Volume 118 No. 19 2018, 2025-2038 ISSN: 1311-8080 (printed version); ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version) url: http://www.ijpam.eu ijpam.eu A study on the application of physical activity examination to predict golf swing faults Boo-Geun Hwang 1, Kyu-Sang Lee 2, Myung-Wha Kim 3 1,2,3 Department of Health Management, 17-2, Jayang-dong, Dong-gu, Daejeon, 300-718, South Korea hwangbg@wsu.ac.kr 1, execript@wsu.ac.kr 2, mw9841@wsu.ac.kr 3, Corresponding author*: Phone: +82-10-8788-7414 February 4, 2018 Abstract Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between golf swing faults and physical movement restriction which are most common in amateur golfers, and to examine the effect and usefulness of physical movement screening for golf swing faults prediction. Methods/Statistical analysis: To analyze common swing faults in the golf swing stages: address, take back, back swing, back swing top, down swing, impact, follow through and finish. To confirmed the effect of these swing faults on physical movement restriction. Finally, to confirmed the effect and possibility of physical motion examination to predict golf swing faults. Findings: When we look at the most common golf swing errors in amateur golfers in relation to the major joints of the body, from address to S-posture and C-posture, 1 2025
from address to finish, the loss of posture and the early hip extension, from back swing top to back swing, flat shoulder plane, from down swing to over the top, from address to back swing top, sway, from down swing to finish, slide and hanging back, from back swing top to reverse spine angle, from down swing to impact, casting, from impact to finish, chicken wing. These golf swing faults were found to be due to the limitation of the range of motion and the weakness of the muscles, which affects the stability and mobility of each part of the human body. Improvements/Applications: In the study of functional movement of the body to minimize golf swing errors, it was associated with early hip extension, loss of posture and slide when Toe touch, Bridge, Overhead deep squat, Single leg balance could not be performed completely. In some studies, golfers with lower hand cap scores were significantly higher in functional movements measured by SE, TL, FP, LR, LRT, and SQ than in the other groups. Key Words: Golf swing stages, Golf swing faults, Physical movement restriction, Functional Movement Screen, Golf swing muscle. 1 Introduction Throughout the world, the golf population has continued to grow steadily over the past decade, and the popularization of golf has led to an effort to improve golf courses regardless of gender, age, and career. In particular, amateur golfers try to solve various ways of problem of golf swings, including golf fitness training, training sessions, and watching video clips of famous professional golfers. In general, golf swing is a combination of the most efficient movement of the ball with the ability to transmit the ball to the head of the club, sending the ball to the goal direction, and all movements of the swing are made entirely of one movement. Swing motion consists of a total of eight steps, address, take back, back swing, back swing top, down swing, impact, follow through, finish, which make it possible to create a motion, rather than a separation motion. The ability to maintain accuracy, power, and consistency is important in order to form optimum swings in the golf swing. How- 2 2026
ever, these abilities cause various types of swing faults when the timing, tempo, and rhythm of the swing are caused to reduce golf performance, which is closely related to imbalance and lack of stability of the muscles and limitation of the range of motion 8. According to Gluck et al. (2008), almost all human muscles and joints are involved in the golf swing, creating finish motion from the address, and some movements are more important in stability (balance, proprioception) and joint and muscle mobilization than muscle strength. Kamal and Yunus (2011) emphasize flexibility for a successful swing of a golf player and improve the performance of a golf game according to the range of motion of the shoulder joint. In recent years, the functional movement of the body has been attempted in various sporting areas to assess the movement of the body s motion patterns, joints, balance, muscle strength, balance, and coordination to prevent injuries occurring during exercise 1,2. In particular, it is trying to find a more suitable body of functional movement for determining the quality of body movements and the ability to detect swing errors based on muscle imbalances and restrictions on body movements, such as mobility, flexibility, and balance capabilities, based on mobility and stabilization of physical strength, flexibility, and balance of body joints 5,7. Studies have shown that sports epidemiological studies have been reported to minimize golf swing faults and the effectiveness of training exercises and training to prevent injuries. However, it is very unlikely to attempt to detect the functional movement of the body before golf training, and to detect swing faults based on muscle imbalances and limitation of the range of motion. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the type of golf swing faults, the relation between golf swing error and physical movement restriction, and the effect of physical movement examination for predicting golf. 2 Types of golf swing faults The movements of the golf swing are one of the most dynamic and explosive complex movements that do not only consist of arms but also body movements using large muscles such as shoulders, backs, and legs. The accuracy and smoothness of these movements can 3 2027
