Swinging your way to success with The Urban Physio

Are you new to playing golf? Or are you an avid player tired of coming up short against your buddies? Either way, you’re probably looking for ways to shave a few strokes off your handicap!

You may be pouring hours into practicing the ‘perfect swing,’ yet you just can’t perfect it. Our bodies are tuned to compensate, so they’re always finding the most energy efficient way to move, even when it’s not necessarily the best method. If one muscle is weak, another will overwork. If one joint is stiff, it’ll overload the joints above or below.

Certain physical limitations in a player’s body can adversely affect their golf swing, potentially leading to injury and shot-shape characteristics or tendencies. A properly functioning body, however, will allow a player to swing their club in the most efficient way, generating the speed, power and consistency required, while minimising the risk of injury.

Mobility - Motion is Lotion

It’s common for your swing to compensate due to a lack of flexibility. You may have enlisted help from a golf pro to work on that dreaded slice but been unable to make their corrections due to your body’s structural limitations. Golfers require adequate mobility for a long controlled swing, especially in their hips, spine and shoulders. This allows the body to rotate further around and create a longer arc, with numerous performance benefits such as generating more club head speed, which translates into more ball speed and increased travel distance.

Common Issues Experienced by Golfers:

Limited Hip Mobility

If you struggle to clear your lead hip at impact, you may have a hip internal rotation limitation. This is a critical movement which allows the body to pivot around your leg. With limited hip internal rotation, you’re more likely to recruit the upper body and swing ‘over the top,’ leading to slices or becoming ‘handsy.’ There is also a clear link between limited hip mobility and the development of low back pain in golfers.

Limited Thoracic Mobility

If you struggle to make a long backswing, you may be limiting mobility in your upper back. A well-functioning thoracic spine is crucial for a wide deep backswing, so if you’re lacking rotation here, you’re more likely to lose your posture or sway. This can lead to bad shot tendencies such as thins, fats and tops.

Limited Shoulder Mobility

Another common restriction is a lack of shoulder external rotation, particularly with your ‘trail elbow’. If you struggle to stay connected or shallow the club, limited shoulder external rotation may be a factor. This can lead to a shorter or steeper backswing, again leading to an ‘over the top’ style swing, resulting in all sorts of shot tendencies such as slices and hooks.

Strength - Build Strength & Power

Even though much of the golf swing happens with the arms, most of the actual power comes from the hips and core. Imagine the backswing is your body being wound up like a rubber band. The initial unwinding should come from the hips, before moving to the pelvis, core, spine, shoulders, arms and hands, generating more and more speed as it unwinds.

Resistance training is an effective way to both improve your strength and help your golf. The stronger or more powerful you are (the thicker the rubber band), the more energy you will generate, ultimately adding distance to your game. Golfers should concentrate on working the lower body, hips and core.

Stay Balanced

Watching a golfer who demonstrates good balance in their swing is visually appealing, looking effortless and graceful. Improving your balance has practical benefits too. Golfers who can maintain a balanced swing are again able to generate more clubhead speed and are more likely to consistently strike it square and pure. Golf is often described as a game of inches, but when it comes to finding the sweet spot on a golf club, it’s a game of millimetres. If you’re striving for more distance and accuracy, you can’t achieve this consistently without good balance.

How can we help?

Whether you’re experiencing persistent injuries or you’re on the grind to elevate your game, our team possess the experience and expertise required to help you. Golf is a game of incredible highs, but equal levels of frustration. If you’re finding yourself struggling to make certain changes, it may be time to explore how your body’s physical limitations may be affecting your game. Using a wide range of treatment modalities such as massage, manual therapy, acupuncture/dry needling and exercise prescription, we can provide a bespoke treatment plan to suit your specific requirements.

Ready to lower your handicap today? Book your appointment with The Urban Physio NOW and we’ll get you swinging to golfing success.