Power Development for the Adult Golfer -Part 2- Rotary Exercises?
by Michael Boyle
StrengthCoach.com
Many golfers and golf fitness
professionals are using 'rotational flexibility' exercises in their
programs to increase range of motion but many of these exercises could
be the cause of injuries rather than the solution to a golfers problem.
Training for golf has clearly moved from a sagittal plane
orientation ( think most exercise machines) to an emphasis on
unilateral training and multi-planar training. Part of this process,
particularly for golfers, has been a push toward developing flexibility
in rotation. Any athlete competing in a sport that required rotation,
like baseball, hockey or golf, was blindly urged to develop more
flexibility in rotation.
Like many performance coaches, I initially
fell victim to this same flawed concept. I was one of the lemmings that
I dislike so much, blindly following the recommendations of others and
using exercises that I would now consider questionable or dangerous.
Interestingly enough, as a back pain sufferer, I simply wrote off my
discomfort as age-related and continued to perform rotary stretches and
rotary dynamic warm-up exercises.
Reading the work of physical therapist Shirley Sahrmann
made me reconsider my position and eventually eliminate a whole group
of stretches and dynamic warm-up exercises that were once staples of
our programs. Sahrmann, in her book "Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement
Impairment Syndromes", states:
"During most daily activities, the primary
role of the abdominal muscles is to provide isometric support and limit
the degree of rotation of the trunk…A large percentage of low back
problems occur because the abdominal muscles are not maintaining tight
control over the rotation between the pelvis and the spine at the L5-
S1 level. " (2002 p.71)
The lumbar range of motion that many personal
trainers and coaches have attempted to create is probably not even
desirable and is potentially injurious.
For golfers, the ability to resist or to prevent rotation at
the lumbar spine may in fact be more important than the ability to
create it. Instead, golfers need to increase movement in the hips and
upper torso ( thoracic spine), while sparing the lower back.
Porterfield and DeRosa in another excellent book, "Mechanical Low Back
Pain", come to the same conclusion as Sahrmann. Porterfield and DeRosa
state "Rather than considering the abdominals as flexors and rotators
of the trunk- for which they certainly have the capacity- their
function might be better viewed as anti-rotators and anti-lateral flexors
of the trunk." (1998, p99)
Sahrmann goes on to note a key fact that I believe has been
overlooked in the performance field. "The overall range of lumbar
rotation is ...approx 13 degrees. The rotation between each segment
from T10 to L5 is 2 degrees. The greatest rotational range is between
L5 and S1, which is 5 degrees…The thoracic spine, not the lumbar spine
should be the site of greatest amount of rotation of the trunk… when an
individual practices rotational exercises, he or she should be
instructed to "think about the motion occurring in the area of the
chest" " (Sahrmann, p61-62).
Think about this. What segment of the low
back is the most vulnerable? The one with the greatest amount of
motion, L5-S1.
Sahrmann places the final icing on the cake with these statements;
"Rotation of the lumbar spine is more dangerous than beneficial and
rotation of the pelvis and lower extremities to one side while the
trunk remains stable or is rotated to the other side is particularly
dangerous." (Sahrmann p. 72)
She continues; "During most activities, the primary role of the
abdominal muscles is to provide isometric support and limit the degree
of rotation of the trunk which, as discussed, is limited in the lumbar
spine." (Sahrmann p 70)
What does all this mean for the golfer? It means that golfers should
eliminate many stretches/warm ups that have previously been blindly
used to increase lumbar range of motion. This includes most rotational
flexibility and all the exercises contained in the following pictures:
Seated Trunk Twist- a bad idea.
90-90 stretch- more lumbar than thoracic?
Long Lever 90-90- Too much torque
Scorpion- a back killer
My conclusion. Most people don't need additional
lumbar spine range of motion. The evidence from the experts seems to be
clear that what we really need is to be able to control the range that
we have and develop greater mobility in the hips and thoracic spine to,
in the words of low back expert Stuart McGill, "spare the spine".
Although this may seem extreme to some, I have seen a significant
decrease in the complaints of low back pain since eliminating these
exercises. In fact, a great deal of our emphasis is now placed on
developing hip range of motion in both internal and external rotation.
I think the future will see coaches working on core stability and hip
mobility instead of working against themselves by simultaneously trying
to develop core range of motion and core stability.
So, with this in mind, our next step after foam rolling and
stretching (emphasizing the hips not the lumbar spine) is to activate
the muscles around the hips, not develop lumbar range of motion. In
essence:
- We roll to be able to stretch
- We stretch to be able to move
- We activate to "wake up" the right movers
Some experts frown on so-called "activation" exercises.
These are usually the same experts who showed you the stretches I just
told you not to do. Saying we don't need activation is like saying
aging doesn't happen. The reality is that as we age posture changes.
Muscles get longer on the back side of our body from our consistent bad
posture. To make it worse, the same poor posture causes the muscles on
the front side of our body to get shorter. Our head goes forward, our
stomachs stick out, our upper back rounds. As we age big muscles work
overtime, small muscles tend to shut down.
I have a wonderful personal training client who is a
business school professor. As we worked out one day he made a brilliant
observation. "My problems are all where my limbs attach to my body".
Out of the mouths of babes.
Where are our problems?
Where our head
attaches. Lots of adults suffer with neck pain.
Where our arms attach.
How often have we heard about the torn rotator cuff? Guess what, that's
what attaches your arm to your body.
Where our legs attach. Sciatica,
low back pain, hip replacements. Guess what? That's where our legs
attach.
The problem? The stabilizers of these joints weaken as we age.
Activation work or "low load training" attacks and "turns on" these
critical weak areas.
Give your self a test in front of the mirror. This is what you should be able to do at forty years old:
-Externally rotate your shoulders without shrugging.
-Suck in your gut. Think make yourself skinny.
-Lift your knee above your hip without leaning forward, back or to either side
-Balance on one foot for 10 seconds without touching the ground from the previous position.
Bet you failed at least two tests. Probably all four.
The bottom line. If the right joint won't move, another will take its place.
Bibliography
Porterfield and DeRosa- Mechanical Low Back Pain, WB Saunders 1998,
Sahrmann, Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, Mosby 2002
Michael Boyle, creator of Power Development for Golfers (2 DVD set), is
a Boston based strength and conditioning coach, writer, lecturer and
the editor of StrengthCoach.com. He has lectured on Power Development
for the Titleist Performance Institute at the World Golf Fitness Summit
in 2007 as well as at the Level 3 Golf Fitness Specialist Course.
Power Development for Golfers
is really a great couple of DVDs that golfers can immediately benefit
from. Coach Boyle has trained some of the world's best athletes and he
is the guy that thousands of trainers look to for advice. He has a way
of taking difficult concepts and putting them into an easy to
understand system.
Special Bonus- I loved these DVDs so much that I made a companion worksheet that my clients can use when they are not with me. If you purchase Power Development for Golfers, I will send you the companion worksheet (PDF) that you can use to track your progress. Just forward me the receipt from Perform Better and I will email it to you. Send your receipt to Anthony@GolfFitnessProducts.net.
