![]() |
Golf Information |
|
|
What Do the Core and the Golf Swing Have in Common Part II?
In part one of this article we discussed the core and its relation to the golf swing. A quick review of the information in article one will indicate a definitive connection between the "athletic movements" of a golf swing and the core section of the body. Prior to beginning this article let us take a brief moment to review information provided in the first article on this topic. A quick review will indicate that the core is an anatomical region of the body. This region of the body consists of all the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and neural structures, located from the hips to the lower chest. This comprises all of the structures of: the hips, abdominals, low back, and obliques (side abdominals). In addition to describing the anatomical region of the core, part one of this article described the following: the relationship between the core and golf swing in the specific areas of range of motion, coordination, speed of motion, and balance. Part two of this article will discuss core flexibility, strength, endurance, and power. We will relate these three additional topics to the golf swing as we did in part one. Recalling from the first article, range of motion is directly related to distance. Distance that a body moves in a specific amount of time when discussing biomechanics. Relating range of motion to the golf swing indicates that the greater range of motion that the core mechanism of the body can move through, the greater amount of force can be created to deliver into the club head. The second topic discussed in article one was speed of motion. Remember, speed of motion is directly related to range of motion. Speed of motion is essentially adding a component of time to range of motion. The faster that an object or the body can move through a specific range of motion, the greater amount of force can be created through this range of motion. Thirdly, we introduced coordination. Coordination is the ability to time the movements of the body in the correct sequence to perform the activity desired. This requires the body to move through the required ranges of motion with the correct speed of motion. The final topic discussed in section one of this article was balance. Balance is the ability of the body to maintain a center of gravity during a movement. Increased balance allows for greater accuracy with athletic activities. Moving forward into section two of this article, we build upon the information discussed in article one. Relevancy to the core and the golf swing is easily seen when connecting these topics (range of motion, speed of motion, coordination, and balance) to the athletic movement associated with the golf swing. Flexibility Flexibility is the range of motion around a joint and is influenced by skeletal structures, ligaments, muscles tissues, and joint capsule type. Range of motion is a result of the deformation of soft tissues (i.e. muscle tissue, ligaments, and tendons) surrounding a joint. Flexibility is essentially the ability of the neuromuscular to create a desired range of motion by the body. The golf swing requires the core, and the entire body, to move through a specified range of motion to create contact with the golf ball. Limitations in flexibility can create the inability of the body to move through the required ranges of motion at the correct speed to perform a golf swing. This will result in numerous problems as a result of poor mechanics in the swing. A direct connection exists between range of motion, speed of motion, and flexibility. If flexibility is limited the result will be limitations in ranges of motion and speeds of motion. Strength Strength can be defined as the ability of the neuromuscular system (neural system, muscular system) to create and exert force. A lack of strength limits the ability of the body to create force for a given athletic movement. In relationship to the golf swing, strength is a required component of the core. A large proportion of the force created in the golf swing is a result of the lower body and core musculature system. As a result, creating the force needed to develop club head speed is directly related to strength levels within these structures of the body. A lack of strength lessens to a degree the amount of force that can be created in the golf swing, thus reducing the amount of club head speed available to the golfer. Endurance Endurance is the ability of the neuromuscular structures (muscular system, neural system, ligaments, and tendons) to perform the same athletic movement repeatedly over a specific amount of time. The golf swing is a repetitive athletic movement requiring the neuromuscular system to perform the same neuromuscular activity over and over again for a given number of swings, time, etc. This requires the body to move through a specific range of motion, with the correct speed of motion, coordinating the movements in the correct sequence, with the required force outputs (i.e. strength), and correct levels of endurance. A lack of endurance in the neuromuscular system will limit the ability of the individual to perform the components required of the golf swing listed above. Power Power is the ability to create the greatest amount of force in a specified amount of time. Power is contingent upon the combination of strength and speed of motion. These two components working in conjunction create power. A decrease in strength or speed of motion limits the ability of power production by the neuromuscular system. The golf swing requires the body to produce power to deliver into the club head. The amount of time to perform this is limited and contained within the ranges of motion through which the body moves during the golf swing. The point to be made is that a direct connection exists for power production between range of motion, speed of motion, and strength. These three components working together determine the power outputs created by the body during the golf swing. Summary This article discussed an additional four components that are relevant to the core structure of the body and the golf swing. The key point to make between the topics discussed in this article and article number one is the connection between all of these components. Range of motion, speed of motion, balance, and coordination are contingent upon the points discussed in this article. The ability of the body to swing a golf club requires the ability of the body to have the required ranges of motion, speeds of motion, balance, and coordination to perform the swing. The development of flexibility, strength, endurance, and power within the body allows for these activities to occur. Thus all eight of these components (range of motion, speed of motion, balance, coordination, flexibility, strength, endurance, and power) are interconnected to perform a golf swing. The relationship to the core and these activities is a follows: the core region of the body is a main component of the golf swing. It is utilized greatly in all aspects of the golf swing from maintaining balance to creating power. The core can be considered to be the "engine" of the golf swing. Please visit our website at www.bioforcegolf.com to get more information. Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. Check out his manual and DVD, Your Body & Your Swing, on BioForceGolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Unleash Your True Golf Potential - Part 2 In (Part 1) of this article I discussed how muscle imbalance can often keep a golfer from achieving his or her true playing potential. Even though these imbalances are quite common they often go untreated due to the fact that the golfer is focusing on the symptom and not the cause. Super Golf Wheel Chair that Enables Disabled Golfers to Play Normally Last week when I was at the driving range I noticed a number of young disable people working on their games. I was very impressed by a young lady who, despite the fact that she was sitting in a wheel chair, was able to drive the ball straight for around 120 to 150 yards. Creating A Golf Fitness Program For the average golfer embarking on a total golf fitness program may sound a little overwhelming. Fitting the program into your schedule on a regular basis may seem like something for which you simply don't have the time. Back Exercise And Golf Are Synonymous Back exercise and golf. Doesn't that sound like a common denominator? Of all the injuries in golf, the low back is by far the highest one. Making Your Program Golf Specific "Golf-Specific" means different things to different people. One of the things I have learned from my education and experience in working with elite trainers and golfers is that in order to improve someone's performance you must know where their strengths and weaknesses currently exist. Simple Tips For Improving Golf Swing There are loads of resources both on-line and off that you can turn to for easy tips on improving golf swing. More than likely, you are looking for simple pointers on improving golf swing that you can start with yourself, because you are not in a position to hire a professional to help you improve your swing. Create A Gift Basket For A Golfer Lover! The choice of what gift to give your family and friends can often be a difficult one. One of the best gifts that you can give is a gift basket. The Power Of Combining Golf Swing Basics With Exercise When training in good golf swing basics is combined with the right exercise program, the results can be nothing short of miraculous.Take the superb performances witnessed in junior golfers like the Song sisters, Ty Tyron and Michelle Wie. Golf Instruction Is Only Part Of The Equation Golf instruction is critical in understanding the mechanics of the golf swing. I am a firm believer in golf instruction. Golf Fitness: The Quickest Way To Play Better Golf Golf has always been viewed as a game of leisure. But today's golfer is leaner, stronger, and fitter. Golf Tips - Tips to Improve Your Putting If you are seriously considering lowering your scores, then you must take your putting seriously, as roughly half the strokes you play in a round of golf are likely to be on the putting green. However good you are at driving, pitching and chipping, if your putting is not up to standard, you will never make the next level. Staying Out of Trouble with Your Driver So what is it that's really causing problems with your driver? Is it a slice, a hook, or just flat-out inconsistency? Well the good news is that, regardless of what problem you are fighting, there are a few things to incorporate into your game that really will help you. If you're the golfer that's saying right now, "I've battled a slice for 25 years", then this is not going to be the undisputed end of your problem. How A Golf Fitness Book Can Transform Your Game A golf fitness book that is written to give you ready-made golf fitness programs, exercises, step-by-step instructions and illustrations can quickly transform your golf game.There are so many "so-called" golf fitness books on the market; but when you open them up you see dozens of pictures of golf models sitting on exercise machines in the gym. How Playing Short will Save You Strokes It's a pretty simple tip really, but it will help you to lower your scores.What you should get out of this lesson is that short is usually better regarding approach shots, and I'm going to explain a few reasons why I believe this to be true. Periodization Training For Golf The idea of periodization has been around a very long time for athletes at all levels. The concept is simple. What Can A Golf Exercise Routine Do For Those Who Are Happy With Their Game Can a golf exercise routine be useful to a golfer who is happy with the current quality of their game?You bet it can. While there are many useful benefits of a golf exercise routine to a person's game even when they are happy with their current form, exercises have many other benefits that a golfer can enjoy and benefit from. Here's A Golf Training Tip To Boost Your Drives Every golfer would like to have a golf training tip to increase their drives by 10, 20, 30 or even 40 yards. But what do you need to focus on to accomplish that?Have you ever received a golf training tip that didn't work? I think we all have. This Aint Golf! Its Cricket! Go on, admit it, you have never read an article on cricket before, right? But wait, this aint no ordinary cricket, this is the Ashes! The Ashes? Yes, the series between England and Australia that dates back to the 1870's. The two old foes locked in combat in England throughout the summer. Junior Golf Is Becoming More Competitive?Why? How do you get the edge when you're playing junior golf? To keep up with the top junior golfer's means getting stronger both physically and mentally; and almost perfecting your golf swing. That's how competitive it's become. Golf Nutrition Is Not An Oxymoron - Listen Up Golf nutrition is still a relatively new concept. However, everybody knows that leading athletes in the NBA and NFL quite often have special diets and specific nutrition programs to help them perform at their peak. |
| home | site map |
| © 2007 |