Dr. D. Ryan York, PT, DPT, CGS Doctorate in Physical Therapy Certified Golf Performance Specialist, GOLO Golf University Dr. Chad Edwards, PT, DPT, CGFI Doctorate in Physical Therapy Certified Golf Fitness Instructor, Titleist Performance Institute 2015 by Age Defying Golf. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Age Defying Golf.
It is recommended that you consult your physician before starting an exercise program. This book offers information in regards to fitness, exercise, physical therapy, sports medicine, and golf training. The information in this book is not medical advice and is not meant to diagnose or treat specific injuries or disease. 2
Part I: The Mid Back Approximate Time Commitment: 5 Minutes Spinal Mobility for Golf: The Forgotten Aspect of Golf Flexibility When people think of golf flexibility, they are typically referring to the flexibility of muscles and tendons in the body. However, for the golfer over 50, golf flexibility also needs to include spinal mobility the often cited forgotten flexibility. Younger golfers with young spines have no problem with spinal mobility. However, the loss of spinal mobility can result in major golf swing flaws in golfers over 50 if not addressed. Spinal mobility can be defined as how well each spinal segment moves in relation to the spinal segments above and below it. The part of the spine that is most critical for golfers is the upper thoracic spine (T1-T8) which is the mid back region. Each of the individual segments are built to rotate 6 degrees each for a total of 48 degrees, more than half of the total backswing motion. In other words, spinal mobility is hugely important for full, fluid backswing in the golfer over 50. In golfers, the loss of thoracic motion can lead to a very limited shoulder turn plus very poor consistency. Poor consistency can be related to excessive spinal compensatory movement (ei bad golf moves). Poor Golf Consistency The reason for a short backswing is obvious but lets quickly explore the issue of inconsistency. Poor thoracic mobility is often the cause of poor posture and the appearance of a rounded back. If you have this posture, about halfway back in the backswing your thoracic spine will stop rotating and the only way to complete the 3
backswing is with a deadly swing plane re-route. When the thoracic spine stops rotating, the bail out move is to bail out of your posture which will lift your head up and out of position. Being out of position, there is a very low percentage chance that you will be able to return to the correct impact position for consistently clean contact. There is just too much extra movement to play well. Here is a quick test you can do right now to test if you have enough motion in your thoracic spine. 1. Lie down on the floor with your back flat against it but your knees bent so your feet are flat on the ground. 2. Keep your elbows straight and bring your arms directly overhead, attempting to t ouch your wrists to the ground above your head. 3. Make sure to maintain contact between your lower back and the floor; don t arch your back to get your hands in place. If you are able to perform this test than thoracic mobility is not affecting your golf swing. However, if you are unable to do it, than including some thoracic mobility exercises will definitely improve your golf game. Thoracic Mobility Training for Golf Training thoracic mobility is different than your normal stretching routine. Instead of holding a stretch, you want to move the joints in their full range of motion. Think of a trying to loosen joint in a machine that has not moved in a long time. The joint is stiff with old gooey adhesives and rust restricting its movement. You want to move it back and forth continuously until you break up all of the old adhesions and the joint is moving freely and easily again. That is a very close analogy of what you need to do to improve spinal mobility. You improve mobility by moving it. Moving a joint breaks up adhesions and improves natural lubrication improving the mobility of the joints. The following exercises will 4
help you do this. The Foam Roller If you have limited thoracic spine mobility, the best thing you can do is purchase a foam roller. Instead of listing exercises with pictures, I want you to follow this link to a video on Youtube that will show you the best thoracic spine flexibility routine I have seen. Estimated time: 5 minutes! Copy and paste this link in your internet browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=welcono-bt0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=welcono-bt0 It is OK if you feel some stiffness related pain as you begin these exercises but the discomfort must be minimal. Do not perform exercises that result in severe pain. 5