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 Part V
This last series of articles has focused upon the connection between the golf swing and the lower back. The incidence of injuries to the lower back is high from golf, and over the past few weeks we have been able to shed some light upon the reason why this is the case. First off we learned that the mechanics of the golf swing place large amounts of stress upon the lower back. As a result over time the lower back can easily become injured.
In addition we have discussed some steps that can be taken to prevent such situations from occurring. The first of these is the improvement in the efficiency at which you swing the golf club. This will reduce the amount stress placed upon the lower back each and every swing. Regardless of how efficient your golf swing becomes, we still know the lower back is place under stress to some degree.
As a result, this requires us to takes some steps "physically" to develop the proper levels of flexibility, strength, and endurance to withstand these stresses placed upon the lower back from the golf swing.
A golf fitness program can accomplish this goal if performed correctly and consistently. This type of program will first "stretch" the muscles of the lower back, and secondly develop strength in the core. In addition to these two requirements such a program needs to develop higher levels of endurance within the lower back.
The golf swing is a repetitive movement causing RMT (repetitive movement trauma). Recall from previous articles RMT is caused by an athletic movement performed over and over again by the same muscles of the body. This over time results in fatigue of these muscles. Once this occurs problems can arise in the golf swing.
To counteract RMT we must increase the strength as well as the endurance levels within the muscles of the lower back. Endurance as it pertains to the muscles of your body is the ability to perform a movement over and over again without becoming fatigued.
This will allow your body to continue to execute the golf swing without becoming fatigued. Just as there are golf-specific flexibility exercises to stretch the lower back and exercises to strengthen the lower back. We can utilize golf-specific endurance exercises to increase the ability of your lower back not to fatigue.
One such exercise I often recommend to increase endurance levels is the Alternating Arm and Leg Extension. Begin this exercise with your knees on the floor, and hands directly under your shoulders. Keep your eyes focused on the ground throughout the exercise. From this position, simultaneously extend the left arm and right leg to positions that are directly out in front and behind your torso. Once both the arm and leg are extended, hold the position for 2 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat this sequence with the opposite arm and leg. Alternate back and forth for 10-15 repetitions with each arm and leg.
Again, keep in mind preventing lower back injuries from the golf swing requires 4-Steps: Step one is improvement in the efficiency of your golf swing; step two increase the flexibility of your lower back; step three develop strength in the lower back; and step four improve your muscular endurance levels. All these steps placed together as a whole can help prevent lower back injuries to you.
Previous blog entries:
10/25/06 How to Physically Prevent Lower Back Injuries Part IV
10/18/06 How to Physically Prevent Lower Back Injuries Part III
10/11/06 How to Physically Prevent Lower Back Injuries Part II
10/04/06 How to Physically Prevent Lower Back Injuries Part I
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
