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.
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
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
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