Discover your "Natural Golf Swing Flexibility"
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Discovering the range of motion of your natural golf swing flexibility is the secret to improving the distance and consistency of your game.
Knowing the limits of your golf swing flexibility and range of motion can guide you towards significant increases in your distance performance and improving your swing consistency by making two minor changes to your swing. All it takes is a few moments in front of a mirror at home...
The contents of this lens are taken from the book I wrote on the physics and mechanics of golf titled "Breaking the Distance Barrier".
As some of you may have read, I am a mechanical engineer as well as being a golf instructor.
For years before becoming an instructor, I had always been intrigued by how power and distance was generated in the golf swing, especially when I observed how players on the LPGA tour were able reach distances that consistently exceeded 280 yards or more off the tee when many of them weighed less than a feather!
At the time there was very little technical analysis about the physics of the swing to explain how certain swing techniques generated the distance results. Obviously there were mountains of "how to" information around that explained how you have to swing, but there was very little information that explained "why" these techniques worked.
What analysis that I did find to explain the "why" from a scientific point of view was generally written by academics who were not able to convey how to put what they observed and analyzed into practical teaching techniques, or translate their findings into language that the average golf could comprehend.
So I decided to do the analysis myself using my knowledge of golf techniques and applying simple "laws of motion" principles that are taught in high.
I also applied the age old engineering guideline to the analysis that says "the less moving parts in a mechanical system the more reliable the system"…
When I completed the analysis several years ago I was suddenly struck by how much impact simple mechanical break downs in the backswing can have on the "torque" you generate in the turn and on the consistency of the swing itself.
This realization totally changed my thinking about how to play and teach golf because what became very clear from the analysis was that the success of a golf swing was directly related to the "physical" differences from golfer to golfer...specifically their swing flexibility.
Yet, many of the modern day instruction techniques are being presented to golfers based off techniques being used by top playing professionals who have spent years perfecting their swing flexibility.
The other realization I had was that every golfer has the ability to hit a good golf shot if they understand the physical limitations of their "natural swing flexibility" and tailor their swing to operate within those limitations.
Typical mechanical break downs that take place in the back swing
The difference between professional golfers and the average golfer is the amount of "unecessary" motion in their swings
When you observe the backswing of a professional golfer you essentially observe two movements taking place:- Rotation of the shoulders
- Cocking of the hands
I know this seems like a gross oversimplification of the backswing, but in reality that is what is taking place because the shoulder turn governs the motion of the lower body.
When you observe the backswing of a high handicap golfer you will also observe motion taking place in several other areas of the swing:
- Bending of the left elbow
- Backward swaying of the trunk which shifts the axis of rotation of the swing
- Lifting of the left heel
- Backward rolling of the right foot
- Lateral motion of the head
- A change in the trunk angle from the address position - usually up, but in some cases down
Impact of mechanical breakdown on swing consistency
The more moving parts in the back swing, the more complex the "timing" of the down swing
This as you know, is called "swing timing"
The more moving parts taking place on the backswing, the more difficult it is to time all of this motion into the correct position at impact.
When timing is lost, so is the consistency of the swing.
Some times you may get lucky when everything comes together and the result is a good shot. The other times when that does not happen can be attributed to too many parts of your swing in motion.
In order to improve your timing and consistency you have no choice but to reduce the complexity or "unnecessary motion" in your swing%u2026 it is that simple.
What causes breakdowns in the backswing and what impact they have on swing torque
Maximizing the total "muscle force" is key to maximizing golf swing torque
- All the "muscle forces" that are contributing to your swing
- The radius of your backswing.
The more muscles involved in the backswing and the wider your backswing swing radius, the greater the torque you can generate in the turn.
When a mechanical breakdown such as a left elbow bend occurs, it is because the muscles holding the left arm in position have been stretched beyond their "natural flexibility" by the backswing turn and can no longer hold their position in the swing.
The muscles relax to allow the turn to continue and in doing so you lose "some" of the force the muscle was contributing to the torque of the backswing.
Some instructors may argue that you can make up for that loss of torque by continuing to extend the angle of rotation of the backswing.
That might be true, but the more you rotate the backswing, the more you introduce mechanical breakdowns in other areas of the swing that raise the timing complexity of the downswing considerably.
The result, maybe one or two good shots out of the 10 that give you a few extra yards....the rest of the time you will experience miss hits that give you very little at all because the swing has become too complex a mechanism to coordinate on the downswing.
The bottom line for both consistency and the optimum torque you can generate in the backswing turn is to avoid mechanical breakdowns as much as possible.
The way you do that is to operate within the range of your "natural swing flexibility" where you are able to hold the key positions of your swing and avoid mechanical breakdowns....
