Pi lates for Improving Posture in the Golf Swing

Heather Melcer

11/22/2016 2015 Whitefish, MT

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Abstract

Great posture is the key to a great shot. The problem is, in today’s world, the average

person’s posture is not great. Most people sit at desks for hours often causing a rounded back,

rounded shoulders, tight hip flexors and many other issues. These imbalances cause the body to

function at a subpar level and the golf swing to be hindered.

By focusing on posture alone, a golfer can improve their swing. A well rounded Pilates

conditioning program can retrain the back extensors and core muscles, stretch and open the hip

flexors and chest, provide pelvic stability and get the body back to functioning in a proper

postural position and achieving optimum performance.

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Table of Contents

Title Page ............................................................................................................................................1

Abstract ..............................................................................................................................................2

Table of Contents................................................................................................................................3

Anatomy .............................................................................................................................................4

Case Study ..........................................................................................................................................6

Conditioning Program ........................................................................................................................8

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................10

Bibliography .....................................................................................................................................11

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Anatomical Description

The golf swing can be broken down into five different phases: setup, backswing, downswing,

the hitting zone and follow-through. As you can see from the image 1 below, the golf swing is a

very complex movement that utilizes many muscles throughout the body. In the simplest form,

the golf swing can be categorized as a rotational movement using the hips, trunk, shoulders and

arms.

For the purpose of this paper, I will be focusing on the setup of the swing. A proper swing

setup includes the following: feet are hip width apart with equal weight spread between the feet,

knees are slightly bent, the body hinges from the hip joint while maintaining a neutral spine

position, shoulders are stabilized, head is in line with the spine, core is engaged and arms are

extend.

One of the key factors in the set up of the swing is a neutral spine. The natural position of the

spine allows for optimal rotation through the thoracic spine. If the neutral spine position is

compromised, like in a person with a rounded back (see image 2), full rotation won’t be

attainable. This lack of rotation can reduce the ability to transfer power from your lower body to

your upper body during the downswing.

To achieve proper posture the back extensors and core (especially the Transverse abdominis)

must work together. Shoulders must be anchored to the spine and chest open. The pelvis must

also be stable and in a neutral position.

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Image1

Image2

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Case Study

James is a 34-year-old male. He has been golfing since he was a young kid, though it has

never been more than a hobby. James often golfs on the weekends and makes it to the driving

range once or twice a week during the warmer months. He stays fit by adding running and basic

strength training into his training regimen. Overall he is in good health.

James works at an office during the week and is mainly sitting at a desk. Over the 10+

years of working a desk job he has noticed a change in his posture and tightness in the body that

has begun to affect his golf swing. James was recommend by a friend to take up Pilates to help

cross train and get his swing back up to what it used to be.

Upon meeting and talking with James I could tell that he has rounded shoulders, tight hip

flexors and slight forward head. Though Pilates can help with all areas of a golf swing, I chose to

focus on a couple specific areas in this program that will help James and in turn help his golf

swing.

The first area of focus was on correcting his posture. This includes strengthening his back

extensors, opening his chest and shoulders and stretching his flexors. The golf swing is a

rotational movement around the spine. To achieve optimal rotation around the spine James

needs to maintain a flat back throughout his swing. With his current posture, rounded back and

shoulders, he is not able to achieve this proper rotation which is hindering his golf swing.

The second area of focus is pelvic mobility and stability. When James came to me, Cat

Stretch was an exercise that he couldn’t perform. In a proper golf swing, the distance between

the belly button and the belt buckle shortens from the backswing to the follow through. Being

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able to have control over the movement of the pelvis will give James a great advantage in his golf

game. I gave him homework to work on this exercise at home as a starting point and have

incorporated exercises with this focus into his training.

Though I try to vary James’s workouts, below is an example of his conditioning program.

This program is based after eight sessions of working with James.

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Conditioning Program

Exercise Goal Warm Up Mat:

Fundamental Warm Up (Pelvic Curl, Spine Twist Supine, Chest Lift & Chest Lift with Rotation) Cat Stretch

Warm up the body and prep for upcoming exercises. I chose the fundamental warmup for James because we will be focusing on using the back extensors throughout class and wanted to incorporate pelvic curls into the warm up to wake up the spine. Spine twist supine is also a great warm up for a golfer to wake up the obliques. I added cat stretch in at the end of the warm up because pelvic mobility and control is something that James is focusing on and is working on at home.

