Golf Fitness: Mobility Pt. 1

Lets talk mobility; specifically for rotational sports like golf, tennis, baseball/softball, etc…

‍

I am a golf guy, though, so I will be putting everything into that context…

‍

Mobility is a weird term. It means so many different things to so many different people. However, I think we can all agree that it means being able to move.

There are different requirements for movement though for the sport we are focusing on, and the specific athlete playing that sport.

‍

My two favorite examples to use for this in the world of golf is Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson. They are both elite level golfers. The both are major winners. And yet, Jon Rahm might have the shortest backswing in golf because his lack of mobility. And Dustin Johnson is akin to a floppy piece of bacon that lacks mobility nowhere.

‍

You need to figure out what is right for you, your body, and the style of golf you want to play. That is first and foremost.

‍

One you have done that you can take the scores from the assessments we are about to talk about and build a program to enhance the mobility YOU need.

‍

Like anything else there are minimum requirements in order to be effectively utilizing all the rotational centers in your golf swing (more on that later).

Before we get too into the weeds; this blog is a 2 parter. This week we are going to talk about the 2 biggest issues I see with the majority of people that affects their mobility.

‍

Balance and Compression.

‍

you can read my blogs on mobility here....

‍Part 1

‍Part 2

‍

Balance is something almost everyone lacks. You not only need to have static balance (standing on 1 leg with eyes open or closed), but you need dynamic balance in order to perform. Dynamic balance would be things where you are moving on 1 limb.

‍

Why is this important? Glad you asked!

‍

Balance is important because of one simple truth the human body is limited to. Our bodies are constantly fighting to keep equilibrium. This is true for all functions: body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and balance!

‍

Our body is fighting to keep you upright and will do everything in its power to make that happen. 

‍

Lets do an example…

‍

If you are doing a golf swing and do not have good balance; your body is going to limit the amount that you rotate to make sure that you are not shifting your weight too much. The way that it does this is by limiting the rotation in your hips, trunk, and shoulders.

‍

Even if you tested 45 degrees on a trunk rotation test (the standard), you wouldn't be able to achieve that during your swing if your balance was subpar. 

‍

Having good balance will free up your muscles and joints to do their thing! They will move properly and activate more efficiently because they aren't having to keep you from falling on your face.

‍

Now lets talk compression…

‍

Compression is basically your bodies ability to produce force and internal rotation. Think back to gym class when you learned how to do karate and throw punches. You exhale as you punch. Exhaling is a compressive action because your rib cage is compressing down which contracts your core, and creates stability for you to produce maximal force. 

‍

Try this…

Squat down and come up as fast as you can; almost jumping. Now do it by inhaling coming up fast. Now exhale coming up fast. Which felt better?

‍

Exhaling!!

‍

The key to all of this is not only compression, though. It is the ability to do both compression and expansion effectively. 

‍

As a righty golfer here is your ribcage during your swing

Backswing:

-Left ribcage compresses anteriorly and laterally.

-Right ribcage expands anterior and laterally.

Start of downswing:

-You compress on both sides

Mid downswing:

-Compression of the right ribcage anteriorly and laterally

-Expansion of the left ribcage anteriorly and laterally

Impact:

Basically the same 

Follow through:

Both sides come back close to neutral. Slight compression on the right and slight expansion on the left.

So there you go! There are the two factors I consider most when it comes to mobility. Obviously there is a lot more that goes into in, but I attack these 2 things first because it is the biggest bang for you buck!

Next week we will start to look into each rotational center individually and how we help it.

Yours In Strength,

Nate

‍