Yesterday we showed you “ideal” alignment in the set-up of the golf
swing. Today, we’ll discuss one of the most common errors that
negatively impact the success of the swing: rounding the shoulders and
the spine.
"Most golfers bend from the waist instead of the hip
sockets due to lack of body awareness and the inability to physically
do it," says our favorite Golf and Pilates expert Rick Nielsen.
"The hip girdle and spine should be tilted forward about 25 degrees to
allow the arms to hang freely and the club to move around the spine in
a predictable manner."
Rick suggests holding a golf club at
your back to keep the spine straight before and then leaning forward
from the hip socket. “Of course your entire spine will not stay in
contact with the club due to the spine’s natural curves,” says Rick,
“but doing this can tell you if you are rounding your spine.”
The below picture shows proper set-up:
Not only does setting up with rounded shoulders and a rounded spine
take the body out of the optimal alignment needed for a good swing, it
could also lead to injury. Rotating the spine abruptly with the spine
flexed (rounded) instead of straight is more damaging to the discs and
the surrounding musculature.
To build body awareness and strengthen appropriate muscle groups, try the following exercises:
1. The Spine Twist:
This original Pilates exercise will teach you to keep your hips
completely still and just rotate the spine. This will strengthen the
deep muscles that stabilize the spine and build awareness of the
ribcage and the hips as independently moving parts.
2. The Spine Stretch Forward:
This original Pilates exercise takes you from a straight spine to a
flexed spine and then back to a straight spine again…all using the
abdominal muscles instead of gravity! This is a great choice for those
of you who may not know your spine is rounded to begin with!
3. The Saw:
This original Pilates exercise combines flexion (rounding) of the spine
with rotation, building abdominal strength and body awareness.
For
all of the above exercises, it may be necessary to sit up on a cushion
or pad if the hamstrings or hip flexors are tight. The most important
part of these exercises is to perform them from an optimal starting
position, which means the spine should be as straight as possible. It
is ok to perform these exercises sitting in a chair as well!
(Hint….you could probably sneak some of these in at work!)
Interested in longer workouts? Try the “My First Pilates Workout” or “Technique and Fundamentals” workout from UltimatePilatesWorkouts.com! And if you’re interested in a golf lesson, don’t call us! Contact Rick Nielsen at PowerGolfPilates.net.