Golf Swing Mechanics Treatment

Have You Ever Wondered Why The Pro's Make It Look So Easy On Television?

The majority of golf professionals have been training their bodies around golf specific conditioning programs since an early age. In order to hit longer, more powerful and accurate golf shots, you must first have the proper posture, flexibility and range of motion. If you are lacking in any of these areas you will not be able to achieve your optimum level of performance.

How Is It Possible?

Let me start off by saying that I am not here to teach you the golf swing, but to identify the bio-mechanical aberrations that can predispose you for golf injuries. If you are already working with a golf instructor or fitness coach, I like to work closely with them to help you achieve the best results possible. If you look at what the PGA Tour players are doing to play at an elite level, you will see that they work closely with a swing instructor, personal trainer, nutritionist and a Chiropractor who specializes in golf bio-mechanics and soft tissue injuries.

At Active Care Family Chiropractic in Summerville SC we conduct a 10-point examination to evaluate your flexibility, range of motion and bio-mechanics and then construct a program to help correct these problems. This is the same exam that I perform on the PGA and Senior PGA Tour. There are three movements that you must be able to put yourself in, in order to optimize your golf swing: lateral bending, rotation and extension. You may not be able to get in one or all of these positions, due to muscular or structural restrictions.

Through the examination we will be able to figure out what areas we need to focus on in order to improve your swing and score. I combine chiropractic adjustments, a functional rehabilitation program, but the key is combining these two with Active Release Technique (A.R.T.) Active Release is used widely by the players on the PGA Tour.

What Makes Active Release Technique Different.

A.R.T. is a hands on technique that goes through and releases scar tissue/restrictions in or around the muscles that may be limiting your range of motion and flexibility. In only minutes we can release years of chronically tightened and restricted muscles, that have been limiting your golf swing. Once the restricted tissue is released, it is able to absorb all the oxygen, blood and nutrients that it should have been doing on a daily basis. Treatment at the clinic is centered around actually using our hands to fix the problem, thus allowing your body to function properly and actually heal. That is why we are able to get such instantaneous and lasting results. By combining Chiropractic and Active Release Technique, we are able to get you hitting longer, more accurate and ultimately shooting the best scores of your life. Use what the pro’s are using!

Common Problems In A Swing

The golf swing is all about proper body mechanics. A good swing requires full rotational capacity of nearly all joints involved and must be done efficiently, easily, explosively and repeatedly. Many swing faults are directly attributable to poor joint mobility and soft tissue restrictions.

There are many swing faults, but the major ones that limit your bodies ability to hit consistent shots and predispose golfers for injuries are:

Improper posture at address- leading to excess strain on your low back and hips
Hanging back- this is when you don't transfer your weight to your lead hip thus straining your trail hip and low back
Chicken winging- which predisposes you for elbow pain (ie: tennis elbow)
Over the top- would be considered the most common swing fault for high handicappers. It is usually due to an over active upper body on the downswing. the club is swinging outside the swing plane, resulting in the club head approaching the ball from an outside to in motion. If the club face is square this can create a pull, if the club face is open, most likely a slice will occur. This swing fault can create a loss of power and distance. An over the top swing is usually due to structural or muscular restrictions. Not only are you hitting the ball all over the course, but you are causing repetitive micro-trauma to your body, that will eventually lead to injuries. Thats is why it is so important to make sure your body is functioning properly.
Slice: usually due to decreased flexibility in lateral bending, rotation and extension in the thoraco-lumbar region. Joint restriction in the hips, low back or thoracic region. Muscle restrictions in the shoulder, lats or low back.
Muscle spasms or strains: failure to warm up properly, scar tissue formation in and around your muscles or inability of your muscles to fully heal due to lack of oxygen, blood supply or nutrients to them.

What I Look For

Joint bio-mechanics from your ankles up to your neck and into your arms
Muscle restrictions via scar tissue/adhesion's
Flexibility and range of motion
muscle imbalances and muscular endurance

How Do Most Golfers Treat Their Injuries?

As we are all aware, many golfers suffer from chronic back pain. Most golfers pop Advil, aspirin, Tylenol etc like candy. Unfortunately, long term uses of these meds are detrimental to your health. In many cases it relieves the pain temporarily while you continue to exert yourself on the golf course. Eventually, the condition worsens and now you are left with only one option and that is to quit playing the game you love. That is why here at Cherry Creek Spine and Sport Clinic we strive to educate golfers on the importance of fixing and maintain your injury the correct way. When an injury is mechanical in nature, we need to treat it mechanically, not chemically.

How Do I Treat These Problems?

Chiropractic adjustments to restore motion to fixated joints
Active Release to muscles, ligaments and tendons that are bound up by scar tissue
Comprehensive rehab program both in and out of the office

Who Can Benefit From Our Treatment Program?

Any golfer who wants to:

Increase power and distance
Improve control and accuracy
Improve range of motion in their swing
Play pain free
Decrease muscle fatigue