Biomechanics is the study of human body movement. Anatomy and kinematics are within the subject as well. But why use this science in golf?

There are three main reasons.

A field of science clarifies its subject matter and allows you to determine its basic essentials. Therefore, biomechanics allows us to clearly interpret and understand the movement in the swing. If we observe these movements, and isolate them, we can see what impact the movements have on a shot. If the movement provides a beneficial characteristic to the shot, then we can effectively apply it to our game because we know what the exact movement is. 

Clarity and understanding of the movement are hard to achieve, especially in the golf swing. There are dozens of movements in a specific order, and it all happens within a couple seconds. Even if video footage of a swing is slowed down, there is no guarantee the average golfer will know what is happening. A common comment on short game is “don’t be handsy.” Considering only the elbows and wrists, there are eight available movements. So, which of those are or are not included in the definition of handsy? There are necessary hand movements we need to see in the short game, but we also do not use all eight movements. Golf jargon is too vague.

The best that we can do without biomechanics is be descriptive. Being descriptive is too shallow of an analysis. Describing does not equal understanding. My niece could describe a calculus equation. She could notate the squiggly lines, recognize a graph, she could even blow us away by dropping a vocabulary word like “asymptote.” Despite her descriptive effort, she still does not understand the equation nor how to solve it. She is only in 4th grade though so we will cut her some slack.

Biomechanics is the lens we can look through to interpret the movements in the swing and know what those movements provide. 

Knowing what a movement contributes is invaluable to our performance and confidence. For instance, we can know that it is correct to keep our trail foot neutral at address position. But if we do not know why, we could easily abandon the technique at the slightest theoretical suggestion. A friend could confront us saying “hey, I saw a video that says if you flare your back foot out you can take a longer backswing!

”Wow, maybe it works” you think to yourself. “Longer drives come from longer swings, right?” Just like that, a foundational piece of the posture is uprooted. Knowing why we do something is protection against incorrect instruction and information. It also allows us to persevere if our performance wavers. A bad shot does not always happen because the swing is faulty, sometimes it is a mental distraction. Knowing the how and why for movements in the golf swing is the foundational rock for our progression and performance.

Second, biomechanics allows us to perform safely and efficiently. Kelly Starrett, a world-renowned Coach and Physical Therapist, states our physical structures (Bones, ligaments, etc) are designed to last nearly 110 years. The ‘wear and tear’ of our soft tissues and bones is inevitable but still meant to last a long time. Starrett argues the entirety of athletic performers decrease that 110-year lifetime because of poor technique. The incorrect positions and movements combined with frequent repetition wears down the body faster. Additionally, the lack of sound technique opens the door for injuries. Injuries can reduce our time in the game, compromise performance, and ultimately end involvement in a sport much sooner than players would like. Let us not forget that injuries also affect everyday life. A golfer who strains their neck due to poor mechanics must now cope with daily limitations like strict sleeping postures or discomfort with backing out the car. 

While biomechanics is an advanced subject, it makes the golf swing simple. Injuries aside, Starrett notes that incorrect techniques tend to use more energy and add more movements. For example, a deadlift is primarily performed with a push in the legs and thrust of the hips. There is a degree of upper body involvement with the hands gripping bar and the lower back remaining taught. However, a lifter would exhaust their body pulling the bar with the back, shoulders, and arms. The lifter will accomplish way more reps with more weight using the legs that were designed for deadlifting. 

This idea of efficiency applies to golf. We want to work smarter, not harder. Our bodies are well-equipped to create rotational forces and we can make it look effortless. Ernie Els, a four-time major winner and golf Hall of Famer, was nicknamed the ‘Big Easy’ for his fluid, effortless swing. Even into his twilight years he was still one of the longer hitters and most consistent performers. With biomechanically efficient principles, we can maximize our performance while making less effort.

If we want more time on the course, if we want swings to feel easier, then we need healthy movements patterns and positions. Biomechanics tells us what those are. 

Finally, we ought to use biomechanics to establish consistent performance. This is a byproduct of the first two benefits. When we understand how our swing works, we no longer have to search for our swing on the range or conduct experiments to investigate a mishap. We do not need to read the latest Golf Digest or subscribe to a dozen golf tip sources on YouTube. Knowing how to swing and why we make those movements protects us from the constant confusion which pushes us into fluctuating performance. The education equips us to self-diagnose any errors when they do happen and make immediate corrections. This raises the floor of our performance. Our bad days won’t be so bad anymore, we won’t panic because we actually know what’s going on. Knowing is half the battle and it’s the first one everyone else is losing. You cannot repair what you don’t understand. You cannot fix the symptom when you don’t know the cause. Conversely, you cannot maintain success when you don’t know it’s source. The vast majority of golfers’ issues has nothing to do with their physical ability, they have hit plenty of good shots. The gap lies in the cognizance of how they created those shots. This leads to another point of differentiation for biomechanics and why it provides consistency: it ends the search.

With biomechanics, there is a point at which your education ends, and all that remains is application. You no longer have to process information, merely perform. The golf industry has hooked the golf populace on consuming information. Golf Digest, Golf Channel, and every other small to midsize operation is all about the ‘new’ and ‘now’. How many times has an article been published with the promise of fixing a slice?

FIX YOUR SLICE NOW!

3 NEW TIPS TO CURE THE SLICE!

HOW TO TURN YOUR SLICE INTO A DRAW!

They’ve been “fixing” this problem for 70 years! Why is it a new solution? Why is the information different? There’s nothing wrong with clarification but the brains behind this stuff seem to think there are infinite ways to perform. There is always another thing to do or add to the swing. The problem with that is it forever has you bogged down with improving and never performing. You cannot consistently perform when you have to constantly take in a ‘new’ technique. You cannot perform with information overload. Simplicity goes hand-in-hand with consistency. While biomechanics may be advanced subject matter along with a hefty amount of information, it ultimately ends up becoming concise. We cover the crucial details of why and how but once it’s understood and performed, we only need to remember it by name. I can vet the proper leg and hip sequence ad nauseam but once a client comprehends and performs this, the simple thought becomes “use the lower body.” Getting too detailed will cause ‘paralysis by analysis’. When the brain gives the body too much to do, it can’t coordinate. Every aim ends up suffering in performance or being completely absent. A single or a minimalist aim will grant far more success. Biomechanics provides finite instruction.

Knowing what the swing is doing and the correlations between those techniques and shot results allows us to change and cement our performance for the better without second-guessing.

The avoidance of injuries and the efficient use of our body allows us to continue our improvement and pursuit of goals in a healthy and physically effortless way.   

Consistency is the one thing every golfer tells me they want. It is what produces the best scores. No one wants to be good for just half of the round or half of their golf season. There is a point at which the intake of information ends.

Biomechanics is the answer to your best performance on a consistent basis with complete regard for your well being.