Let's keep this thing going! Is the Spine a Stationary Post, or just the HEAD that is Stationary?
In order for the head (or the spot between the shoulder blades, whatever you use) to maintain the level it had at address, the spine has to bend laterally as it rotates. Try this (and be careful!). Take your address position with your head against the wall. Now, with your arms across your chest rotate your shoulders into the backswing. In order to maintain your spine angle, you have to contract your left obliques (the muscles hidden by the love handles). These are the muscles that bend the spine to the left side. Now rotate into the downswing until the chest faces the target. The obliques on the other side should contract. Still not convinced? If you have a decent back, keep turning your body (you'll have to move your feet, but keep your head glued to the wall), until your shoulders are parallel to the target line, this time facing the opposite direction as you were at address. In order to hit this position while maintaining the spine angle, the back needs to be almost hyper extended.
What's my point in all this? Even if you disregard hip slide (which adds another element of spinal movement), the irony is that in order to maintain the forward bend angle of the spine to the ground, the spine itself is in constant motion. This is necessary because the spine isn't a straight rod, it's curved (even in guys like Adam Scott ). This is why so many golfers have back problems. It's the nature of the beast. We weren't made to play golf.
In order for the head (or the spot between the shoulder blades, whatever you use) to maintain the level it had at address, the spine has to bend laterally as it rotates. Try this (and be careful!). Take your address position with your head against the wall. Now, with your arms across your chest rotate your shoulders into the backswing. In order to maintain your spine angle, you have to contract your left obliques (the muscles hidden by the love handles). These are the muscles that bend the spine to the left side. Now rotate into the downswing until the chest faces the target. The obliques on the other side should contract. Still not convinced? If you have a decent back, keep turning your body (you'll have to move your feet, but keep your head glued to the wall), until your shoulders are parallel to the target line, this time facing the opposite direction as you were at address. In order to hit this position while maintaining the spine angle, the back needs to be almost hyper extended.
What's my point in all this? Even if you disregard hip slide (which adds another element of spinal movement), the irony is that in order to maintain the forward bend angle of the spine to the ground, the spine itself is in constant motion. This is necessary because the spine isn't a straight rod, it's curved (even in guys like Adam Scott ). This is why so many golfers have back problems. It's the nature of the beast. We weren't made to play golf.
While waiting on Annikan's return I prepared an outline of his posts to date on this subject. Would appreciate any corrections.
DRW
#1-Does the spine stay the same throughout the entire stroke?
#9-Evaluation is helped by examining the lateral (frontal), Anteroposterior (sagittal) and Transverse (horizontal) planes.
#20-Four sections of the spine change to maintain a steady pivot center
#23-Four sections of the spine are:
*Neck-Cervical
*Upper back-Thoracic
*Lower back-Lumbar
*Pelvis-Sacrum
#27-First study Pelvic and the Sacrum.....neutral position of pelvis is approximately 30 degrees.
-Anterior rotation (forward) of the Pelvis affects Lumbar motion.....Flexion at the right and left hip.
-”next few weeks...move slowly.....so none gets lost.”
#28-Use a qualitative instead of a quantitative approach.....describe instead of measure the motion.
-Use markers of major joints and draw plane and axis of rotation (red dots and yellow lines).
-”have some fun.”
#34-Rules of Structural Kinesiology in TGM photos
#35-What does the new joint locations (red dots) say about the motion of each spine section (black lines) and planes (yellow lines).
#36-The inclination of the torso is not the spine angle
-”study segment angles.”
#37-How does angle changes affect spine movement?
-Obvious that leg action influences the Sacral and Lumbar movements but what about other segments?
#43-”open your eyes and minds....language is universal in Academia.”
#47-Questions:
*What changes axis of rotation
*Does hip slide change axis tilt in more than one plane
*How does axis tilt affect the spine segments
*Does Flat Shoulder Turn and RST have different affects on the spine segments.
#48-Learn 6 simple movement in 3 different planes:
*Rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise
*Bend forward and extend back
*Bend to the right and to the left
#51-A basic description of the pelvis
#63-Throughout the swing lumbar spine changes are very slight-major changes are after the rise through impact.
#66/77-Thoracic spine changes more with a RST than with Flat....because the Shoulder Turn component is different....more flexion in neck and upper spine....in order to maintain visual centers of balance and rotation.
#72-study the colored lines
-Does the Thoracic segment bend right or left of the Lumbar segment when viewed at address, Top and Follow Through?
-”If you don’t see it....I’ll understand.”
What are some IMAGES, FEELS, DRILLS, ETC.... have you found helpful for students to learn a proper PIVOT(Zone 1 in TGM)? I realize there can be some differences for certain trajectories, and intentional draws and fades, so let's start with a Standard STRAIGHT SHOT PIVOT. (KEEP IN MIND THE THEME OF THIS THREAD... TORSO and SPINE)
What are some IMAGES, FEELS, DRILLS, ETC.... have you found helpful for students to learn a proper PIVOT(Zone 1 in TGM)? I realize there can be some differences for certain trajectories, and intentional draws and fades, so let's start with a Standard STRAIGHT SHOT PIVOT. (KEEP IN MIND THE THEME OF THIS THREAD... TORSO and SPINE)
Fold arms across chest, get in golf posture, imagine you are going to break down a door/wall just to your left with the back of your left shoulder. Now get that same feel with a steady head. Feel the motion from the feet.
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). This is why so many golfers have back problems. It's the nature of the beast. We weren't made to play golf.
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