Chuck Hanson PT OCS, Director and Chris Miller DPT, Therapeutic Associates North Lake Physical Theraphy

Remember back in the spring when those first few rounds felt like you were scraping rust off your joints? Some of us may even have considered it painful! Why not take some time between now and next spring to improve your swing and decrease those aches and pains. Like most things in life, preparation is the KEY, and imperative to a successful and enjoyable round of golf.

Physical Preparation

Physical Preparation is getting the body ready for the movements necessary to create a safe and effective swing. Golf professionals can help you to learn “the swing”. The details of such a swing are often controversial. However, in analyzing the body movements which occur and training the movements first, the swing becomes much less effortful and more consistent. In golf this is often termed a “groove.” What you’ll need to develop a repeatable grooved swing:

1. a solid and appropriate base of support
2. flexibility from ground up
3. ability to turn torso in pain free range equivalent to that of your swing
4. balance to shift your weight to the rear & front feet during swing
5. adequate range in shoulder and neck region to allow trailing arm to cross midline in both the backswing and follow through. we also need to tolerate the relative twist that occurs between the head and upper back.
6. skill, coordination and endurance to repeat this movement, swing after swing and round after round

How To Swing Fit

The next few photographs demonstrate simple movements you can practice to help tune up your body’s movement patterns for a better game of golf. Share in the success of players like Tiger Woods with golf-specific training! Each movement builds on the others. Practice each 20 to 30 repetitions, starting at a pace that allows for control and coordination, increasing the pace to where you feel aggressive but still firmly in control of the motion.

1. Foot driven trunk twist – Starting with a simple side-side rocking motion of the feet sense the quantity and directions the hops and eventually the shoulders are prompted to make. Let the feet define the movement with the rest of the body just playing “follow the leader.” Build a smooth and coordinated base through this exercise.
2. Trunk Twisters
   1. In the exercise, imagine your torso is a barrel, turning side to side. By starting in the position of address, you set your “spine angle” by softening the knees and hips as if to sit on a high stool. Your sternum should be off your belly button.
   2. By leading the motion with a good hip turn, build a range and pace that promotes a fluid and rhythmical weight transfer over and over. Upper to lower body coordination and having the legs lead the motion are the keys here.
3. Balance and Reach – By reaching across midline to the opposite side of your body you’ll simulate the backswing to one side and follow through to the other. Reaching lengthens the shoulder and torso while creating both flexibility and balance in the hip and lower body. Maintain the “spine angle” you use in your address position, as this both reduces the risk of back strain and keeps the core muscles active to provide power and stability. See how far you can move away while still maintaining control and rhythm.
4. Shoulder turn – The breast bone or sternum is the leader in this final motion pattern. By imagining yourself as a spring coiling and uncoiling, see how large of a turn allows for balance and comfort you can build your flexibility and coordination. Protect your working parts with stable trunk muscles and good alignment to help ensure years of fun on the course!

Visit www.therapeuticassociates.com for more information.