The Masters is here, but before you hit the greens…
There are many signs that the golf season is approaching and to many of us the biggest sign is watching The Masters. But before you go take on the greens, you need to make sure your body is ready for the challenge so you do not end up watching from the club house!
We all know that the golf swing is a complex movement that we can spend a lifetime trying to perfect. It involves a variety of movements but usually the first one to come to mind is rotation. This rotation should come from the thoracic spine (t-spine) but for many there is a lack of movement in this region so our body compensates. Typically, this compensation comes from the lumbar region or low back. This occurs by changes in the leg movements, such as buckling of the knees inward, leg straightening, pelvic turn, etc. If you experience low back pain during or following golf, this could be your cause.
The following video will show you a few ways to to improve thoracic spinal rotation. Proper t-spine rotation is one key to an effective golf swing. It can help to increase club head speed by keeping better separation between the upper and lower body and it can help prevent you from suffering an injury to the low back, hip, or knees.
Remember, thoracic mobility is just one of many factors that can affect your swing including but not limited to hip mobility and core strength, which determines how you transfer the power generated in the swing. Please feel free to share this and be on the lookout for our next article.
