Covid-19 Update - By now there is a degree of “when will this end” going through all of our brains. It is natural for the human being to be unsettled when their sense of routine is disrupted and a desire for things to “go back” to reassert a sense of control. Please stay vigilant in your own self care and isolation. I am not acting as a public health official here but just out of concern for my fellow golfers and GoaLoGolf community with sensible advice that will protect us all. Below is a drill you can do at home while isolated.
DO THE FIVE
Help stop coronavirus
1 HANDS Wash them often
2 ELBOW Cough into it
3 FACE Don't touch it
4 FEET Stay more than 6ft apart
5 STAY HOME unless absolutely necessary
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Train your Brain. Conquer the Game.
The body is imbued with an array of sensors that feedback information to the brain to provide it with the raw material to make decisions on how to change states. As it relates to golf, the proprioceptive receptors in the muscles and tendons are the most relevant sensors providing useful information to the golfing brain.
MUSINGS FROM AN APPLIED NEUROSCIENTIST
Full Swing Body Scan
Neuroscience basis:
The body scan increases the gain of sensory smartgrid information fed to the rest of the brain. While focusing on this exclusively and swinging smoothly, fluidly without a ball to hit, the brain settles in to absorbing the information relating to body position, tension, and mechanics that is not possible when also trying to focus on a target or a shot outcome. It is important to spend time away from the course promoting this feel with a club in hand. Envision each of these parts relaxing and removing resistance to motion. If you identify a particularly troublesome spot in your body that is causing pain, or undue resistance to movement, this is a cue to seek medical attention. These body scans put you in a state of keen awareness of your body and this is critical for recognition of injury as well as to help you maximize efficiency. The club should be swung such that this movement reduces effort with every pass and should start at quarter speed and build to “full” rotation only as your body allows. The swings can occur continuously rather than starting at a static address position. This exercise is designed to prevent injury as well as get your body awareness heightened for the driver swing in particular and lead you to a healthier, more durable and safe swing of the driver that doesn’t compromise speed and power.
FROM THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE
Instructions:
With a long iron or driver in hand for 7 minutes per session 2 times a day (ideal would be early in the morning coupled with your intentional movement regimen and in the afternoon when you are going stir crazy from isolation), make gentle ¾ swings focused on removing resistance to motion, tightness, pain or pressure.
Scan your body in the following sequence for these sensations and simply try to soften these unpleasant sensations as they arise. Fluidity and economy of motion develop as you engage in this drill.
Start at the feet, move up symmetrically through the musculoskeletal system scanning the ankles, the flexors and extensors of the ankles, the knees, the flexors and extensors of the knees, the hips, the flexors, extensors and rotational muscles of the hips.
Then the lumbar spine, the thoracic spine and cervical spine. Spend some time here in the core engine and really get to soften the support muscles around the spine to enable flexibility and supple strength at the same time.
Once you have got the core base scanned, continue from your grip to your wrists, then supinators and pronators of the wrists in the forearms, then the elbows, the biceps, triceps, deltoids and rotator cuff.
Alternate whether you are swinging left or right handed with each session or after several swings in each direction to balance the movement.
Full swing body scan - lower body and spine
Full swing body scan - hands arms and shoulders
For an audio equivalent to the written instructions, you might listen to the following as you swing. I will lead you through your body in this step-wise fashion. If you feel comfortable with your balance, you can do this as a destabilization drill but at the start please ignore the instruction to mount a Bosu ball (that was recorded for the benefit of an elite golfer who could easily handle it).
Primary focus:
Will vary through your body as you progress through the scan. Maintain a very pointed attention to the intended body part.
Peripheral awareness:
Will come to the feel of the weight of the club as you swing, the mechanics of the swing and the remainder of your body that is not the primary focus of attention for comparison.
Hopefully a drill like this can quiet your thoughts and ruminations and get you back into feeling your body better during the swing.