Golf Performance

11 May

GOLF PERFORMANCE – IT’S A CHAIN REACTION

Golf involves complex movement patterns that require effective mobility to be transferred through the kinetic chain.

What does that mean exactly?! The body is a spring and to create the most force production it needs to be able to recoil to its maximum potential i.e. It needs the body to be mobile to do this.

The force production is transferred up the kinetic chain, generated by the lower body during the back swing, the energy is then unloaded though the hips and is transferred from the hips to the pelvis, trunk, arms and then to the club to hit the ball.

This is why the hips are so important and why adequate mobility and strength is required for the perfect swing.

Let’s not confuse mobility with flexibility though and static stretching as they are very different.

Mobility incorporates the nervous system to respond to changes in body position and thereby creates more lasting changes. A person with good mobility can perform functional movement patterns without limitations in range of motion whereas someone who is flexible may not have the core strength, balance and coordination to perform these movement patterns.

We therefore in golf have no real use for static stretching especially before a game and instead require mobility drills to switch on the movement patterns to prepare the body.

Want to improve your golf performance?

At Coast Sport, we focus on all components essential to improving your golf such as:

Dynamic flexibility
Movement and balance training
Strength training
Posture
Core development
Aerobic intensity

We assess our golfers in our screening for posture, power, stability, mobility strength, movement issues and balance and from there we design an individualised program to the player’s assessment outcomes. We also offer golf specific private or semi- private Pilates sessions to help further improve your game.

Coast Sport Exercise Physiologist, Leigh-Anne McBride will specifically design your program to enhance your golfing game and help you to maintain your performance.

Leigh-Anne is an ESSA Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) with over 10 years of experience. She has a Bachelor of Science degree with a Medical Honours in Biokinetics (that’s Afrikaans for ‘Exercise Physiology’), conferred by the University of Cape Town.

If you would like to improve your golf, manage or prevent overuse injuries caused by faulty movement patterns, book an assessment today!