Bent Back Knee for More Power and Control

Keeping a bent back knee (right knee for a right-handed golfer) through the entire backswing is important for added power and accuracy. If you straighten your right knee (for a right-handed golfer) as you begin your backswing then you will lose the natural coil that should be generated in the large hip and leg muscles. This coiling force, or ‘loading,’ is what helps accelerate and drive your hips and legs forward during the downswing and produces greater explosive power through the ball at impact.

Furthermore, if the back knee straightens during the backswing, you can over-swing with your arms and reverse pivot your spine angle at the top contributing to the common swing errors during the downswing of coming over-the-top and casting. This outside-to-inside swing path and early release of the club causes a weak fade or slice so both distance and accuracy are lost.

A typical ‘physical’ cause evaluated with many golfers is their inability to maintain a bent (flexed) back knee during the back-swing due to hip rotation tightness. If the right hip (for a right-hand golfer) is inflexible then it will not properly rotate during the backswing. Restricted hip motion causes the knee to straighten so you can still complete a full backswing. This straight knee compensation movement, however, prevents the proper resistive coil in the right hip at the top of the backswing and is essential in your effort to avoid the upper body from reverse pivoting during the backswing.

A great exercise that helps to improve hip rotation flexibility and maintain a bent back knee in your backswing is the ”Single Knee Trunk Twist.”

 Instructions:     

• Kneel tall on a padded surface and perform a pelvic tilt, squeeze your shoulder blades together, inhale and reach a medicine ball/dumbbell free weight out in front of your chest. Then, as you exhale, slowly rotate your upper torso as far as possible and keep your arms stable in front of your chest through your full turn.

(Note! Be sure to keep your shoulder blades squeezed together, your hands connected to the front of your chest, and your front leg stable as you rotate)

Hold this rotated position for one full swing visualization, then inhale as you relax your upper torso back to the starting position.

Repeat 1-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions in both directions, 1-3 times per day.

When you are ready to increase the difficulty of this exercise:

• Increase the weight of the med-ball
• Rotate your torso and swing your arms faster and through a more complete range of motion.

For more information on golf fitness training and injury prevnetion, please contact Paul Callaway, PT, PhD by calling: 630.567.7572 or email: Paul@CallawayGolfFitness.com

'Spring' is the Thing for More Power in your Swing

‘Spring’ is the Thing for More Power in Your Swing 

by Paul Callaway, PT, PhD

Director of Golf Fitness

Cantigny Golf Academy

As the Director of Golf Fitness here at the Cantigny Golf Academy, the number one request I hear from my golf clients is, “I want more power in my swing.”  It’s true, more power means more distance. And more golfers today understand that it makes no sense to invest in the latest and greatest golf equipment if they can’t physically generate enough swing speed to take advantage of the improved technology.  So, in order to most effectively produce more power in your golf swing, you need to increase your club head speed through the hitting zone with a combination of golf-specific fitness training exercises that help build your posture, balance, flexibility, core strength and stability blended with effective swing re-education drills. 

Every golfer has multiple power sources. Some golfers generate more power from their hips and legs, while some generate more power from their arms, wrists and hands. The quickest and safest way to produce more physical power in your body and swing is through identifying your optimal power sources, and then designing golf-specific, power-building conditioning exercises customized to develop your most efficient, safest, most powerful and repeatable swing motion. Once you know the power sources to focus on in your training, the goal of each exercise and integrated swing drill should be to develop improved ‘spring’ in your swing. More ‘spring’ refers to improved muscle and joint loading and unloading (muscles and joint reaction forces) during your full swing. The more we improve our ability to accumulate, store and efficiently release energy in the power centers of our body translates to faster, more powerful golf swings.

One simple exercise that effectively trains your body’s ability to load and unload for improved ‘spring’ with rotation is the ‘Jump and Twist’.

Jump and Twist

(Note! Only attempt this exercise if you have completed an Initial Physical Performance Evaluation and your Fitness Professional has prescribed it for you.)

Instructions:     

·         Wear quality athletic footwear that properly supports your feet.

·         Stand on a level, padded surface (carpeted floor with sufficient padding and/or padded yoga exercise mat on hardwood/tile flooring).

·         Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your hips, knees and ankles, and jump vertically as high as possible while twisting your body to the left so that when you land you are balanced with your feet shoulder width apart, and you have made a quarter turn to the left.

·         Alternate your direction after each ‘Jump and Twist’. Repeat 10-30 reps.

·         When ready, advance by increasing your rotations to ½, ¾ and then full (360 degree) twists.

For more information about golf-specific fitness training and/or to schedule a complimentary golf posture screening, please contact Paul Callaway, PT, PhD by calling: 630.567.7572

or email: Paul@CallawayGolfFitness.com

How Golf Fitness Training Helps to Correct Common Golf Swing Flaws

Based on the law of bio-mechanics known as 'structure' governs 'function', every golf swing motion - both good and bad - has a physical/structural cause. Therefore, before any golfer can really safely and effectively improve any diagnosed swing flaw from their golf coach, they first need to have their baseline golf-specific physical characteristics of posture, balance, flexibility and strength properly evaluated by a golf-fitness expert to help determine the structural causation to their current swing.  Then, a custom golf fitness training program can be designed that will help develop the  physical/structural improvements needed to support the more optimal swing motions. 

