We established in our last discussion that to improve our game we, as golfers, need to be aware of our tendencies and monitor our performance, right? It might seem a bit tedious at times but if you’re truly interested in getting better, then this is super important. It naturally allows us to analyze our collected data and then train accordingly.
Let’s dive a little deeper into what tests I use on a day-to-day basis with my students. These tests and screens, whether they be swing-related or game related are for everyone. Each time I perform one of these, it gives me an indication as to WHY a student may be moving in a particular way and what to work on next and as I mentioned in the last article, is not just for the pros and elite amateurs, I promise you. It helps us understand why we swing the way we do and everyone is different.
The lower quarter rotation test. Let’s take the follow-through for instance and look at the ability of a golfer’s lead hip joint to internally rotate. This would be at the end of the swing when the belly button is facing the target and they’re holding their finishing pose. Instagram approved. If this golfer had limited mobility in this joint, it would be almost impossible for them to reach this position, let alone hold their balance. In fact, being able to maintain spine angles whilst clearing your hips is almost directly related to this. Yet, many golfers are told to stand with their feet straight (perpendicular to the target line) and keep their heads down as they swing. Firstly, a stance of this nature already internally rotates our hip joint and basically ‘locks’ it up, and secondly, if there is a limitation, no golfer on the planet would be able to maintain their posture as it would cause them to stand up and out of their swing. The lower quarter rotation test is an easy way to assess whether or not it is able for a player to make a full hip turn in the backswing and in the downswing and just like many other joints, limitation in it can affect a multitude of characteristics while swinging the club.
The 90 – 90 test. Simply put, this screen assesses the external rotation of the shoulder. If done fully, it can also give us an indication of the stability of the scapula. Once again if a limitation is observed in the trail shoulder, for example, the position at the top of the backswing will most definitely be compromised. Not only would this restrict the player’s ability to set the club, but it can cause a loss of posture. As the player attempts to turn to the top of their backswing, they begin to stand up and lift the club in compensation. In the downswing, the natural shallowing of the club is solely dependent on this. Most tour professionals have an external shoulder rotation of greater than 90 degrees. If yours is less than this, it may be the reason why you’re always swinging ‘over the top’ or above the plane.
Single Leg Balance. To perform this test. Stand on one leg with your arms at your side. Once you have balance close your eyes and count. No ‘aero-planning’. Most tour players can hold this position for over 15 seconds. If you can do this, without the use of your arms or opening your eyes, it means that the joints and muscles from your foot to your hip and core are working efficiently. In fact, ankle mobility and knee stability are major influences in being able to hold your balance and once again imperative to being able to move in the golf swing and maintain angles as you do so.
There are always routes to a cause. When looking at movement in the body, it’s not certain that the problem or deficiency is coming from the area that is affected. Read that again. Many coaches out there focus too much on what the club is doing throughout the swing without taking into account that the positions of the golf club are influenced by the golfer’s ability to move freely. I mean let’s be honest, asking a beginner who is 95 years old to make a shoulder turn of 90 degrees is outrageous. We as golfers should understand our bodies and their capabilities and swing within those. It’s really not always about ‘How it looks’. One of my greatest pet peeves is when I hear a student say that a coach has compared their swing to that of a tour player’s swing, especially when they are still a beginner or an intermediate golfer. It is almost physically impossible to swing like someone else. We are all unique as people. From our body dimensions, strength, flexibility, and even the way we dissect and relay information. Each swing is as unique as a leopard’s spots. Yet somehow poor Andrew has to rotate himself into oblivion and then ‘drop’, ‘squat’, post, and extend just like Rory McIlroy. Who, by the way, rotates his hips at approximately 1000 degrees per second in the down swing.
It is so important to understand what your body can do and more importantly WHY it does the things it does. Did you know that there are 9 possible swing plane combinations? This is the path the club travels around the body and as we swing back and forward it passes through sections of the body that when we look at it from the ‘down the line’ angle create these variations. There are in essence 3 main areas we use for reference and tracking the club during the swing. It is the hip, shoulder and elbow planes that give us our 9 combinations as we swing back and forth. Traditionally there was only 1 real ‘1 Plane swing’. Now we understand that there are actually 3 and the degrees to which the swing may favor them can change as well. These variations are dependent on a few things and one of them is indeed our 90-90 test. The others, in short, are the differences in the lengths of our bicep and forearm in our trail arm and the difference in our wingspan to our height. No, they aren’t always equal and need to be considered when coaching a player. These match ups can be the difference between a player striking the ball consistently or injuring themselves. Additionally, having an upright or more bent over posture is related to the length of my arms. If I were someone who had a wingspan that was greater than my height, I would naturally stand taller when I address the ball. This would cause my arms to swing steeper in my back swing and naturally change my club plane. If you were like me and had shorter, stubby arms then the opposite would be true. Having a flat or steep swing is all dependent on your body and its dimensions. There are obviously many factors that influence our movements but as a fun fact, do you know that one of the reasons that Adam Scott has a ‘textbook’ swing is that his wingspan is equal to his height and his forearm lengths are equal to biceps? He also has a neutral grip and neutral pivot, but that is for another day’s discussion.
In the next segment I will expand on more game related tests and how putting yourself under pressure on the range can benefit your game out on the course, but for now, remember that every aspect of your body will influence your movement and your movement characteristics will directly influence the club. The body swings the club and club strikes the ball. It’s just simple physics.
