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What Do
The Core And The Golf Swing
Have In Common?
The concept of "core
training" is a "buzz word" in today's fitness and
training community. It has also become a prevalent
idea in the game of golf. In regards to golf it has
been noted by many individuals that the core area of
the body is where the "power" comes from in your
swing, and in order to make a full turn you need
flexibility in the core. This article will discuss
the function of the core in relation to human
movement and the golf swing.
We will discuss
categorically the functions of the core and how
improvements in these areas can assist in the
improvement of your golf swing. Before we begin
discussing the functions of the core, let us define
it. The core can be defined as an anatomical area of
the body. The core is includes all the muscles from
below the chest to the hips. Separated out into body
parts the core includes all muscles of: the hips (glutes,
hamstrings, glutes), abdominals, obliques (side
abdominals), and low back. These muscles groups
essentially comprise the core region and are
involved in the majority of movement elicited by the
core.
Now that we have a
brief understanding of what exactly the core refers
to in terms of a reference point, let us begin to
discuss the pertinent connections between the core
and the golf swing. We will be discussing the
following topics in relation to the golf swing:
* 1) range of motion,
* 2) speed of motion, * 3) balance, and * 4)
coordination.
All four of these
categories are related to the core of your body and
have a direct effect on your golf swing. We will
first begin by discussing range of motion and move
forward from that point. Range of Motion Most of us
have probably heard of this term before and may have
some type of definition for it. Let us first define
range of motion. Range of motion is essentially a
distance that the body or body part moves during an
activity. For example, walking down the street
requires all segments of the body to move through a
certain range of motion. In addition to the entire
body, specific body parts move through a specified
range of motion. The knee for instance, when you are
walking, moves in a linear range of motion to create
movement in the legs.
The golf swing is
similar to walking when discussing range of motion.
The entire body must move through a specified
distance to perform the golf swing correctly. The
core as a segment of the body also has to move
through a specified distance to perform the golf
swing correctly. Relating the core and the golf
swing range of motion is very important. It is the
primary body segment that allows for the rotation of
the body to occur. The back swing, down swing, and
follow through require an extensive range of motion
to be provided by the core. If limitations exist in
terms the distance that the core can "move through,"
then limitations will occur in the golf swing. On
the flip side, a greater range of motion (distance
that the body segment moves through) generates
greater amounts of power. This gets into what can be
termed as the "X" factor in the back swing. The more
turn (range of motion of the core) you can get in
the golf swing, the greater ability the body has to
generate more power.
Range of motion is
quite a relevant topic when reviewing the golf
swing. It becomes quite apparent that a connection
exists between the range of motion available to the
core and what the end results are in the swing. A
brief synopsis would indicate that a greater range
of motion in the core results in a more powerful
swing, and less range of motion decreases power in
the golf swing. Speed of Motion Connected to range
of motion is the speed of that range. Speed of
motion is essentially adding a time component to
range of motion. It is connected to the speed at
which an object would move.
If you have a large
range of motion created by the body over a short
period of time, the speed of the motion is fast and
power production is high. On the other hand if you
decrease the range of motion the body moves through
with the golf swing and slow the movement down,
power production will be less.
The core is again at
the center of this discussion pertaining to the golf
swing. At this point, we know that a large range of
motion creates a greater "X" factor in the golf
swing. This will ultimately result in greater power
output. Add into the equation a high speed of
motion, and the power component of the swing becomes
greater. The point to be made is that range of
motion and speed are interconnected in relation to
the golf swing. The core is connected to these two
entities in that it is the segment of the body that
creates the greatest range of motion in the swing.
Balance Balance is a key component of the golf swing
that we hear about quite often. Balance can be
defined as the amount of stability within the body
during a movement. The greatest amount of balance by
the body can be achieved if it maintains a center of
gravity around the middle line of support. If you
have ever taken a golf lesson you know what the
above sentence is talking about. The body including
the core must rotate around a center axis in the
body. If rotation is moved to far away from this
center axis, balance in the golf swing will be lost.
As a result of weight shifts in the golf swing, the
axis which the body rotates around does move, but
movement by certain body segments beyond a certain
point reduces stability.
Research indicates
that accuracy and consistency is connected to
stability in the golf swing. In addition, EMG
studies indicate that the core is involved to a high
extent in the stabilization of the body in any human
movement, including the golf swing. We could
probably make the connection that the core is a
relevant body part in the ability to maintain
balance in the golf swing. Coordination The final
point of this discussion of the core and the golf
swing is coordination. Coordination is essentially
the ability of the body to activate body parts in a
sequential order to create a desired movement. Go
back to the walking example, and the body must
coordinate all parts of the body to create this
movement. The golf swing is essentially the same.
The body must "fire" the muscles of the body in a
certain order with the correct timing to create the
movement of the golf swing. The core is actively
involved in the coordination of the golf swing, as
is the rest of the body. The two points to focus
upon in terms of coordination are:
* 1) timing and * 2)
sequence. Both of these terms are essential for a
mechanically efficient golf swing.
The sequence in which
muscles are "fired" in the golf swing require a
certain timing for an efficient swing to occur.
Sean Cochran
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