Your Pain May Be Rooted In Your Posture by Chris Ross

Are you having problems with back, hip, knee, shoulder, or other types of pain and discomfort? The problem is most likely rooted in your posture.

Our posture has a profound effect on how we function and perform in essentially all physical activities. Walking, running, skiing, and swinging a golf club are all influenced by our posture. Prolonged sitting and decreased physical activity are just a couple of the reasons our bodies are slowly deteriorating to a more dysfunctional state. Poor posture can appear in our bodies in a multitude of ways. While everyone’s body is uniquely different, there are some general symptoms of this dysfunctional posture. Some of the symptoms include forward head position, rounded shoulders, tight hips and leg muscles, increased or decreased normal arching of the lower back, and a host of other problems. These symptoms can lead to an increased risk of injury, pain, and overcompensation. These problems are not limited to the musculoskeletal system. As the foundation of the body is removed from its most efficiently functioning position, the nervous, circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems can all be affected. The internal organs can become misarranged or compressed, neural pathways are disrupted or impinged and venous and arterial blood flow can be compromised. Any one or a combination of these scenarios can contribute to a multitude of medical problems. By restoring muscular balance, skeletal alignment and the harmonious interplay of internal systems, the body takes a quantum leap in healing power, stamina and physical capability.

We have had enormous success in helping people overcome their physical ailments implementing The Egoscue Method. It is a technique that is attractive to many people because it is a common sense approach to the human body. The individual can see and feel the physical changes that take place as a result of their efforts. Associated with that is an increased feeling of confidence that accompanies the improved health that he or she is responsible for. A major concern of health care today is that of reduced costs and prevention. Postural Therapy requires no special equipment or dependency on anyone other than you. Because we do not treat the symptom, but instead look to restore optimum function to the body, the implications toward prevention are obvious and very serious.

Cures For Your Slice by Chris Ross

Many people come to me seeking ways to help cure their slice. For many, slicing the ball is a result of physical limitation and is not something easily overcome without fixing the physical aspects that are ultimately responsible. There are many limitations that contribute to an “over the top” swing plane or slice, which is perhaps the most common swing fault among high-handicap golfers. This outside to inside swing plane occurs in the downswing due to overactive upper body or arms. As a result, the club will be thrown or cast to the outside of the intended swing plane, with the club head approaching the ball from outside to inside. This results in a pull if the clubface is square or a slice if the club face is open. Often, in order to prevent the club from coming over the top during the golf swing, some physical limitations must be addressed.


Proper sequencing is the one of the most important aspects of starting the club on the proper plane, and an essential area for golf fitness professionals to analyze when trying to eliminate swing faults. It is vital to develop a proper weight shift from your back foot to your front in order to start the downswing in the proper sequence. Without this initiation of the lower body and hips a player can easily dominate the downswing with an upper body or arm throw from the top, resulting in the over-the-top swing plane. A proper weight shift requires several physical factors, including a strong and flexible left side, good balance, sufficient flexibility, a strong core, coordination, and the ability to separate the lower body from the upper body.


Lack of mobility or flexibility in the shoulders, thoracic spine, and latissimus dorsi can also contribute to an over the top plane. When these muscles are tight and short it can cause a slumped or rounded posture called C-Posture. This rounded posture typically causes a steep or near vertical position of the club at the top of the backswing resulting in an over the top plane. For individuals with lack of mobility in these areas, keeping the club set at the top while engaging the lower body first can seem impossible.


Another limitation that can contribute to an over the top swing plane is reverse spine angle. Often associated with sway, reverse spine angle changes the lateral position of the pelvis while tilting the angle of the spine back toward the target, making it difficult for the lower body to initiate the downswing sequence. From the top of the backswing the lower body is out of position, forcing the golfer to initiate the downswing with the upper body and arms and causing an over the top plane. Finding specific causes of these limitations and improving them will go a long way toward improving your swing plane.


Getting your body and club into the correct position in the downswing can feel very difficult if any of these physical limitations are present in your body. The next time you hit the course, try these exercises to unlock any restrictions that may be hindering your ability to get into a good swing plane.



Shoulder Bridge-
Hold your body weight for 30 seconds. Keep your elbow right directly under your armpit.




Arm Circles –

Stand facing a mirror with your feet pointed straight ahead. Place your finger tips into the pad of each hand and point your thumb straight out. This hand position is imperative to doing the exercise correctly. Squeeze your shoulder blades together backwards and bring your arms out to your sides at shoulder level. With your palms facing downward, circle up and forward for the repetitions specified. With your palms facing upward, circle up and back for the desired repetitions. Remember to keep your feet straight and squeeze your shoulder blades together.

