IN THE NEWS

Chiropractic Tips to Improve Your Game &
Save Your Back
By American Chiropractic Association

Doctors of chiropractic look for the cause of the symptom and help reduce the likelihood of future injury... Read more >

Walking Wounded
Sept 30, 2005 Golf World 
by Stachura, Mike

Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk need treatment, but still combine to win in Friday four-balls... Read more >

Back to the Wall
Feb 1, 2002 Golf World 
by Stachura, Mike

As pro golfers work harder than ever to protect these assets so critical to their careers, back experts and trainers offer conflicting advice. The lack of consensus, though, is spine-tinglin to play well... Read more >

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FAMOUS QUOTE

My dad has always taught me these words: care and share. That's why we put on clinics. The only thing I can do is try to give back. If it works, it works.
~ Tiger Woods

The Importance of Flexibility in Golfing
by Dr Patrick Erickson

Common sense dictates some sort of warm-up before making that first drive from the first tee. The average warm-up stretches you see on the first tee box do help a little. However, as a part of a game improvement program, stretching is more than warm-up. It means longer drives, less injuries and many more years of the enjoyment of golf.

Flexibility is not something that can be bought at the pro shop. It is, however, necessary in improving your golf swing and essential in reaching your full golf potential. Some golfers don’t have a problem with inflexibility. For those who do, flexibility can be developed and most times increasing your flexibility is directly proportional to your swing improvement.

The three major causes of most injuries while playing golf are de-conditioning, lack of proper flexibility, and improper swing mechanics. Our mantra is “optimal joint range of motion is a biomechanical prerequisite of the golf swing.” The soft tissues of the body that affect swing mechanics are the muscles, tendons, ligaments and joint capsules. All these tissues with the exception of the ligaments are subject to shortening which in turn alters swing mechanics.

The most common by-product of altered swing mechanics is loss of distance on the drive; something that no golfer wants. As flexibility is improved by instituting a golf-specific stretching program, injury can be avoided and performance improved in almost every aspect of your game.

At Core Power Golf, we teach the use of what we call Strategic Stretching, which is divided into 4 aspects:

1. Developmental Stretching
   • For lengthening shortened structures and restricted joints
   
   
2. Maintenance Stretching
   • For maintaining optimum levels of flexibility
   
   
3. Pre-event and Muscle Energy Mobilization
   • For preparing the neuromuscular system for work
   
   
4. Post-event
   • For preventing post exercise adaptive shortening

Aging robs us all of our flexibility. A golf specific stretching program such as the one that we use can add years to your golf game as well as meters to your drives.

Reference:
Chek Paul.The Golf Biomechanics Manual: Whole in One Golf Conditioning. Encinitas, CA: A Chek Insitute Publication, 1999