent as well as numerous international touring professionals.  He is a regular contributor to Golf Australia magazine and designs golf-specific exercise programs for people online.

For your own personally designed golf-specific exercise regime you can contact Trent via email at tmalcolm@optusnet.com.au or call him on (03) 8707 0830. Visit his new website Active One Golf

Note: Before commencing any conditioning program it is recommended you consult a Medical or Allied Health Professional

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The Power of Posture!