Making the Body Work with you, Not against you, in the Golf Swing
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Avoiding Energy Leaks in the Golf Swing
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by Susan Hill
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The golf swing relies upon core strength,
endurance and proper engagement in seeking
better stabilization, control and
coordination. Core conditioning is very
important for a golfer because all movements
in your entire body stem from the strength in
this area. Wherever you find a weak core, you
find a major source of energy leaks in the
golf swing.
As a golf biomechanic, my focus is on looking
for areas of poor flexibility and muscle
imbalances which effect the mechanics of the
golf swing and create opportunities for the
body to break down in injury. Each of these
situations presents possibilities for
improvement in your swing as well as keeping
the body in an injury free state.
When the body is out of balance, this means
some muscles are shorter than normal and some
muscles are longer than normal. When muscle
length is less or more than optimal, swing
mechanics are altered.
According to Paul Chek of the Chek Institute,
there are five factors which influence the
flight and destination of the ball:
Club face alignment
Swing plane
Angle of attack/impact
Club head speed
Hitting the sweet spot
Unfortunately, many golfers experience
limiting physical factors which prevent them
from achieving their ideal golf swing.
Here is an example of a common swing fault and
how it may be affecting your current swing.
Tight hip flexors are a common reason for loss
of distance off the tee in addition to
limitations in achieving a full backswing
because of restrictions in trunk rotation.
Short and tight hip flexors are a known source
of lower back pain where the low back muscles
tighten while hamstring and abdominal muscles
lengthen. You see, everything has a cause and
an effect within the body.
Tight hip flexors limit a golfer’s body in
trunk rotation which ultimately leads to
compensations at the shoulders, elbows and
wrists. It is important to clearly understand
where the chain broke down in the first place
so corrective action can be taken.
Now, here’s a great stretch for those tight
hips:
 
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