Basic Golf Swing

Basic Golf Swing
All professional golfers are very effective at using "elastic muscle energy". Like a large rubber band, muscles actually have an elastic quality to them, allowing them to snap back like a stretched rubber band. This elastic muscle energy allows them to exert much more force than possible during normal muscle contractions. It makes their swing movements look smooth and explosive. Elastic muscle energy comes from a muscle wanting to snap back to its original length after being stretched. This elastic energy, triggered by little stretch receptors located in the muscle, and elastic qualities of the tissue, are stored as "potential energy" in the muscle. This potential energy can be used to increase the amount of force the muscle produces. However, this stored energy must be used immediately or it will be lost as heat. The secret to using elastic energy is to coordinate the nervous and muscle contraction systems to work with the muscle stored energy. After the stretch, the muscles must be turned on instantly to take advantage of the muscles recoil. Developing elasticity in movement can be difficult. In general, when doing sports movements, begin with the legs so that your legs can get an elastic recoil with your upper body. The golf swing, with its strong rotational movement has power generated from the legs causing their upper body to whip through the motion like a slingshot. Effective use of elastically requires the trained eye or a good computerized motion analysis system. Next time you watch professional golf on TV, watch them closely and try to emulate their movements.


Basic Golf Swing