Your Golf Equipment - Part 2
Written by Mary FitzPatrick Monday, 12 December 2011 17:30
In Part 1, we delved inside - yourself, not your Golf Bag - in addressing that your golf equipment that is the most valuable and requires most attention and investment is your Body.
In Part 2, I am bringing you on a journey of the body a little closer to the surface with insights into developing your game this off season.
Movement begins (and ends) with posture. Static Posture is the balance of work throughout the structure of the skeletal and muscular systems, at rest say in a standing position. It is the ideal curvature of the spine, Pelvic tilt and 1st rib angle lying within accepted normal ranges, a balance of strength and mobility of the muslces and joints.
We know a poor posture when we see one - rounded shoulders, hunched over upper body etc. Static Postural imbalances may develop through long-term postures of sitting at a desk or driving a vehicle for extended periods; or postures developed through repeated activities while the body is in developmental stages (say playing one-sides raquet or stick sports; rowing; running sports and so on, or playing certain musical instruments ).
What then, does a golfer expect of his/her body when they hit the driving range, and the Sunday competition? The expectation is that the skeletal and muscular systems will integrate in the required manner in order to produce the movements, timings and co-ordinated skill to hit that ball far, accurately and produce a good score at the end of the round or practice.
Would you expect the same of your car, to use it in less than ideal circumstances for hours and days, weeks on end, then expect it to function as a finely tuned performance vehicle? Well no!
The assessment of joint mobility, spinal curvature, core function, static and dynamic muscle balances will provide the framework of your golf conditioning programme. From the base of joint mobility and stability (i.e. good ranges of movement, not hindered by tightened muscles, or compensatory tightness say from lack of core strength; and both static and dynamic stability - the ability of the peliv not to sway in the back swing for example) can then be developed into specific strength and power as are neccessary and tailored to the movement patterns of the golf game.
Lack of power for example can be linked to hip sway, which may in turn be a result of a low-function of the core unit - which can in turn be related to food choices which are unsuitable for your metabolism.
This is why the conditioning of your body for the game of golf is a many-faceted porgramme.
In Part 3, I will touch on some commonly seen and experienced issues which may hinder your golf game.
