Biomechanics Of The Golf Swing - A Little Science Goes A Long Way

High speed video technology can record the way ayour shots will be consistent.
golfer's body moves in minute detail. We can study- Backswing. Remember, this is when you're winding
the images and learn a lot about the way it works. Itup that torque, to be released in the downswing. This
may sound super high tech and scientific, but themovement begins with the feet. As you start to
results of biomechanical analysis can help you lowerwind back, your weight shifts to the back of your
your score!right foot and the front of your left foot. In other
The key to the golf swing is torque. When you windwords, your back foot begins to get the weight.
up for the backswing, you rotate and twist yourNext, there is a twisting motion in your torso,
body on the axis of your torso. Physically, you're likeshoulders and lower back. Your exercise routine
a tightly wound spring, full of potential energy.should definitely work the muscles you'll use here. It's
The downswing is the release of that energy. Theimportant for the motion to be fluid and relaxed, so
potential energy becomes kinetic energy, and it's allyour lower back muscles should be in good shape.
that stored energy and not the golf club that really- Downswing. This is where that stored energy gets
smacks that ball and sends it flying.released. But, it happens gradually. It starts with the
Golf Uses The Whole Body"transition," where the coil reaches its upper-most
Nowadays, golfers realize that golf doesn't justpoint.
require your arms and shoulders. When you swing forThere is a split second where your lower body starts
the golf ball, you use your whole body. Biomechanicsto release and the upper body is still stretching back
looks at the way the body works together to createin the coil. This is an important split second actually,
that golf swing.because there is some additional elastic energy in this
Through biomechanics, we've learned that a golfer'smovement that gets released when you swing.
whole body has to be in great shape. RecommendedThe downswing is the release of all that stored
training exercises for golfers have gone from simpleenergy. Your lower body muscles are especially
swing training to whole body fitness programs andimportant here. The unwinding starts in the lower
weight training. Keeping your whole body in goodbody and works its way up, all the way to your club
shape will help improve your swing.as it impacts with the ball. Then, it releases all that
Let's look at the biomechanics of golfingstored energy and your ball goes flying.
step-by-step.Learning about the biomechanics of the golf swing
- Address. In your address position, your muscles arecan be a real bonus to your game. Just ask Tiger
fairly relaxed. What the address requires is goodWoods, who has set new records with his golf swing
balance. Your training for the address should focus onspeed. As a young man, he studied the biomechanics
this. Most of your muscles are not active, but are in aof golf and used it to improve his swing and create a
ready position.whole-body fitness plan. You can see the results!
Good balance in the address position means that