Golf may be the leisurely, thinking man’s sport, but the unilateral movement of the golf swing can be hazardous to a golfer’s health. To hit the ball over a great distance, a golfer must to be able to rotate into and maintain a wide arc through the swing.
But can a chiropractor improve your golf swing?
Research studies in sports medicine tell us that approximately 30% of touring professionals are playing with a golfing injury. Imagine the difference it would make to their swing and performance if that pain was eased?
Are you a golfer?
If you are a keen golfer (and who could blame you, with so many beautiful and diverse golfing spots in Ireland and internationally), then the tips below will help you identify the health risks and improve your swing.
Posture to improve your golf swing
As you concentrate on perfecting your stance, it’s easy to lose sight of the effect on your posture.
Maintaining a static stance prior to your swing is mentally and physically draining. Holding this stance requires you to tense your muscles and requires postural strength.
Good golf posture
For good posture, the secondary curves in the lower back need to be in straight with your bottom jutting outwards and not tucked under. The secondary spinal curves strengthen and facilitate the golfer’s ability to rotate in the body and give that powerful swing.
Poor golf posture
Collapsing of the secondary curves in the back can restrict the rotation in the body. This can lead to over-swing, and result in soft tissue injuries.
What can a Chiropractor do?
A Chiropractor has in-depth understanding of good posture and can assess yours during a consult. A Chiropractor can use techniques to decrease pain and improve posture, leading to a more powerful swing.
Flexibility
For a powerful swing that hits the ball over a considerable distance, the pelvis must be able to rotate smoothly. The average amateur can rotate their pelvis 160 degrees. Tiger Woods has been quoted as rotating his pelvis 215 degrees, according to ‘Golf’ magazine, with a club swinging speed of 135 mph.
Not only does your pelvis need to be supple and flexible, but your shoulders do too. If swinging to the 12 o’clock position, you could increase your driving distance to 270 yards instead of 200 yards at the 9 o’clock position.
Flexibility issues
Golfing is one of those activities that appeals to those who are perhaps looking for a calmer sport. Generally, they are beyond their youth and at a time when their body is not used to participating in energetic sports. This means that flexibility is not as fluid or loose and can cause issues for golfers in this bracket. Limited flexibility promotes strain for the spine, shoulders, hips and pelvis.
What can a Chiropractor do?
A Chiropractor will concentrate on the joints and muscles, adjusting affected joints (we use an activator at Optimal Chiropractic) and assisting to restore damaged muscles.
So the answer is YES, a Chiropractor can improve your swing!
We hope you play an excellent game and if you do happen to experience any strain while playing golf, you can always give us a call at Optimal Chiropractic.