Kinematic Sequencing

How Motion Capturing Can Help Your Game

One of the most common complaints that I hear from new clients is that they are frustrated with the lack of power and consistency in their golf swing. Despite recent advancements in club and ball technology, do you feel that your ball striking has actually regressed over the years? A multitude of factors such as problems with balance, stability, and mobility may contribute to poor ball striking. In order to pinpoint where you are breaking down in your golf swing it is necessary to analyze how your body moves throughout your swing. Viewing your kinematic sequence lets us specifically identify where you may have power leaks or energy blocks in your golf swing. Thanks to advancements in 3D motion-capturing technology we can now analyze how efficiently you are generating energy in your swing by looking at your kinematic sequence. Your kinematic sequence measures how efficiently the segments of your body generate power and transfer energy to the club. While there are many swing styles on the PGA, LPGA, and Senior Tours, all of the players on these tours have a signature kinematic sequence.




Above is the kinematic sequence of one of the top players in the world. The bottom red line represents the rotational speed of the pelvis, the green line represents the torso, the blue line is the arms, and the burgundy line is the speed of the club shaft. The letter T on the top of the page denotes the top of the backswing and I represents the moment of impact. Notice in this sequence that the red line (pelvis) reaches a peak rotational speed first on the x axis followed by the green line or torso segment, then the blue line or arms, and then finally the club peaks right at impact. Both the rotational speed and the order in which these segments reach peak speed have important implications for the golf swing.

The less skilled golfer shows no such sequence, with the peaks of each curve being totally out of order. The arms and club show a similar pattern to the skilled golfer but the pelvis and thorax do not. The pelvis rotation speed peaks at impact and the arms curve “attempts” to have a hump in the forward swing but in fact continues increasing to a higher speed in the follow through phase. This golfer has a faster rotation speed of the thorax in the follow through than in the downswing! This suggests that the body segments contribute little, and the arms and club produce most of the effort.



Whether a player swings like Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, John Daly, or Chi Chi Rodriguez, all great ball strikers have a similar kinematic sequence, generating speed and transferring speed throughout their body in the same highly efficient manner. These players all start their downswing smoothly from the ground up by rotating their hips toward the target, followed by the shoulders, and then the arms. Unfortunately, many amateurs swing in reverse order (arms, then shoulders, then hips). This sequence from the backswing to the downswing is imperative to applying the maximum amount of energy to the ball.


Using the hips to initiate the downswing mechanics of the golf swing is an incredibly challenging movement pattern for most individuals. Many people cannot properly sequence their golf swing because of physical limitations such as hip mobility, shoulder dysfunction, or difficulty separating the upper and lower body. For many of my clients, the key to helping them improve the function of their kinematic sequence is to attack these physical limitations through corrective exercises.

If you are one of the many golfers who struggles with consistent ball striking, poor kinematic sequencing may be your problem. To eliminate difficulty properly initiating your downswing, focus on exercises that increase hip and torso strength and flexibility. Drills that mimic the ideal hip initiation of the downswing can also help you with proper sequencing and lead to a more powerful and consistent golf swing. Training your body to feel comfortable with this movement will yield significant benefits out on the course. If you have any comments or questions please feel free to email me at chris@fluidmotiongolf.com

Video Of Fluid Motion

www.youtube.com/cmrosscmross#p/a/u/0/g6zxE7PFmFk

Who the hell am I anyway?

I figured this first blog could be a great time to share who I am and what it is I do.



I started Fluid Motion almost 6 years ago at The Ridge. At that time, I wasnt getting any better at golf and I figured there were specific reasons for that. My body was screwed up and I knew it. I just didnt know how to fix it. I knew that if I could develop a system that would repair our bodies and enable us to play and feel our best, that I would be on to something big and exciting.



Things have evolved so much since that time. I have been so fortunate to work with so many great people. I am very lucky to be able to use TPI 3D and motion analysis equipment for the last three years.



I will be posting a multitude of articles on here about my findings and research.



Thanks!





Chris Ross
Credentials & Expertise

BS Exercise Science Montana State University
BS Health Promotion (K-12) Montana State University
Golf Training Specialist For MSU Bobcats Golf Team
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Egoscue Certified Postural Alignment Specialist
Titleist Performance Institute TPI Certified Golf Fitness Instructor And Columnist
Titleist Performance Institute Certified Golf Biomechanist
Regular Fitness Columnist for The Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Resist A Ball CORE Certification Level 2
Certified New Leaf Metabolic Testing and Programming 2.0
Certified Free Motion Cable Group/Personal Instructor
Certified Teacher For The State Of Montana
Former Bozeman High Assistant Varsity Golf Team Coach
Former Montana State Coaches’Association Member




Areas of Expertise


Golf Specific Assesment/Performance
Golf Biomechanics
Postural Alignment Specialization/Pain Eradication

Human Biomechanics
Gait/Running Analysis


Hobbies


Golf
Mountain Biking
Snowboarding
Reading