Hip Mobility and the Golf Swing

By Christopher C. Hanson, PT, MPT, DMT, OCS, FAAOMPT

 

Most golfers are weekend warriors and if there is extra time in anyone’s schedule for golf activities, more times than not this is allocated to swing training.  As the last few articles have discussed, physical fitness is equally important.  In order to have a world class swing, the function of one’s musculoskeletal system also needs to be equipped. Golf is a sport that requires strength, power, coordination and mobility; no one of these is more important than the other. This weekly dive into the physical care of a golfer’s body will discuss the importance of hip mobility and stability in all golfers.

In the golf community the importance of spinal mobility and strength is well documented. There have been numerous social media campaigns since the start of this golf season showing new creative ways to improve spinal mobility and strength.  However, absent from these posts have been ways to improve hip strength and mobility; negating altogether the connection between the hip and the spine.

The hip and the spine are intricately related. If one has movement issues in one area, it can transmit increased forces along the kinetic (movement) chain.  In the presence of hip mobility issues the body increases motion in other joints.  The body is almost too good at this compensation and creating more (too much) movement in order to allow someone to function in a way that seems correct.  In the presence of limited hip mobility there may be an excessive forces through the lumbar spine. This can happen at different points in the swing.  Limited hip mobility can create issues in the back swing, during the initiation of swing and during the follow through. This also relates to other sporting activities as well.

IS YOUR CHILD’S BACKPACK MAKING THE GRADE?

Adults know that carrying a huge load on their backs may do harm over time. But children continue to walk around with monstrous backpacks on during the school year.  In a study conducted by Spine Magazine, 80 percent of surveyed children said that their backpacks were heavy. Worse, 65 percent of them felt their backpacks caused them fatigue and 46 percent said they had back pain due to the heavy load. What can you do?

Select a More Appropriate Backpack

Taking the “Pain” Out of Spring Cleaning

As the temperature warms and the days grow longer, people are energized to clean their homes of winter must and dirt.  But spring-cleaning can be very hard on muscles and the skeletal structure!  In fact, the National Safety Council says an injury occurs every four seconds in the home.  Many of these injuries could be avoided by following a simple rule – never twist, rotate or overextend your back, neck and shoulders.  Keep yourself injury-free and pain-free while doing spring cleaning, consider these tips:

Vacuuming:  The twisting and turning movements most people use when vacuuming put increased compression on the spine and neck.  To avoid problems, vacuum with the machine or hose close to the front center part of your body and at waist height.  Using both hands on the handle, push the vacuum in front of you while walking in a long line and then pull back using the same motion.  Never push and pull the handle back and forth with short strokes.