Golf anatomy

225 Pages·2018·28.78 MB·English

by  Davies

G ol f
A N A T O M Y
S E C O N D E DI TI O N
Dr. Cr ai g D a vi e s
Dr. Vi n c e Di S ai a
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Davies, Craig, author. | DiSaia, Vince, author.
Title: Golf anatomy / Craig Davies, Vince DiSaia, CSCS.
Description: Second edition. | Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics, 2019.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018012308 (print) | LCCN 2017044913 (ebook) | ISBN
9781492548430 (ebook) | ISBN 9781492548423 (print)
Subjects: LCSH: Golf--Training. | Golf--Physiological aspects.
Classification: LCC GV979.T68 (print) | LCC GV979.T68 D38 2019 (ebook) | DDC
796.35207/7--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018012308
ISBN: 978-1-4925-4842-3 (print)
Copyright © 2019, 2010 by Craig Davies and Vince DiSaia
All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or
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This publication is written and published to provide accurate and authoritative information relevant to
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G ol f
A N A T O M Y
S E C O N D E DI TI O N
C O N T E N T S
Fore word vii
Preface ix
Ackno wledg ments xv
1
T H E G O L F E R I N M O TI O N 1
C H A P T E R
2
P R E W O R K O U T W A R M- U P 1 9
C H A P T E R
3
M O BI LI T Y F O R O P TI M A L
C H A P T E R
S WI N G A N G L E S 3 5
4
B A L A N C E A N D
C H A P T E R
P R O P RI O C E P TI O N
T R AI NI N G F O R E F FI CI E N T
E N E R G Y T R A N S F E R 6 3
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i v
5
R O T A TI O N A L R E SI S T A N C E
C H A P T E R
A N D D E C E L E R A TI O N F O R
I N J U R Y- F R E E S WI N G S 9 5
6
S T R E N G T H F O R
C H A P T E R
I N C R E A S E D DI S T A N C E 1 2 7
7
E X P L O SI V E P O W E R
C H A P T E R
F O R L O N G E R D RI V E S 1 5 9
8
P R O G R A M P L A N NI N G 1 8 5
C H A P T E R
About the Authors 2 05
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This Page Intentionally Left Blank
F O R E W O R D
One of t he most i mportant mo ments i n my career occurred when I met Dr.
Craig Davies i n t he early 2000s i n Mississauga, Ontario. I had been teachi ng
golf for four years and t hought I k ne w it all when it ca me to t he golf s wi ng. At
t his chance meeti ng, at Mo ment u m Golf i n Toronto, I was made quickly a ware
t hat I hadn’t even scratched t he surface. ( Golf i nstr uctors, it is safe to say, are
not educated enough i n t he st udies of anato my, physiology, and bio mechanics.
T he irony is t hat t he golf s wi ng is anato my, physiology, and bio mechanics!) My
world changed for t he better t hat day, because Craig has been my si ngle greatest
mentor i n golf.
No w, 15 years later, Craig and I have worked toget her i n junior golf, mi ni-tour
golf, and more t han 10 years of traveli ng on t he P G A Tour. We have worked
wit h many players who duri ng our ti me toget her have been i n t he top 10 i n t he
world. In t his ti me, Craig has beco me one of t he most successf ul and tr usted
fitness trainers, move ment coaches, and chiropractors in the world of golf. Doctor
of chiropractic is his official designation, but his curious nat ure and shar p mi nd
have allo wed hi m to beco me an ex pert on all t hi ngs move ment based. Wit h a
k no wledge set t hat i ncludes nutrition, trai ni ng, t herapy, hu man lear ni ng, and
perfor mance, Craig has forgotten more t han most people k no w.
Dr. Vi nce DiSaia and Craig wrote a ground-breaki ng book wit h t heir first
edition of Golf A nato my . T hat was one of t he first books t hat allo wed golfers,
golf teachers, and golf fit ness coaches an opport unity to ex plore what was
act ually occurri ng i n t he body duri ng t he golf s wi ng. T his ne w edition of Golf
A nato my raises t he bar yet agai n wit h dozens of ne w exercises, more i nsight
i nto ho w t he body f unctions i n t he golf s wi ng, and a focus on i mprovi ng t he
body’s ability to move.
Craig and Dr. DiSaia have helped nu merous players whose professional careers
were at risk as a result of chronic over use and t he i njuries t hat arise because of
t his difficult sport and its taxi ng nat ure on t he hu man body. In t his fi ne book,
you will share t he sa me i nfor mation t hat t he world’s top players receive week
i n and week out on t he P G A, European, and L P G A Tours. T he chapters are i n
sequence, and I would advise you to take a thorough look at all of the m, because
t he skills i nter mesh —fro m t he first chapter to t he last. One of t he greatest errors
golfers make is r ushi ng t hrough t he f unda mentals. Wit hout o wni ng t he f unda-
mentals you will not be able to o wn eit her your golf fit ness or your golf s wi ng.
One of t he mai n reasons it is so difficult for players to i mprove t heir s wi ng
is t hat t hey are often unable to physically perfor m t he tech nique t hat t hey and
t heir golf teacher desire. T his may be t he most po werf ul benefit of utilizi ng Golf
