Introduction to biomechanics


Improving Your Golf Game, the Optimal Recipe

There are hundreds, probably thousands, offind quality information, instruction and
articles about how to improve your golf. Justpractice, practice, practice. No ifs, ands,
pick up any weekly or monthly issue of anyor  buts.
golf magazine. You will read page after page
on how to get better at your drivingPhysical  Golf  Fitness  Recipe
distance, how to improve your putting, how to
improve your short game. The list goes on andThe physical side of golf has to do with
on and on. (I could probably fill this wholepreparing the actual physical body to perform
article with the titles of the articles thatthe athletic movement you are asking it to
are supposed to fix your game). This tells medo. Every movement that your body performs,
a few things about golfers: 1) we all want tobe it walking down the street, playing catch,
get better, 2) we are anxious to absorb allor swinging a golf club, requires effort from
the information possible to get better, andyour body. Your body has to perform work to
3)  golf  is a game of continual improvement.complete these physical actions. To swing a
golf club with the correct biomechanics in an
The question that may be running through youreffective and efficient manner, your body
mind at this point is: Why is this articleneeds to be flexible, balanced, strong, have
any better the ones I read last week? Theendurance,  and  power.
answer is that it is not. It is different,
not necessarily better or worse. TheIt becomes obvious that to swing a club on
difference is the perspective from which thisthe correct path you body has to have the
article  is  written.  Let  me  explain.platform or base to do it correctly. Your
platform consists of the flexibility,
I currently work on the PGA Tour as abalance, strength, endurance, and power we
personal trainer/strength and conditioningdiscussed in the previous paragraph. These 5
coach. Previous to my position on the tour Ipieces to the golf fitness puzzle are
worked in professional baseball with the Sandeveloped through training which create what
Diego Padres and the Milwaukee Brewersis called a transfer of training effect into
training elite athletes. This article willthe  golf  swing.
look at improving your golf swing through the
my eyes, which is a perspective differentQuite often I see amateur golfers lacking the
from players, swing coaches, and sportsnecessary amounts of flexibility, balance,
psychologists. This article will not speaketc. and it hinders any possibility of
directly about specific drills or mentaldeveloping the correct biomechanics of the
thoughts that should be incorporated intogolf  swing.
your swing. We will look at golf from a
broader perspective and provide some insightSo simply put, you have to develop a better
on how to approach improvement in your golfswing; you need to develop more flexibility
game  on  a  day-to-day  basis.into your body, improve your balance, become
stronger in your overall body, improve your
I see improvement in the sport of golfmuscular endurance and what we are all after,
contingent upon three ideas. These ideas areand  improve  your  power.
categories that any golfer or any other
athlete can apply to their daily lives forThink of your golf fitness as a cookie
improvement in their sport of choice. Therecipe. If you leave out any one ingredient,
three keys to improvement in any athleticyour  cookie  will  taste  terrible.
endeavor,  golf  included,  are:
Dont leave out any ingredients in your golf
1)  physical,fitness  plan.
2)  biomechanical,  andMental/Emotional
3)  mental/emotionalYou have probably read articles of the mental
side of golf, which I think are great reads
Realize that entire books are written onand have a significant benefit to your game.
these three subjects, and the point of thisI know personally when I am confident in my
article is to present these keys to piqueswing, hitting the fairway off the tee is
your interest for more information to helpmuch easier. That has to do with confidence
you  improve  your  game.in my game in addition to success on the
course. I would like to interject a point
Biomechanical  (Golf  Swing  Mechanics)that I have seen from working with numerous
professional  athletes.
Biomechanics is essentially physics applied
to the body. The study of biomechanicsLet me begin by asking you a question: which
concerns itself with how the body moves andoccurs first, success or confidence? The
what allows it to perform certain humananswers I hear half the time are success and
movements. For example, biomechanics studiesthe other half of the time confidence. Let me
how the body moves to throw a baseball 95first tell you that it is a trick question.
miles per hour or how to swing a golf club toThe answer is as follows: Proper preparation
create club head speed of 120 miles per hour.precedes success and confidence. So with that
Biomechanics looks at how the body moves tosaid, I found through experience that both
perform these actions efficiently.success on the course and confidence in your
Biomechanics in relation to the golf swinggame are a direct result of being properly
concerns itself with how the body swings aprepared physically, mentally, and
golf club to get the most efficient andbiomechanically  for  competition.
effective swing possible from the human body.
I would estimate that probably 95% of theSo just thinking about making a putt usually
books, articles in golf magazines anddoes not work. Making that putt or putting
television programs deal with the topic ofthat drive into the fairway is more a result
biomechanics. When it comes to theof days upon days of physical and
biomechanics of the golf swing, the researchbiomechanical preparation of your swing. This
is pretty solid, and they (swing coaches,will then foster what is required to make
instructors, etc) know mechanically what thethose shots on the course. One additional
golf swing should do, and how the body isobservation: I have found that creating the
suppose  to  work  to  perform  it correctly.mental focus required for golf is much easier
when you have developed the physical
Biomechanically, the human body is notfoundation for your swing. If you trust that
perfect. The perfect golf swing or theyour body will do what you ask it do, when
perfect pitching motion has yet to beyou want it to do it, mentally the game
achieved by any human. The professionals inbecomes  much  easier.
such sports get very close. Their efficiency
ratings when it comes to these athleticWhere  can  I  learn  more?
actions are in the 90s in terms of
percentages, but there is yet to be a humanAgain, remember my perspective is from a
who has achieved 100% biomechanicaldifferent corner. I also believe that if you
efficiency in any movement. Dont expect to beput these three philosophies to work on a
near 100% efficiency. To get better swingdaily basis your golf game will improve by
mechanics the bottom line is that you mustleaps and bounds.



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