GOLF : A SPORT UNDER PRESSURE Neuromuscular relaxation the physical preparation s heart Contact Axelle VERMOESEN a.vermoesen@satisform.com +33(0)6 69 40 15 12
The Golf is a complete and complex sport. It necessits strength, suppleness, relaxation and stability of the whole muscular chain. Moreover, balance, proprioception and focusing abilities are the most important golfer s skills. Playing golf is not without risks, and both amateurs and professionals have to face different pains. To maximise performances and decrease injuries risk, recovery and both physical and mental readiness are key stages for player s sustainability. Most frequent Injuries Injuries are divided in 1 : - Upper limbs (shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand) - Thorax, vertebral column, lumbar vertebra (swing needs a 80-90% lumbar vertebra muscle mass participation). 60% of professional golfers are suffering injuries, whereas 40% of amateur golfers do. For professional players, 80% of injuries happen because of a playing overtime, however it s the case for only 28,9% of amateur players. 21,9% of them are suffering injuries because of a bad swing s performing. In 2009 2, a study has been led to compare swing s quality between players with lumbago record and healthy players. It showed that the hip s intern rotation is highly decreased with a lumbago record. According to another study led in 2010 3, golfers with lumbago suffer: - A decrease of trunk s extension by 60 per second, - A decrease of left hip s adduction strength, - A decrease of trunk s mobility in rotation. Golfers are also under pressure in a very important way, which might make them fail during big events. The most explicit case is the Doug Sander s one, losing the 1970 s British Open on a 60cm s putt. There are two different ways to limit injuries risk caused by a practice s overtime: - Decrease game time, and by the way player s performances - Increase the player s recovery. 1 The frequency of golf injuries, McCarroll JR, Clim Sports Med. January 1996 2 The relationship between hip rotation range of movement and low back pain prevalence in amateur golfers : an observational study. Murray E & All, Phys Ther Sport, November 2009 3 A comparison of physical characteristics and swing between golfers with and without a history of low back pain, Tsai YS &All, Sport phys 2/5
Optimize performances and limit the injuries risk In this sport, different aspects are to be worked on: - Golfer s proprioception is his ability to feel his body in the space. - To favour balance and suppleness, key factors to realize a perfect swing. - Having an ideal posture and the back well positioned help to improve your gesture and allows you to do it in total security. - The Swing results in an important use of the back s muscles, to strengthen the trunk s muscle structure is essential to limit the injuries risk. - The golfer s ability to stay focused on his game and to do not be disturbed by pressure. The essential work of recuperation and readiness Nowadays, it s possible to improve your skills, your health and your performance all on your own. Satisform s study centre has developed devices and protocols that help golfers in mental and physical readiness and in recovery. The SATISFORM automates the articular pendular decompression (APD) that has an effect on lower limbs, pelvis, hips and vertebra column with: - improvement of muscular efficiency, - optimization of recovery process, - diminution of injuries risk (lumbagos, articulations), - improvement of mobility and suppleness, - neuromuscular relaxation, freeing from the tensions dues to stress and tiredness, - maintenance and trophic improvement of muscles and tendons structures. The SATISFORM proposes 15 different programs adapting to fit player s requirements and feelings. It will stimulate, bring oxygen and optimize natural performances of muscle fibres and fascia, hamstring muscles, quadriceps, gluteals and adductors resistance. It creates column and pelvis decompression, which gives more amplitude to the golfer to perform his swing. The QUADRISCHIO allows a fast and balanced limbering up of under pelvic muscles: hamstring muscles and quadriceps harmonization. It is used for stretching, alternating postures and legs (left and right). The athlete will have the opportunity to rebalance the parallelism of muscles extensibility and of the lower limbs fascia s. It then improves an insufficient suppleness or gives a lost suppleness back, following a trauma or a post- game tiredness. This device will allow working on relaxing pelvis and legs muscles and will increase legs anchoring on the field, favouring pelvis suppleness 3/5
The MOBIDOS permits to work on players proprioception. Its pad seat knee s rest is structured very close to the low- pelvic axis and offers a total mobility working on pelvis suppleness. The device help to work on balance and proprioception which facilitates golfer s positioning for the practice, to offer the player a better balance during the swing. It also offers pelvis mobility that will increase its rotation. The DOABDO has a reinforcement (both static and dynamic) effect on trunk s muscles in order to improve the posture. It will act on trunk s muscle structure, which is necessary to perform a swing in total security. Indeed, this gesture needs an 80-90% lumbar vertebra muscle mass participation. This device multi- axis improves coordination in the golfer s gestures and to easily correct default. The ZENDOS limbers up all the back muscles and releases the player from all muscular contractions. Its effect leads to a deep neuromuscular relaxation in a few minutes and quickly favours player s mental and physical recovery. A deep recovery will improve the golfer s focus during critical stages. It will release stress and mental pressure experienced by the player. 4/5
Studies on Satisform s effects Following an ethic commitment, Satisform led several studies, especially by Pr. DELAMARCHE from Rennes Mouvement Sport et Santé lab: - About effects of SATISFORM, oscillations, pulling, stimulation and posture: validation of SATISFORM s settings. - About the product s non- noxiousness: results were significant. - About the assessment of a APD s session effect on mobility: gain was significant. - About the assessment of effects durability after 9 APD s sessions concerning mobility: the benefits were significant in a timely manner. Then, French Professional firemen led another study on chronic lumbago s effects: the results concerning the mobility profit, the felt tensions decrease, the recovery s optimisation and the improvement of functional abilities during the interventions were significant. Finally, Dr SM Starikov (Moscow) compared all the spinal decompression s devices and the impact of rhythmic oscillations on relaxation and on decompression. He highlighted that the SATISFORM is actually the most efficient device, using both oscillation and decompression, on disc re- expansion. To follow the same objective, on- going studies are led on: - Herniated disc s treatment by non- operatory process, thanks to Oran s (Algeria) Dr Abdelkader BENKHETTAB. - The APD s impact on chronic and non- chronic lumbagos (St Petersburg) - The performance s improvement for high- levelled athletes ( Analyse du Mouvement Lab, Maine University) on runners (marathoners, triathletes, ironmen). The first results are showing 6 to 10 seconds improvement on 1000 meters, with only one session, and a 10 to 11 seconds improvement after three weeks. Satisform, a social and eco- responsible society Satisform is a scientific research centre on optimization of therapeutic and sportive performance. French designer and maker for more than 10 years, Satisform is recognised worldwide for recovery, performance s improvement, return- to- sport programs and decreasing of injuries risks for high- level athletes. Contact- us : +33(0)9 81 12 72 30 www.satisform.com info@satisform.fr Follow us : Satisform Christophe BENSOUSSAN L OSTEOSEAT based on the MOBIDOS is the golfer s seat. It optimizes his physical abilities at the office 5/5