A nato my . As you slo wly make your way t hrough t he chapters i n t his book, you
will unlock greater and greater move ment potential. T his en hanced move ment
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viii F ORE W OR D
will allo w you to use better geo metry and physics i n your s wi ng. T he better your
geo metry and physics, t he more efficient your golf s wi ng, and you will be able
to make changes to your tech nique quicker and more safely t han ever before.
In Golf A nato my, Seco nd Editio n, you will benefit fro m t he gro wt h of Craig
and Dr. DiSaia’s understandi ng. I have been fort unate to benefit first hand fro m
t heir advice i n my trai ni ng, and I have wit nessed t he i ncredible transfor mations
i n t heir players’ ability to move safely and more efficiently. Did I mention t hat
t he players were able to do t his while generati ng more force, and t hus i ncreased
ball speeds? Duri ng t he past decade, over a dozen players who utilized t he
conce pts found i n Golf A nato my have been ranked a mong t he best ball strikers
and drivers on t he P G A Tour.
Whet her you are a golf coach, physiot herapist, chiropractor, or trai ner, t his
book can better your understandi ng, which i n t ur n will make you a more co m -
petent professional. If you are a young golfer, college golfer, professional, or
even high-handicap a mateur, t he i nfor mation i n t his book, if applied properly,
will no doubt en hance your ga me.
Whether you are looking to hit the ball farther and straighter or to play without
hurting, this book is for you. As you make your way through Golf A nato my , enjoy
your progress as you beco me more successf ul at t his a mazi ng ga me.
Sea n Foley
P G A To ur Coach
P R E F A C E
A tre mendous i nflux of golf trai ni ng aids, clubs, and balls have been brought
to t he market duri ng t he last decade. T he one t hi ng we have lear ned is t hat
you can’t fake your way to a ne w body. You can use all t he trai ni ng aids, golf
clubs, and golf balls t hat you desire. If your body is unable to move t he way
t he golf s wi ng requires, it won’t matter ho w ne w your clubs are or ho w many
s wi ng trai ni ng aids you have used. You will not be able to make t he consistent
po werf ul s wi ng you desire.
T he golf s wi ng is an extre mely co mplex skill that requires most of the joi nts i n
t he body to move t hrough a large percentage of t heir maxi mal range of motion,
and t he muscles movi ng and supporti ng t hese joi nts must perfor m at a high
percentage of t heir capacity. Fe w move ments i n any sport require t he tech nical
precision and po wer t hat t he world’s best golfers display as t hey accelerate t heir
clubs i nto t he golf ball at i mpact and t hen i m mediately decelerate t he club head
fro m i ncredible speeds back to zero by t he ti me t hey reach t heir fi nish position.
Mark Broadie’s appearance i n t he golf world i nfluenced many golf co m men-
tators to change t heir perspectives about t he do mi nant aspect of t he ga me as
it pertai ns to lo wer scores and a better world ranki ng. T he assu mption used to
be t hat golfers “ drive for sho w and putt for dough.” T his phrase was re peated
on telecast after telecast but has no w been sho wn to be i naccurate. Professor
Broadie’s analytics have proven t hat t he world’s best players strike t he golf ball
a greater distance and wit h better accuracy t han t he peers who fi nish belo w
t he m i n t he world ranki ngs. It is possible t hat, i n decades past, t he i nfluence of
putti ng on overall score may have been greater t han it is i n t he moder n ga me.
T he best players (accordi ng to world ranki ng) use t he sa me quality golf clubs
and golf balls as the players who are hundreds of spots lo wer on the world-rank-
i ng list. It can’t just be t he equip ment t hat allo ws t hese players to hit t he ball
harder and wit h greater accuracy. T he world’s best players often share coaches
wit h t he players who are far behi nd t he m i n t he world ranki ngs. So it can’t only
be t he coachi ng t hat is maki ng t he biggest difference. What is t he factor t hat
se parates t he top players i n t he world fro m t heir less successf ul peers?
Well, a quick look at t he field of a recent World Golf Cha mpionships Match
Play event t hat i ncluded 64 of t he world’s top 66 ranked players may provide
so me i nsight. Fifty-seven of t he 64 players (or 89 percent) travelled wit h a trai ner
or t herapist who was helpi ng t he m move better. Of t he ot her seven players who
did not travel wit h a fit ness or manual t herapy professional, at least five of t he m
utilized a trai ner while at ho me. T his means at least 62 of t he 64 players i n t his
very exclusive field utilized a professional to help t heir bodies move and f unc-
tion better. When we assessed t he players co mpeti ng i n an opposite field event
t hat sa me week, only 26 percent had utilized a professional to help t he m wit h
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