Respecting The One-Sided Nature Of Golf (Imbalance Injury)

As you may know from previous emails I have been trying to un-ravel my own minor right-sided lower back discomfort over the last few weeks ...

Trying to establish causes, potential imbalances and what I can do to eliminate it.

Its nothing major, just a little irritating ...

But it is hindering my single leg dead lift goal ...

And may, unchecked, turn into something more serious.

So, its an interesting 'project'.


Currently I have a number of theories that I'm testing.

But one interesting one cropped up last week that was worth writing about:

Quite simply ...I swung a club pretty hard left handed a few times while I was out in the back yard with my son.

I can only describe the feeling in 4 pretty useless words:

It felt 'good' but 'uncoordinated' ...

And it felt very 'different' and a lot 'tighter' than my right sided swing.


All of this got me thinking hard about the one-sided nature of golf ...

The imbalances this produces, how it can restrict performance and how it could set you up for injury ...


Now we are not going to get too deep into the theory here ...

Because I just want to give the most useful 'nuggets' of golf fitness info I can ...

But if continuing to play golf (uninjured) for years to come is high on your list of priorities, then this one is for you ...


     One-Sided Imbalances

According to Nick Buchan from Stronger Golf:

"...Right handed golfers typically display adducted or internally rotated right hips, low right shoulders, left thoracic rotation and left rib flare ..."

But here is where the fun begins ...

We have to make an important distinction between two things: 'Sporting Adaptations' that help you to swing the golf club and 'Run-Away Imbalances'which left unchecked can lead to injury ...

(This is best left to a professional as it is very hard to make this call on your own ...)

'Sporting Adaptations' are OK, whereas 'Run-Away Imbalances' ... well, not so much. 

A quote from renowned Strength Coach Eric Cressey:

“...[Training] Specificity works great until you’re so specific that you wind up injured and have forgotten how to do everything else ...”


Going back to the one-sided nature of golf, this quote makes total sense ...

Taken to its extreme ...

hitting bucket after bucket right handed ...

playing multiple rounds per week right handed ...

and then training that same 'specific' golf pattern, stance & position in the gym, without left-right balance in a program, would take you quickly into 'Run-Away Imbalances' territory ...

Injury & Pain. 

Time away from golf.


So, obviously: 

"...A well designed golf-specific strength training programs will include rotational drills on the opposite side, and take you through various ranges of motion in various stances so as to round you out as an athlete and counteract the effect of the golf swing that reinforces these imbalances ..."

Not to mention addressing the 'Run-Away Imbalances' with a solid group of Mobility & Stability drills ...


     Improving Performance with Opposite Side Training


Reducing your injury risk not enough of a motivator ...?

Still want to hit the ball further too ...?

Well the smart people at the Titleist Performance Institute have coined the Big Break Theory:

"...there seems to be a strong correlation between the longest hitters in the world and a history of speed training in the opposite direction. In other words, if they were a right-handed golfer, they would train for speed left-handed ..."

Another layer added ...

Supporting my call for balance above to reduce injuries...

But taking it a step further and saying we can improve distance by doing this ...!

Double Whammy ...!

How does it work ...?

"...Our theory is that you will only accelerate to the point of which your body knows you can safely decelerate. Therefore, the stronger and faster your decelerators are, the faster you can develop your accelerators ..."

And they also note from an injury prevention point of view:

"...There is also the argument that training the opposite side of the body helps maintain symmetry and mobility, which is beneficial regardless of what direction you are swinging ..."


Some good ways to incorporate Opposite Side Training:

• Opposite Side Throwing
• Opposite Side Tee Ball Batting (Baseball)
• Opposite Side Golf Swings
• Backward Sprinting

Need your 'Run-Away Imbalances' checked out ...?

Come and get a Professional TPI Screening HERE: Click here to request a complimentary Golf Fitness Consultation with Andrew. (In-person or via Skype. You choose.)


Cheers

Andrew "Going Lefty" Ransom, The Golf Fitness PT