'S' Posture - Remove back pain from your golf game.
How?s your posture? Part 2
Last time, we discussed how C-Posture can have a negative impact on the backswing – specifically, the ability to maintain your spine angle. This week we take a look at a swing fault called S-Posture and how it can affect the timing of your body on the downswing.
S-Posture is the leading cause of low back pain in golfers.
S-Posture occurs when a player puts too much of an arch in their lower back or lumbar spine. If a player sets up in S-Posture at address it can cause a loss of posture on the backswing, which puts the body out of position when the downswing is initiated. This will affect the timing of the hips, torso, and hands. Ideally, the hips start the downswing, followed by the torso and finally the hands – this timing is referred to as an efficient sequence. If a player’s timing is off or they have an inefficient sequence, they usually strike the ball poorly and have poor accuracy – in other words, they struggle with consistency.
S-Posture is caused by a series of muscle imbalances. These muscle imbalances include tight or shortened hip flexors and low back muscles. Weak muscles may include those that help to stabilize the pelvis – the abdominal muscles and those that help to extend the hips – the glutes or butt muscles. This combination of tight and weak muscles is responsible for the excessive arching of the low back and creates excessive stress on the lumbar spine – leading to low back pain.
It is estimated that one in four players has S-Posture at address.
Fortunately, many of the muscle imbalances associated with S-Posture can be corrected with exercise. Click on the link(s) below to find out how.
Next week:
Pelvic Tilt – What is it and how much is enough, how much is too much?
More information about the Golf Fitness Academy may be found at www.stonetownphysiotherapy.ca