change the direction and distance of the golf ball. Figure 1 and Table 1 show the results of golf swing errors that are most common in amateur golfers through golf swing efficiency and style analysis 11. Figure 1. Types of Swing Faults Table 1: Swing Faults in Golf Swing Section S-posture is a posture that makes an arch shape on the waist while pushing the tail bone excessively backward at the address. C-posture is a posture in which the upper shoulders, the upper back, the chest, and the vertebrae are bowed excessively when the shoulders are bent forward. These two swing errors usually appear in the address posture, the first step in the swing. Loss of posture is a posture in which the posture starting from the address changes to the back swing and the down swing, and the angle of the body changes greatly. The angle of the body changes over the entire swing. Flat shoulder plan is a posture in which 4 2028
the angle of the shoulder is made to rotate horizontally from the original spine angle in the back swing top. Early hip extension is a golfer s hip and spine that spreads too early or stays up early in the down swing. It appears throughout the swing from address to finish. Over the top is the way the club goes in or out excessively from the downswing. Sway moves the body in the backward direction by moving the lower body excessively sideways in the backswing, and the weight shifts outwards. Slide is a posture in which the lower body moves excessively sideways toward the target in the down swing. The Reverse spine angle is a posture in which the upper body is excessively stretched or bent to the left in the back swing. Hanging back is a posture in which the body balance is left behind in the downswing because the body weight can not be sent to the goal direction. Casting is an unwinding of the wrist angle too early during downswing or impact. Chicken winging is a posture in which the elbow that leads in the downswing does not stretch or maintain. 3 Relation between golf swing faults and physical movement restriction The criteria for judging the success of a golf swing are based on a variety of criteria. Above all, it is an important measure to keep the consistency of the golf swing and to send the pace of the club accurately to the desired goal 6. It can be said that the proper coordination motion of the body segments involved in the swing and the balanced performance of the body perform. In this regard, Gluck et al. (2008) have a negative effect on the swing when the back swing has limited ability to move properly while maintaining balance, so some muscles (quadriceps femoris, gluteus, abdominal oblique) should maximize the movement of other muscles (latissimus dorsi., Infraspinatus, rhomboideus) while providing stability. In the case of down swing, the ability to separate the lower body and pelvis from the upper body by interaction of several muscles (quadriceps femoris, gluteus, hip rotator, hamstring, soleus, abdominal oblique, iliopsoas, latissimus dorsi) should be available. In the case of follow through, the rotator cuff, latissimus dorsi, and stabilizing muscles 5 2029
(serratus anterior, rhomboid major, levator scapulae) must act to generate force by the action of the core muscles (abdominal oblique, quadratus lumborum, rectus abdominis) to slow down the body after impact and protect the extremity of the shoulder joint from reaching extreme limits of joint motion at high speed. On the other hand, weakness of the muscles associated with flexion of the hip joints, flexion / extension of the neck and back, and limited range of motion are reported to result in S-posture and C-posture at the address. S-posture, especially hamstring, gluteus maximus, abdominal muscle weakened and shortened waist muscles due to the swing of the spine and pelvic angles during the constant maintenance of the obstacles during the down swing to break down the lower body affects the order of swing. C-posture significantly reduced spine rotation range due to weakening of serratus anterior, neck deep flexor, lower trapezius muscle and shortened pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, upper trapezius, levator scapulae, latissimus dorsi and sternocleidomastoid muscle. It is a cause that can not be done. Generally, to perform the best golf performance, the hip, pelvis and waist (center muscle) must have good strength, and in order to perform an effective swing, the torso, upper limb and head must be able to stably maintain their rotation while rotating 9. However, the weakening of the gluteus and abdominal muscles causes a change in the spine angle during the back swing, leading to a reverse spine angle as well as an early hip extension, which causes the spine to become difficult to maintain at a constant angle during the down swing. This instability of the vertebral angle can cause loss of posture by affecting all parts of the swing, such as timing, balance and rhythm. In addition, weakness of gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles can cause sway and slide by providing a cause to reduce the ability to fix the right leg laterally during back swing and down swing. The lack of stability of the core muscles reduces the stability of the posture and the body, thus providing the cause of changing the angle of the spine and club during weight shift, which is likely to occur over the top. Muscle weakness and limited range of motion associated with the internal rotation of the hip joint may cause reverse spine angle, sway, and slide, resulting in outward movement without rotation around the hip joint. This may cause early hip extension due to the inability of the lower body to rotate smoothly at the time of impact. In ad- 6 2030