How to find the limits of your "natural swing flexibility"
Whenever you exceed the limits of your natural swing flexibility you lose distance and consistency...
Place an upright mirror in your living room with a vertical strip of tape on the mirror that will cover the reflection of your head position.With a small club (watch out for the TV or light fixtures!) slowly rotate on the backswing keeping your head centered on the tape.
Watch out for the following motions that I described earlier:
- Bending of the left elbow
- Backward swaying of the trunk which shifts the axis of rotation of the swing
- Lifting of the left heel
- Backward rolling of the right foot
- Lateral motion of the head
- A change in the trunk angle from the address position - usually up, but in some cases down
The key breakdown to watch out for is the breaking of your left elbow as that one occurrence dramatically reduces backswing torque.
If you observe movement you have two ways to reduce their impact:
- Rotate your backswing more to eliminate backward lateral movement. Make sure your backswing starts with a rotation of your shoulders and not a backward motion of your hands
- Shorten your backswing rotation angle to reduce the muscle tension of the turn
When you are able to keep your head centered on the tape and reduce the movement in the above areas while keeping your left arm firm, note the position of the top of your backswing.
That is the limit of your "natural swing flexibility".
Many of my students who have gone through this simple exercise are shocked by how restricted their turn is....especially seniors or larger framed golfers.
The reality of that restriction is that when they are on the course or on the driving range and swing beyond that limit, they are experiencing mechanical break downs in their swing every time.
The "myth" behind extending the backswing turn
The loss of torque and consistency cancels the benefit of increasing the shoulder turn...
The energy and distance capability you create in your backswing is a function of two things:- The torque generated by the backswing radius and the muscle forces contributing to the swing
- The angle of rotation of the backswing turn
Given by this simple equation:
Energy = Torque x Angle of Rotation
I am sure you have heard terms for increasing distance such as:
- Rotate your shoulders more
- Get your hands up high in the swing
This is all very well IF you maintain the torque in the backswing. If you rotate to a point where your muscles have to opt out of the turn because they do not have the flexibility to do so, you are going to lose torque.
In doing so you gain very little distance benefit from the increased turn and you add serious complexity into the coordination of the downswing.
So what are your options?
- Restrict your backswing turn to maintain torque and avoid a mechanical breakdowns
- Then stretch, stretch and stretch again to increase the range of you "natural swing flexibility"
How to extend the limits of your "natural swing flexibility"
Stretching your golf muscles can add more distance to your swing in as little as three weeks
When you hear about golf fitness programs, many people would immediately think that requires some working out in a gym to improve their strength.As much as you might think that would help, strength conditioning should not be your primary objective. Working on muscle flexibility will have more impact on your swing performance for both distance and consistency as I have just shown.
For example, if you are able to extend your "natural swing flexibility" by increasing the angle of rotation of your backswing by as little as 5 degrees, you will see an increase in your distance performance by more than 10%.
Stretching exercises can be done very easily at home. At the end of my book "Breaking the Distance Barrier" I give several simple exercises that are part of my Base Level Fitness Program that take only a few minutes a day, but will increase your distance in as little as three weeks.
If you are really serious about your conditioning for golf, there is no better program in my mind than that offered by Mike Pedersen who is one of the top golf fitness experts in the game with his "Power Golf Training Program"
Mike's program takes the student through graduating levels from beginner to advanced. All the exercises he outlines can be done at home with simple dumb bells and exercise balls.
I know from my own experience as a physical fitness coach and feedback from my wife who was a physical therapist, these routines specifically target the muscles that will improve the areas of the golf swing and are not just general fitness routines.
I will end this article with a question. Think back on how much money you have spent on new golf equipment looking for improved distance performance.
Now how much time have you spent over that same period stretching your golf muscles?
Isn't it time to get down to business with a few minutes a day?
You will see improvement in your distance and consistency a lot faster than trying to gain performance from the latest equipment with the same body condition...
Good luck and good stretching!
Regards,
Les
Mike Pedersen's Golf Stretch Routines
Power Golf Training Program
by Mike Pedersen
Take advantage of Mike's great program that will add distance and consistency to your game with simple exercises that take minutes a day and can be done anywhere. Even in your own office..."Power Golf Training Program"
Gerry James Stretching Exercises
- Senior world long driving champion
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"Golf Physics"
Improve your swing technique with the knowledge of golf physics
If you found this lens useful in helping you understand the mechanics and how the "laws of motion" govern the techniques of the golf swing, I invite you to take a look at my book Breaking the Distance Barrier where I show you how to apply physics to other areas of your swing to improve consistency and distance performance. Other Golf Lesson Lenses
by Golfmechanic
Hello,
My name is Les Ross. I am the owner and founder of the online golf school Highlander School of Golf and I am the author of the popular golf ebook...
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