When interviewing top professional golf coaches, they all agree that the most common swing fault for amateur golfers is the "over-the-top" move that contributes to a slice and/or a pull hook. The structural flaws that most contribute to this swing motion dysfunction starts with poor standing and address posture. If a player is physically identified to have an overly rounded upper/middle spine and/or an overly side bent spine in regular standing, and also at address, then they will be unable to make a proper shoulder turn with the primary rotational motion coming from their middle spine. Improper spine rotation then forces the golfer to physically and bio-mechanically compensate during their backswing by using other, inappropriate body segments (legs, arms, etc.) to generate 'false' rotation as an attempt to create the 'loading' portion of their full backswing.  

However, this all-to-common 'cause and effect', movement compensation during a golfer's backswing prevents the optimal rotational separation between upper and lower body. The golfer will, therefore, initiate their down/forward swing motion by leading with their arms and upper half of their body instead of from their lower half, they will not be able to maintain the proper postural and spine angle positions during their full swing, or institute the proper weight shift. The net result from this combination of 'structure governs function' swing motion during the forward swing is the 'over-the-top' swing pattern that produces a weak slice ball flight.

As we are now aware of the physical/structural causes of the over-the-top swing fault, we also recognize that there are physical/structural conditioning elements required to correct this swing fault. Every golfer who slices the ball must have the physical ability to create rotational separation between the upper and lower body. This separation allows the golfer to begin the downswing with the lower body and create an 'X-factor' (greater rotational degrees of motion created during their full backswing with their upper spine/torso than from their hips/pelvis). The creation of this separation starts with good address posture (primary and secondary tilt angles) and requires good middle (thoracic) spine and hip functional mobility (combination of flexibility, strength and stability), and core stability.

If the golfer is evaluated to be lacking in any of these essential physical components then their potential for bio-mechanical dysfunctions affecting their golf swing increases substantially. Correction of these physical dysfunctions and development of a physical foundation to support the golf swing can be achieved via customized, golf-specific, exercises combined with the proper sequence of bio-mechanical, swing re-education drills over a consistent period of time.

So, if you are a slicer, hooker, puller or pusher, and/or if you are just  feeling frustrated in any way about your lack of progress with your game, don't worry!  There is a solution that can help you get back on track. Locate a golf fitness training specialist and schedule an evaluation right away. He/she will identify the physical factors of posture, balance, flexibility, strength and conditioning that may be creating the swing compensations that are blocking your optimal and safe performance on the golf course. Once identified, the fitness professional will be able to design your customized golf fitness training progression that, when integrated with professional swing instruction, you will be able to make the desired improvements in your swing and in your game that will make your total golf experience much more enjoyable!

For more information about golf-specific physical assessments and customized golf fitness training programs, please visit www.CallawayGolfFitness.com or contact Paul Callaway, PT, PhD at Paul@CallawayGolfFitness.com 

Perfect Posture Makes for a Perfect Swing

Golf Address Posture Essentials

When it comes to golf instruction, there are many different swing philosophies and teaching methods.  But, when interviewing hundreds of top golf professional instructors, there is one thing they will all agree on… your golf posture at address will make or break your full swing performance results.  Even the best golfers in the world will not hit the ball most effectively or with minimal body stress ‘if’ their address posture is less than optimal.

Here are the key elements of a proper golf address posture:

·         Your stance should be about shoulder width apart creating a stable, balanced base for your full swing.

·         A healthy, functional, address posture requires a straight ‘primary’ tilt spine angle that bends from your hips and knees only (not from your spine) to make a powerful spine coil.

·         Let your arms hang naturally, not too close or too far from your body and you should feel a gentle squeezing of your shoulder blades –down and together.

·         Your ‘primary’ tilt spine angle and golf club shaft plane should be approximately at a 90 degree angle to each other when viewed from the side.

·         Your right shoulder and hip should be lower than your left (for right-handed golfers) and your shoulder plane and hip/pelvic plane (‘secondary’ tilt) should be parallel to each other  when viewed from the front/back sides.

Off-Course Exercise-In front of mirror!

Practice your posture with each club in front of mirror.  Although most of the elements of a proper address posture remain the same, clubs are different lengths, so your degree of ‘primary’ tilt will be slightly different for each club. Also, your ball position in relationship to your stance will vary slightly per club, therefore, your ‘secondary’ tilt will need to be adjusted as well.

To learn the specifics for reaching your optimal golf address posture, please watch this video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWevmxMnFns

For more information about golf address posture and/or to schedule a complimentary golf posture screening, please contact Paul Callaway, PT, PhD by calling: 630.567.7572

or email: Paul@CallawayGolfFitness.com