dition, hanging back occurs when muscle weakness and joint range limitation of the internal rotation of the hip joint is combined with weakening of the gluteus, abductor, and abdominal muscles. This results in a lack of force in the down swing, which makes it difficult to hit a consistent ball, while not creating a smooth weight shift in the lower body. The golf swing uses a large muscles of the body by shoulder rotation and can get big distance by extension and contraction movement. Improvement of joint motion range plays an important role for golf player s club head speed and distance increase 10. However, limitation of joint range of motion of spine and lack of flexibility of latissimus dorsi muscle causes reverse spine angle, sway, slide which causes the shoulder not to rotate around the vertebrae and decreases X-factor. In addition, weakness of the deltoid, infraspinatu, teres minor, biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis, triceps brachii, anconeus, and supinator muscles can cause the arm to be unable to rotate around the shoulder at the time of impact and the left elbow to bend, resulting in chicken winging. Generally, the flexibility of the wrist in golf is an important factor in setting the club and maintaining its setting posture during downswing. For example, a right-handed golfer should have a good fit of the temple on the right wrist and a bend in the left wrist, and the lateral flexion of both wrists should be good. However, the lack of flexibility and weakness of the muscles associated with flexion / extension, supination / pronation, ulnar deviation / radial deviation of the wrist joints make it impossible to maintain the correct grip, resulting in casting that causes the wrist to loosen early due to the weight of the club head during down swing. This can be further accelerated by swinging only to the upper body due to functional limitations of the lower body (restricted mobility of hip and ankle, limited stability of the core, pelvis, and hip bone) 7 2031
4 The effects and possibility of physical movement examination for the prediction of golf swing faults A golf swing is a multi-faceted, multi-directional movement in which most of the body joints must be moved to near maximum range of motion and various negative effects can occur if the range of motion is limited in one joint or muscle. Thus, golf swing faults caused by individual physical limitations can cause significant ball strike, which can increase the possibility of damage as well as deteriorate performance. Therefore, understanding the relationship between the main fitness variable and the dynamic movement of the golfer in golf fitness training may be helpful as a golfers personalized training program 5. On the other hand, Functional Movement Screen (FMS) developed by Cook (2010) has seven basic functional movements based on human basic movements (Deep squat, Hurdle step, In-line lunge, Shoulder mobility, Active straight leg raise, Trunk- stability push up, and Rotary stability). This system is able to predict the injuries and exercise performances by checking the balance, symmetry, and stability of the core, as well as the movement of various joints. However, this is not an examination method specialized only for a golf event, so efforts are being sought to find a way to find a physical restriction that may interfere with a golfer s exercise performance based on FMS. In particular, the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) analyzes the swing errors and their causes during the golf swing, develops and applies a physical motion examination program to evaluate the strength, flexibility and balance ability of golfers. TIP level 1 body movement screening methods are typically Pelvic tilt, Pelvic rotation, Trunk rotation, Overhead deep squat, Toe touch, Single leg balance, External rotation, Lat length, Lower quarter rotation, Seated trunk rotation, Wrist radial / ulnar deviation, pronation / supination, and flexion / extension). Gulgin et al. (2014) reported a relationship between golf swing error and functional error in 36 male and female golfers (age 25.4 9.9 years, handicap 14.2 10.4). There was a significant association between Toe touch test and early hip extension (p =.015), bridge test (right side), early hip extension (p =.050), and loss of posture 8 2032
(p =.028) Respectively. In addition, when the golfer is unable to perform an overhead deep squat or a single leg balance (left side), he reported that the early hip extension, loss of posture, or slide during the golf swing was 2-3 times higher than the correct performer. In other words, the overhead deep squat test is a method to evaluate not only the stability of the shoulder bone, the range of motion of the shoulder joint but also the weakness of the core / abdomen, core / hip and non-flexibility of lower lim. A golfer who lacks core muscle weakness and mobility will be unable to maintain proper posture and rotation of the golf swing. According to Gulgin et al. (2014), the golfers who can not perform the overhead deep squat test completely showed early hip extension (67%), loss of posture (54%) and slide (29%) in down swing. Toe touch test is a method to evaluate the hamstring and vertebral flexibility. If the hamstring is tight, it pulls the pelvis on the posterior ramp, which makes it difficult to maintain the proper pelvic posture at the address and restricts the golfer s ability to rotate in the down swing. If the pelvis can not be rotated at the beginning of the downswing, an early hip extension will appear 5. The single leg balance test is a method for evaluating the overall balance of the athlete as well as the overall