Golf Muscles - Where does the problem lie - Part 5

Follow-Through Phase

The Follow-Through phase involves moving from ball contact to a horizontal club position. The Follow-Through phase begins with ball contact. During this phase your body rotates to the left with your spine acting as the central axis of rotation. In addition your hips and shoulders will rotate until your body is facing the target. 30% of all golfing injuries occur during the Follow-Through phase.

During the Follow-Through phase, several muscles work together to decelerate and control rotation through the use of eccentric muscle contractions. During an eccentric muscle contraction, the muscle produces force while it is actively lengthening. Eccentric muscle contractions are often used to control the speed of a movement by slowing down or decelerating a limb.

In general, muscle activity decreases at this stage of the swing, with the exception of the left abdominal oblique muscle (for a right-handed golfer).

During the Follow-Through Phase of a right-handed golfer:

· Some of the most active upper extremity muscles are the latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, right infraspinatus, and right subscapularis.

· Some of the most active core muscles are the gluteus maximus, external oblique, left internal oblique, and the erector spinae. The gluteus muscles help to stabilize the pelvis and in conjunction with the Latissimus Dorsi promotes rotation throughout the swing.

Late Follow-Through Phase

The Late Follow-Through phase involves moving from the horizontal club position to the final finish position. During this stage of the golf swing, trunk rotation is decelerating, and all muscle activity is decreasing with the exception of the left abdominal oblique (for the right-handed golfer).

During this phase your wrists rotate over each other to create the roll-over motion of your hands. Your spine hyper-extends, and your body weight fully shifts to the left side.

During the Late Follow-Through phase (for a right-handed golfer):

· Some of the most active upper extremity muscles are the pectoralis major, infraspinatus, and subscapularis.

· Some of the most active core muscles are the gluteus maximus, external obliques, left internal oblique, and the erector spinae.

Understanding which structures are involved in each phase of a golf swing, can provide you with key information to improve your performance. In future blogs, we will go over abnormal motion patterns and provide exercise recommendations to correct these problems.

If you would like more information or to purchase our books please go to www.releaseyourbody.com . 

If you would like information about our clinic in Calgary Alberta please go to www.kinetichealth.ca.

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References:

1. The Golf Biomechanics Manual, Whole in One Golf Conditioning. Paul Chek. 1999, A C.H.E.K Institute Publication.
2. Golf Workshop - Technique and 3D Biomechanics Workbook. Titleist Performance Institute. Acushnet Company 2006
3. Electromyographic Analysis of the Scapular Muscles During a Golf Swing, Am J Sports Med January 1995 vol. 23 no. 1 19-23
4. Feeling up to Par: Medicine from Tee to Green, Philadelphia, 1994: 9-13 McCaroll J.R., Mallon W.J., Epidemiology of Golf Injuries, In Stover C.N., McCaroll J.R., Mallon W.J.
5. Muscle activity during the golf swing, Br. J. Sports. Med. November 1, 2005 39:799-804 A McHardy, H Pollard, and P J Garbutt
6. Electromyographic Analysis of the Scapular Muscles During a Golf Swing, Am J Sports Med January 1995 vol. 23 no. 1 19-23
7. Golf Injuries and Biomechanics of the Golf Swing, University of Umeå Department of Sports Medicine Sports Medicine, Katarina Grinell, Karin Henriksson-Larsén Gothenburg, January 25, 1999
8. Stannish W.D., Loebenberg M.I., Kozey J.W., The Elbow, In Stover C.N., McCaroll J.R., Mallon W.J. Feeling up to Par: Medicine from Tee to Green, Philadelphia, 1994: 143-49
9. Golf Injuries and Biomechanics of the Golf Swing, University of Umeå, Department of Sports Medicine Sports Medicine, Katarina Grinell, Karin Henriksson-Larsén Gothenburg, January 25, 1999