We are pleased to announce that Sean Cochran, a nationally renowned golf fitness instructor and the personal golf fitness trainer to 2005 PGA Champion Phil Mickelson, has joined PGA.com as a fitness advisor. Cochran, who also has served as strength and conditioning coach for the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres major league baseball teams, will write a weekly fitness blog that will appear exclusively on PGA.com. He'll update it a couple of times a week, telling you about how to achieve better fitness, life on the road -- and in the gym -- with Lefty, plus answer your questions about fitness and how it can help you play better golf. More of Cochran's articles and his acclaimed fitness aids are available at his web site, www.bioforcegolf.com.
How to Physically Prevent Lower Back Injuries
This week the PGA Tour turns to Las Vegas and the TPC of Summerlin and Canyons. Davis Love III played great over the weekend at Greensboro to come up with his first win of the season. The season is winding down with the Tour Championship in a couple of weeks, and then the silly season begins.
Last week the topic of lower back injuries was introduced. Research studies have pointed that between 40-60 percent of all recreational golfers will incur a lower back injury at some point in their playing careers. These studies have also determined why this is such a high number.
This number largely centers upon the biomechanics of the golf swing. The actual swinging of a golf club places stress upon the lower back. The amount of stress is dependent upon the efficiency at which the biomechanics of the golf swing are performed. Inefficient mechanics require the muscles of the lower back to work harder to execute the golf swing. This results in fatigue of these muscles over time, and once muscles become fatigued, injury is a short step away.
All of these research studies point to the first step in preventing lower back injuries, and that is the development of more efficient golf swing mechanics. This results in less stress being placed upon the lower back from the golf swing, reducing the possibility of fatigue and injury.
A second component exists that can assist the amateur or professional golfer in preventing lower back injuries.
The golf swing is a repetitive biomechanical movement. Meaning the golfer executes the swing over and over again during a practice session or round. This requires the same muscles to fire in order to execute the golf swing. Over time, when the body continues to perform the same movement over and over again the muscles involved in the action become fatigued. Once this occurs the possibility of injury from fatigued increases dramatically.
To counter act the fatigue caused by the repetitive movement of the golf swing, it is advisable to implement a golf specific strength and conditioning program. This type of program will increase the strength and endurance capacities of the muscles involved in the golf swing. This will allow you to execute the golf swing over and over again successfully, without fatigue, reducing the chance of an injury to your lower back.
To review we have two components to assist in the prevention of lower back injuries from the golf swing. Number one is the development of more efficient swing mechanics, which will place less stress on the lower back. Number two is the introduction of a golf fitness program. Which over time will develop the required levels of strength and endurance to execute the golf swing without fatigue.
Next week we will discuss some drills and exercise to assist in this process.
Previous blog entries:
10/04/06 Lower Back Injuries in Golf
09/28/06 Speed in Your Power Golf Exercises
08/15/06 Develop Strength the "Right Way" for Your Golf Swing
08/08/06 Want to Maintain the Angles in Your Golf Swing?
08/01/06 Utilize Strength Training to Maintain Your Spine Angle
07/24/06 Strength in Your Core to Drive the Golf Ball Farther
07/11/06 Use Progression to Keep Improving Your Golf Swing
07/04/06 Dynamic Balance Exercises
06/27/06 Two Types of Balance are Key to Your Golf Swing
06/20/06 Balance in Your Golf Swing Leads to More Power
06/13/06 Getting Yourself Ready for a Round of Golf
06/06/06 Joint Range of Motion and a Fluid Golf Swing
05/29/06 Flexibility Exercises to Help with Those Tight Muscles
05/23/06 Guidelines for Your Golf Flexibility Program
05/16/06 Assess Your Flexibility First
05/09/06 Better Golf Exercises to Improve Your Swing
05/02/06 Developing a Repeatable Golf Swing and Your Body
04/26/06 Increasing the Clubhead Speed in Your Golf Swing
04/18/06 How To Prepare for Your Round
04/17/06 Swing Faults are Not Really Swing Faults
03/27/06 You can improve balance in your swing
03/24/06 Improve Your Flexibility and See Results in Your Swing
03/20/06 Your Body is the Foundation of Improving Your Golf Swing
