| Between 1986 and 1995, a group of doctors and | | | | legs rotate and extend so far out to their |
| biomechanics specialists led by Frank Jobe, | | | | sides. And, for golfers, when the legs are |
| M.D., in affiliation with the Biomechanics | | | | held in place by spikes, it is the primary |
| Laboratory of the Centinela Hospital Medical | | | | reason hips rotate so fast. |
| Center, Inglewood, CA, published six papers | | | | |
| presenting results from electromyographic | | | | The third-ranked muscle (in % of capacity |
| research they had conducted on good golfers, | | | | used) is the left quadriceps, coming in at |
| i.e. all with handicaps under 5, including | | | | 88%. Your left leg gets pretty well bent at |
| some professionals. | | | | the knee during the backswing, stretching the |
| | | | quads. When they fire, they drive the left |
| Data on twenty-four muscles between the knees | | | | hip way around and behind. |
| and the skull were reported. These data | | | | |
| reveal how a body goes about hitting a golf | | | | Muscles below the waist fire before muscles |
| ball, and which muscles deserve the most | | | | above the waist. In Five Fundamentals, Ben |
| attention. | | | | Hogan says: "The hips initiate the |
| | | | downswing. They snap back to the left with |
| Only one of the reported muscles fired at | | | | tremendous speed. The faster they go the |
| 100% of its capacity. I've asked over 50 | | | | better. They cannot go too fast". This |
| golfers, of all abilities, which muscle this | | | | research shows how right on Ben's comment |
| is, and no one has gotten the answer right. | | | | was. |
| It's the right buttock (for a right-handed | | | | |
| golfer). | | | | To accelerate the clubhead from 0 to 100 |
| | | | miles per hour in about 0.3 seconds, you must |
| Even more interesting, the primary function | | | | make major use of the big muscles in your |
| of this muscle in the body is understood | | | | thighs and hips. A swing that feels as if |
| apparently only by muscle specialists. It is | | | | it's trying to hit the ball primarily with |
| technically a rotator muscle, not a flexor or | | | | arm muscles isn't going to win any long-drive |
| extensor. It is the reason speed skaters' | | | | contests. |