Footwork Wunda Chair: Heels, Toes, V-Position Toes, Open V Heels, Open V Toes, Single Leg Heel, Single Leg Toe

I chose to use the Wunda chair for Footwork because it gives the most challenge for maintaining proper posture and pelvic lumbar stability.

Ab Work Reformer: Short Box Series (Round Back, Flat Back, Tilt, Twist, Round-A-Bout)

This Ab Work puts a focus on the position of the pelvis and the spine while strengthening both core and back extensor muscles.

Hip Work Cadil lac: Single Leg Series (Frog, Circles Down/Up, Extension, Bicycle & Bicycle Reverse)

Because the foot is connected directly to the spring during Hip Work on the Cadillac it forces each legs to be working on its own and will uncover and improve any imbalances that there might be from the asymmetries of the golf swing. This series will also help James learn pelvic stability.

Spinal Articulation

Cadil lac: Tower Prep

I chose Tower Prep for James because it provides a nice stretch and massage for the back as well for the hamstrings.

Stretches Reformer: Standing Lunge Pole Series: Shoulder Stretch, Overhead Stretch, Side Stretch, Spine Twist

Because James sits at a desk all day I wanted to focus on opening both the chest and the hip flexors so I chose to do both the pole series and standing lunge on the reformer. The pole series can be done with a golf club and used as a warm up for James when he is out on the course.

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Full Body Integration (F/I)

Cadil lac: Kneeling Cat Stretch

Cat stretch was chosen because it uses the back extensors while giving a nice shoulder stretch. This also incorporates a nice progression from the Mat Cat Stretch that James has been practicing.

Arm Work Cadil lac: Standing Arm Series (Chest Expansion, Hug-A-Tree, Circles Up, Circles Down, Punches, Biceps) +Butterfly

Having the arms connected directly to the springs creates instability and addresses any imbalances that might be forming from the one sided motion of a golf swing. This series also trains a full range of motion within the shoulder joints. I chose to add Butterfly at the end of this series to work on oblique control as well as a nice stretch.

Leg Work Cadil lac: Squats

I chose to do Squats with James because strong Glute muscles are extremely important in a proper golf swing. Once James has improved his posture and has a better understanding of his pelvic stability and mobility Glute and Hamstring strength will become our next area focus. Squats will begin to build his strength. This exercise also flows well right after the Standing Arm Series on the Cadillac.

Lateral Flexion/Rotation

Cadil lac: Side Lift

Lateral Flexion and Rotation is a key block for golfers. I have already incorporated many exercises that utilize this block throughout this program (Short Box - Tilt, Twist, Round About, Pole Series Spine Twist & Butterfly) but I wanted to add Side Lifts on the Cadillac to focus on oblique strength and give James a challenge. Because the golf swing is very one sided I want to make sure we take care of any imbalances that might be forming in his lateral flexors.

Back Extension Cadil lac: Prone 1

This exercise puts a focus on strengthening James’s back extensors while giving a nice shoulder stretch – opening the front of the body once again.

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Conclusion

I have been working with James 12 sessions now and have seen improvements in many

areas in his body. Not only has James’s posture improved from our focused efforts, his core

strength and flexibility have also improved.

James has noted he is feeling stronger in his golf game as well as in everyday life. His

handicap has dropped 3 strokes and we are working on dropping 3 more. Pilates has made

James more conscious of his posture at work and he plans to continue his Pilates training even

during the off-season.

A well-rounded Pilates conditioning program can be beneficial to many of today’s avid

golfers by improving posture alone. With strong back extensors and core muscles, flexibility, and

pelvic stability and control, golfers will be able to lower their handicap and improve their game.

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Bibliography

Draovitch, Pete, and Ralph Simpson. Complete Conditioning For Golf. Champaign: Human

Kinetics, 2007. Print.

"Golf Swing Chart - Chartex Ltd." Chartex Ltd. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

Leadbetter, David, and Dom Furore. "David Leadbetter: Perfect Your Posture." Golf Digest. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.