A golf swing starts in your feet and ends in your hands, using most muscles in between. The forward swing alone uses approximately 22 muscles, according to speed training author Dr. Larry Van Such. The coordination of these muscles is critical to creating an optimal golf stroke, and sport researchers have conducted significant biomechanical studies on the golf swing. Their research has revealed the roles of the major muscle groups during a golf stroke.
Lower Body Muscles
The legs contribute to the golf swing through a downward push into the ground, followed by an upward push to open the hips and help drive them forward. The key leg muscles used during a golf swing are the quadriceps and calves. The quads are responsible for the downward drive as the club is initially taken back and the weight shifts onto the front leg. The calves contribute during the upward drive during the forward swing. The hamstring and glutes make a smaller contribution during the forward swing.
Core and Trunk Muscles
The core area of the body is a key contributor during the takeback and forward swing. The oblique muscles aid in the backward coiling of the body and forward uncoiling. The abdominal muscles help drive the hips forward, creating the internal shoulder rotation critical to creating club head speed. Dr. Ben Kibler of the Lexington Clinic Sports Medicine Center notes that the difference in core strength between men and women results in women using a pull-through swing while men use a push-through motion. Women pull their hips out of their shots to create an opposite-reaction acceleration of the club, while men push into their shots with their hips. The pectoral and latissimus dorsi muscles help to stabilize the trunk during the backswing and forward drive.
Arm Muscles
Studies by German sport researchers have revealed that the number of watts of power created during a sport movement relates to the size of the body part involved. Thus, the arms, which weigh less than the legs, hips, core and trunk, create less power during a golf swing. The arms help coordinate the initial and final stages of a golf swing, using the biceps, triceps and shoulder muscles to stabilize the club and to keep it in line with the correct swing path. Toward the end of the swing, the wrist muscles come into play, helping to turn the hands over, creating the "wrist snap" that allows the arms to decelerate naturally after ball contact.
References
- Athletic Quickness: Golf - The Anatomy of the Forward Swing
- "British Journal of Sports Medicine"; Muscle Activity During the Golf Swing; A McHardy, H Pollard, 2005
- "The 4,000 Watt Tennis Player"; W. Ben Kibler
- "British Journal of Sports Medicine"; Biomechanics and Tennis; Dr. Bruce Elliot, December 10, 2005
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