Better Posture Leads to More Pars By Brad Ott MS,PT Certified MDT MTT Contributing Writer Where will you be spending your time, energy and dollars to improve your golf game this year? Will it be practicing more, taking a series of lessons, or buying the new high-tech driver? A new way of thinking suggests an important area of emphasis should be your body and the primary focus there should be on proper posture. Many professional golf instructors estimate that 80-90% of their students have problems with posture at address. While the problems vary, the number one reason for poor posture at address is the body's structure being out of balance. Tightness in myofascial tissues (muscles and connective tissues) can make it next to impossible to assume the ideal golf stance, let alone perform an ideal golf swing. Small asymmetries in shoulder height and leg length along with any imbalances caused by prior injuries can add to the problem. For the few and fortunate, correct posture at address is something they need only be instructed in and their body presents little resistance. But the majority will set up in a manner far from ideal without realizing that their body is dictating poor balance, a rounded upper back position, a poor shaft to spine angle, and a host of other angular deformities. Most professional instructors would prefer their students be in a position where the plane of the golf club shaft is between 90 and 100 degrees with the plane of the spine. Simply put, the most efficient way to make a full turn is with such an angle, similar to a tire wheel turning on an axle. Unfortunately, because we step up to a golf ball with all the tendencies created by our daily lives, we often are far from the ideal posture at address. From the moment we awake we are drawn toward rounded posture as we dress, shave over the sink or put on makeup, then further the cause by sitting with a rounded spine as we commute and then sit at a desk and computer or through long meetings. For those with kids, you know that their world is much lower than ours, requiring repeated or sustained rounded posture. It is no wonder then that many common physical ailments (pain, inflammation, stiffness) are actually caused by these seemingly innocent daily tasks. And, as we age and spend even more hours in these positions the muscles and other soft tissues become accustomed to it, ultimately adapting the rounded position as the "relaxed posture". So why would putting a golf club in your hands change any of these physical tendencies? It doesn't! To make matters worse, if you're motivated enough to get to the gym to exercise with weights; you may be making the problems worse. When the body is under stress during strength training it will always take the path of least resistance. And if you're working out in less than perfect golf-specific physical alignment you are only reinforcing the muscle imbalances that make consistent and ideal swing mechanics possible. The key is to identify what your body's present physical status is, and then customize your stretching and strengthening efforts to obtain the optimal swing. Typically, the sequence for golf-specific fitness and ideal posture follows the rule of the "three R's". First, RELEASE the tight myofascial tissues that are preventing correct posture and alignment. Secondly you'll want to RE-EDUCATE your body through specific exercises on what the new posture feels like, so that it is reproducible without a second thought. Finally, you'll want to REBUILD the muscles that maintain good posture to promote a strong golf position as well as overall good health. Once you get beyond correcting your posture at address, the 'three R's" can be applied to the components of the body that dictate the motion of your swing. Like any other physical activity, you can change your muscular-skeletal structure in order to improve performance. Once the physical component is addressed and incorporated with the benefits of golf instruction, practice and customized equipment you can promote a stronger, more consistent swing and reach your golf performance goals. Brad Ott is a licensed physical therapist and owner of Loveland Rebound Rehabilitation in Loveland, Colorado and Performance Physical Therapy in Fort Collins, Colorado. In September of 1999, Brad and his partner Paul McQuade, established the Loveland Body Balance for Performance center as the newest in the network of over 50 centers nationwide. Their second location center is due to open in June of 2000 at Highlands Ranch Grand Golf in Denver. Body Balance for Performance provides complete golf health and fitness training programs. For more information call toll free: 1-877-764-0361 or e-mail COGolfFitness@aol.com