The golf swing is a unique set of motions, and yet for most is seems like second nature. Although repetitive through a round, most recreational golfers have trouble consistently producing the same swing over and over, leading to a chance of injury. The swing is characterized by a series of twisting motions with the feet planted, which has the potential to produce large amounts of force. The swing itself is usually broken down into four phases: Setup, takeaway, downswing and followthrough. All examples apply to right-handed golfers.
Setup
The initial phase of the swing is based entirely on a stable position. Most golfers start with their feet planted on the ground, a few inches wider than shoulder width. The club head rests on the ground behind the ball. The knees should be flexed, and the golfer should bend slightly at the waist to keep the spine should be straight. Grip is established during this step. Creating a stable base in this phase of the swing is essential to maintaining balance and producing power during other phases.
Takeaway
The takeaway is used to store power for use in the next phase. To accomplish this, the body acts like a giant coil. The head, shoulders, arms and trunk rotate toward the pelvis toward the right-hand side. As the arms and club leave the ground, the twist is transferred through the pelvis, hips and knees, resulting in increased weight transfer to the right leg. This phase places a good deal of pressure on the outside aspect of the right knee and to the left shoulder as it is positioned up and across the body. Spine and hip flexibility is critical to this phase.
Downswing
The downswing phase allows the stored energy from the takeaway to be expressed and transferred through the club and to the ball. Strength, more so than flexibility, is most important in this phase. The motion should be fluid, and generally should be in the opposite order of the take away phase. The hips should begin to turn, followed by the pelvis, trunk, shoulders, arms and finally the club. The abdominal muscles allow for extra power to be generated by twisting the trunk as weight shifts back to center. This phase ends as soon as the clubface strikes either the ball or the ground.
Followthrough
The followthrough is characterized by control. The power and speed generated in the previous two phases must be controlled. The muscles of the body act to counter these forces. The followthrough should be a fluid motion, resulting in the arms and club elevated to the right with the shoulders and head facing toward the direction of the shot. In this position, the weight is shifted to the left leg, and increased stress is placed on the inside part of the left knee.
Biomechanics
The combination of complex movements with utilization of all the major joints and muscles in the body make the golf swing unique. Changes in the biomechanics of an individual may be due to a variety of factors, including decreased mobility, limited flexibility, or decreased strength. These factors have the ability to alter the swing, or to produce injury. Every golfer demonstrates a unique combination of these factors and movements to develop their own personal swing.
References
- Brandon B, Pearce PZ. Training to Prevent Golf Injury. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2009;8(3):142-146.
- PGA Swing Fundamentals
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