by Susan Hill
Back injuries are prevalent among golfers of all ages and
especially for senior golfers. Age has a way of letting us
know subtly that our bodies no longer react like the good
old days of 20 something. The back is one area of our body
we can’t afford to take for granted. Whether you suffer
from minor aches and pains, mild discomfort or even general
tightness, your back could be at risk as well as your game.
So how can we protect our backs from the wear and tear of
age while creating longevity in golf?
The first thing to check is your posture. If you don't know
the right way to sit, stand or lift weight, then you are far
from learning the complexities of swing mechanics!
The "perfect swing" is something many attempt to
learn by watching or reading a book. Yet, it's a motor skill,
which also draws upon your 'feel' for things.
When you first learned to swing a golf club, you might think
you were learning things from 'scratch'. But were you?
You already knew how to stand. If you tend to slouch while
standing, or if your back muscles were poorly developed, you
probably ended up trying to create the "perfect swing" by
sight rather than by the feel of things.
Maybe your upper back is making up for your lack of lower
back flexibility. Perhaps your lumbar pain results from underdeveloped
hips or abs. It doesn't matter where your 'weak link' lies.
It always kicks in a series of "compensatory" moves.
These wrong moves are not only an open invitation to injury-
they can take you years to correct and refine - if you are
blind to the underlying postural flaw.
Experts agree that an erect posture with neural spinal alignment
can give you an added rotation of up to 30°. Imagine the
extra momentum that would lend to your club head!
Three simple ways to Improve your Swing with Better Posture:
1.Stand Tall! When you slouch, you compromise the normal curvature
of the back, which is important for proper joint movement.
Try this simple experiment: Sit on a chair in the bent-over
posture. Your shoulders are slouched and the neck protrudes
outwards. Try to swing your arms. Most of the movement will
come from your elbows, rather than your shoulder joint (which
has a bigger range of motion).
Next, sit up straight, with your shoulders squared and your
neck in proper alignment with the spine. Your arms will swing
freely from the shoulder and rotate freely in any direction.
More importantly, the right posture will keep your back healthy
and minimize the sheer forces on the spine - which form the
root cause of pain.
2.Bend at the Hips (not at the Back!)
When you bend, make sure your back is in a neutral position.
That can only happen if you bend from your hips.
To facilitate this position, make sure your lower abs are
properly engaged. Strong abs are the very foundation of a powerful,
fluid stroke!
3.Improve Stability
Better balance and coordination help to effectively transfer
the momentum of your swing to the ball.
Stabilize your torso by keeping your feet shoulder width apart-
having them too close or too far apart will affect your balance.
Learn to shift your weight smoothly from one foot to the other.
It will greatly reduce the impact on your lower back.
Finally, do not lean on the toes or roll at the heels. A shaky
foundation can kill momentum before your club head strikes
the ball.
It may take some time to get accustomed to the new posture.
But these simple changes will help you play better golf longer.
Doesn't that make it worthwhile?
Susan Hill is a CHEK Golf Biomechanic and President of FitnessforGolf.com,
a private, member’s only, online golf fitness website
dedicated to the improvement of golfers worldwide. For more
information on her golf products and services, visit http://www.fitnessforgolf.com.
