Secrets to Assessing Your Body's Ability for Peak Golf Performance

Here's my latest article I wrote for Star City Health for the Lincoln JournalStar!  

What do you suppose is the difference between someone who goes out and plays 18-36 holes and is clearly worn out and exhausted (the majority of you), compared to someone who goes out and can play the same number of holes in a day and make it look effortless?

It has nothing to do with their fitness level or how hard they swing. It has to do with how efficient they are in their swing mechanics. The difference is their level of mobility, stability and efficiency in creating explosive energy.

To assess yourself in determining your body's potential for peak golf performance, we're going to cover a few different functional movement screen tests in the next couple of articles - tests designed to assess how your body's muscles respond to movement.

This month we're going to cover the Deep Squat Assessment. Think of yourself squatting on the green, reading your next putt. If you can successfully deep squat, more than likely you have good overall flexibility. If you can't deep squat, you're probably stiff throughout your body or have an imbalance between the right and left sides of your body. To conserve energy and prevent fatigue on the course, balance is required.

How to assess yourself: Hold a golf club overhead so that your arms and elbows are fully extended, and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Descend slowly into a squat position. Your heels should be flat and your feet should not turn outward or slide as you go down into the squat. Also, make sure your club remains directly overhead at all times. (Stop immediately if you feel any pain at any point.)

If you can keep your heels down, prevent your feet from rotating or sliding, bend your hips below your knees and keep your knees aligned over the top of your feet - congratulations, you just passed your first test!

Next month, we're going to cover two functional movement tests - the Straight Leg Raise and Seated Rotation. Until then, enjoy the great weather if you're out playing on the courses!

Dr. Leif Olson is a golf fitness expert and a chiropractic sports doctor at Active ChiroCare in Lincoln. Visit his golf web site at www.ExtremeGolfMakeover.com.

Read more: http://journalstar.com/niche/star-city-health/tips/secrets-to-assessing-your-body-s-ability-for-peak-golf/article_a9b3d741-737e-5904-8981-2c25f1f24792.html#ixzz1jjnUBJcV