In our last article we talked about the 1st key to adding significant distance to your game without equipment upgrades, swing hacks or gimmicky swing tool aids…and that was the initial power starter of the legs.
Well, in part 2 of this distance series we’re going to cover the importance of what happens above the legs after that energy is so powerfully and wonderously started through the legs…separation of the upper and lower half. More specifically, separation of the pelvis and the torso (trunk, core, thoracic spine, whatever you want to call it).
So, this article will be geared more around your body’s ability to properly sequence a swing from the top or the transition back down to impact.
We know that the legs need to drive force through the ground to create a good powerful starting point, but how do we keep that energy transferring up the chain so that it ends up into the upper body heading in the correct direction towards the arms and the club.
This will optimally happen as long as you can separate your pelvis from your torso.
What that essentially means is can your pelvis rotate while your torso/trunk remain stable and then vice versa…can your torso rotate while your pelvis remains stable and solid.
At the beginning of the day, what we’re talking about is motor control. This is your body’s ability to fire a segment with significance because another body part is stable and rock solid.
I use the interesting, albeit, effective analogy often of shooting a cannon.
You see, someone who demonstrates superb motor control in the golf swing with the tests that we will show below, is the equivolent of shooting a cannon off of land.
On land, the cannon has a nice stable base to work from, so when the cannon shoots the ball, it will actually go as far as the gun powder or whatever mechanisms that be should shoot could allow.
BUT, if an individual lacks appropriate motor control in the separation tests and in the golf swing, it is the equivolent of shooting a cannon off of a boat.
The boat is wobbly, unstable, and really has no foundation underneath it. So when the cannon fires, it will not go very far and have very little “umphâ€.
Now, after you can demonstrate control or “separation†it is obviously going to be beneficial to have some strength, speed, and ultimately power with it.
BUT, if you cannot demonstrate separation with a simple closed environment task as below, then you will likely not need to worry about strength or speed as you just plain will lack the foundation.
To test yourself for your abilty to separate the upper and lower half efficiently, take a look at the simple self screens below….
So give those two foundational moves a try…if you struggle with them…AND I MEAN HONESTLY STRUGGLE WITH THEM, THE TORSO DOESN’T MOVE WHEN THE PELVIS IS AND VICE VERSA…then you will struggle to hit the ball as far as you potentially could.
And stay tuned for next time when we discuss part 3 of “How To Hit The Golf Ball Farther…Without the Gimmicks.—
Thanks for reading!
Dr. Eric Wallace
P.S. If you’d like to find out where your golf strength and power potential are, you can sign up for a free Titleist Power and Mobility test with us here…Free Titleist Power and Mobility Test
P.P.S. We have a FREE 5 DAYS TO 15 YARDS CHALLENGE COMING UP…this is an entirely online challenge of which you get a significant number (5 days worth) of free self-assessments, home programming, and significant distance gains. AND, if you follow the rules of the challenge, you could win a set of SuperSpeed Golf Trainers to add even more distance.
P.P.P.S. If you’d like to join us for our Swing Speed 101 Golf Fitness Class then please email me at eric@motusrx.com…we have separate classes for adults and juniors. This class gives you all inclusive access to our Swing Studio, Swing Speed Sticks (Superspeed Golf), and Recovery Tools including our Red Light Therapy, Game Ready pneumatic compression machine, and HyperVolt Massage Gun.