With golf season just around the corner, now is the time to fine-tune our golf swing before hitting the links. It is common knowledge that our lower body and trunk create power in our swing. How do we create a bigger and more powerful swing? By incorporating sequencing into our swing by targeting bigger, more powerful muscles. So what muscles should we target?
One of the top biomechanists in the game, Dr. Sasho MacKenzie, just released a report titled “How Amateur Golfers Deliver Energy to the Driver”. In the article, MacKenzie describes the top two factors that equate to power in the golf swing:
- The force in which we pull our hands on the downswing. “Methods of training that increase the average force applied in the direction of the hand path during the downswing have the greatest probability in generating increases in clubhead speed.”
- The length of our hand path. The longer our hands have to move, the more power we can generate in order to hit the ball.
The All-Encompassing, Under-Appreciated Muscle
There is one muscle in particular that hits both of these factors: the lats.
The latissimus dorsi are the main muscles that pull our arms down. Your lats are the widest and one of the most powerful muscles within your body. As a result, these large muscles can greatly affect your total upper body mobility. In addition, lat mobility can affect your ability to create distance in your hand path.
Avoiding Injury
One way to screen if your lats are properly mobile is to reach your hands over your head. If your back arches during the motion, this is a good indication that your lats may be tight. A good way to stretch your lats is to stand against a wall with arms bent in front of you with elbows together. While maintaining elbow contact, lift arms as high as you can overhead without letting your lower back come off the wall as shown below.
Strengthening the Lats
The following exercises are great ways to improve your strength and power when pulling your hands down in the backswing.
- Rows
- Lat pulldowns
- Other traditional back exercises
Want to learn more ways to strengthen that swing? Another great resource to the golfer is our new FX Digital Performance Therapy App. This innovative app allows you 24/7 access to custom made performance programs by your own Doctor of Physical Therapy. This includes exercises, stretches, and more tailored programs designed for you to achieve your golfing goals (or any other sport)! The programs are unique to you- from targeting your strengths and weaknesses, to developing exercises utilizing the equipment available to you. Ultimately allowing you to receive expert professional care at a fraction of the cost.
Put it into Practice!
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