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The body is the original piece of golf equipment. If your body is not working well, you cannot play well. Good posture is just as important as flexibility. Imagine a tower. It needs a strong foundation, beams and supports properly aligned just to be stable and standing. In fact, your feet, ankles, legs, pelvis, trunk, neck, head and arms are the building blocks of your body. They must all sit on top of each other in a stable system just to stand up!! And not only is this tower standing up, it is also moving about, bending forward, twisting. Or even swinging a club at 90 miles/hour in the case of our favorite activity- golf. It really is quite amazing. How does our body do it? Well, our brain uses an intricate system of feedback loops that let it know where we are in the 3-dimensional room. It is called the proprioceptive system. And this system is based on "neutral" posture. Undoubtedly you have heard of the expression "Athletic Posture." Have you ever watched the stance of a boxer or Karate fighter. How about a a tennis player when they strike a ball? They all stand in the same basic posture: feet slightly apart, ankles and knees a little bent, buttocks stick out a little, upper body a little forward, head above the shoulders, arms up, yet the whole system is relaxed. And properly aligned so that the plumb line or center of gravity is in the center. And it is only in this position will you be able to strike, hit, swing or punch well! Any attempt of graceful, powerful motion from an unbalanced posture will automatically challenge your proprioceptive control and create a tightening of your muscles. The intended movement becomes difficult to perform gracefully and will consequently be rather unsuccessful. Sure, some people are able to carry it off, but just imagine how good they would be if they had started the motion with a balanced posture. This is why it is important not just to do any exercise. You might as well do the right exercises for your individual issues. A brief assessment by a health professional or golf pro trained in this approach will be able to get you started! Here are a couple of quick exercises that will help most peoples posture:
Christian H. Reichardt, DC, CCSP, is a practicing doctor of chiropractic. He was a disability evaluator for the State of California, but then turned his attention from work-related injuries to sports injuries due to his own involvement in sports. He became one of the first Certified Chiropractic Sports Physicians in the U.S.A., as well as a Diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management His practice in Santa Monica, California draws a large clientele of Hollywood celebrities, as well as professional and amateur athletes. He has worked with Olympic athletes, and served as a staff doctor for the 3 on 3 "Hoop It Up" basketball series. He spent over 15 years working with Olympic, international and professional athletes as well as pro golfers and therefore understands the golfer's needs and athletic requirements. His own golf experience encouraged the development of this unique and extremely effective system. Dr. Reichardt's experience with golfers and his own love for the game inspired him to be involved with the teaching of the physical aspects of golf. He is teaching, "Fit for Golf-Schools" with PGA player Bob Cisco. www.bobcisco.com
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