stability of the core as well as the left and right inherent sensory imbalances. According to Sell et al. (2007), excellent golfers report better single leg balance than golfers with high handicap. This may be because if the right-handed golfer is unable to balance to the left when moving toward the legs, it will affect the overall golf swing. The bridge test is a method of predominantly evaluating the gluteus muscles that maintain a hip extension in a supine position. In general, the right gluteus maximus muscle is important for right-handed golfers because it is necessary to initiate a downswing and to rotate and extend the hips outward to help the pelvis move toward the target. If the right gluteus maximus muscle is weak, a limited early hip extension will appear in the initial rotational ability 5. Ichikawa et al. (2016) examined 46 male golfers differences in their ability to perform golf and their functional abilities according to age. The results showed that young men with low handicap had a significantly higher FMS score than the other groups and reported that they had excellent physical abilities for golf perfor- 9 2033
mance. The FMS items developed by them include the shoulder extension (SE), the walking twist lunge (TL), the elbow front plank (FP), the straight leg leg raise (LR), the straight leg raise with twist (LRT) Respectively. In other words, SE is important for realizing accurate swing trajectory, and evaluating shoulder joint and range of joint motion of wide spine. The lack of SE indicates that the club may move out of proper position and compensatory action may occur at the position of the back swing top. The TL also assesses whether the leg muscles are able to control the movement of the body against the twist around the leg while rotating the trunk horizontally in the Lunge posture. This motion is important for prevention of sway and slide of spine in golf take back and down swing. However, LR was performed based on the flexibility and evaluation of the range of motion of the hip joint, but there was no significant difference between the groups because golf did not require the extension and flexion movements of the hip joint range of motion to the maximal extent. On the other hand, the LRT is useful for assessing the range of motion of the trunk in the golf swing by adding trunk twist to the legs in the left direction. In golf follow-through, the hip joints (right side in the case of the right side) are an extrinsic posture, so it plays an important role in assessing the body function to properly convert the floor reaction force to the left hip joint. In addition, SQ is important for maintaining body stability during swing. It is an indicator of an important ability to maintain a strong body control and balance, especially in the action of hitting the ball below the ankle in the toe sloping lie. Also, it is the intentional action that allows the golfer to move the body before the swing is started, by using the ground reaction force when taking back the right hip joint. Back swing top to follow through is not an intentional motion change in the middle of a golfer switching to a high-speed motion, so improving the SQ movement is necessary to improve golf performance. 5 CONCLUSION The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between golf swing faults and body movement restriction which are most common in amateur golfers to help scientific coaching meth- 10 2034
ods in golf fitness training and was to investigate the effect of golf swing faults prediction and its applicability according to each physical movement test method. When we look at the most common golf swing errors in amateur golfers in relation to the major joints of the body, from address to S-posture and C-posture, from address to finish, the loss of posture and the early hip extension, from back swing top to back swing, flat shoulder plane, from down swing to over the top, from address to back swing top, sway, from down swing to finish, slide and hanging back, from back swing top to reverse spine angle, from down swing to impact, casting, from impact to finish, chicken wing. These golf swing faults were found to be due to the limitation of the range of motion and the weakness of the muscles, which affects the stability and mobility of each part of the human body. In the study of functional movement of the body to minimize golf swing errors, it was associated with early hip extension, loss of posture and slide when Toe touch, Bridge, Overhead deep squat, Single leg balance could not be performed completely. In some studies, golfers with lower hand cap scores were significantly higher in functional movements measured by SE, TL, FP, LR, LRT, and SQ than in the other groups. In general, coaching to improve accuracy and distance and maintain consistency through a successful golf swing is an essential factor in improving golf performance. A variety of methods to minimize golf swing faults can be suggested. However, based on the mobility and stability of the body, functional movement screen can be used to detect the possibility of limitation of range of motion or weakness of muscle. Therefore, further study on functional physical movement screening method suitable for golf characteristics should be made in the future. In the field, it is necessary to recognize the importance of functional movement screening as one of fitness training coaching methods for improving golf performance and to combine them Acknowledgment This work was supported by the Developmental Technology R&D Program (grant number C0444496) funded by the Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA, Korea). 11 2035
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