There are 12 most common swing characteristics in a golf swing, which include:
- S-Posture
- C-Posture
- Loss of Posture
- Flat Shoulder Plane
- Early Extension
- Over-the-Top
- Sway
- Slide
- Reverse Spine Angle
- Hanging Back
- Casting/Early Release/Scooping
- Chicken Winging
In my subsequent blogs I will be going through each of these 12 in more detail. But let’s start with:
- S-Posture
Description
S-Posture is characterised by too much arch in the player’s lower back in set-up. This can be due to the player sticking their tail bone out too much in their set-up position or from postural dysfunction that is evident even in their standing posture.
This excessive curvature in the lower back, or S-Posture, puts abnormally high stress on the muscles in the lower back and causes the abdominal muscles to become inhibited. This faulty posture and potential deactivation of the core muscles can cause a loss of posture or reverse spine angle during the backswing. This, in turn, puts the lower body out of position on the downswing and will affect the swings sequence of motion.
Physical Causes
Sometimes the S-Posture is actually caused by a series of muscle imbalances called a Lower Crossed Syndrome (LCS). One of the most clinically relevant patterns of muscle dysfunction is a Lower Crossed Syndrome. Simply put, Lower Crossed Syndrome is a grouping of weak muscles combined with overactive or tight muscles, that create a predictable movement pattern in the lower back, a pattern that can lead to injury.
Lower Crossed Syndrome is basically the combination of tight hip flexors and a tight lower back, paired with weak abdominals and weak glutes. This combination leads to an excessive arching or rounding of the lower back, a protruding abdomen, and a flat bottom (due to weakness in the glutes). This is a combination of muscle imbalances that causes excessive stress on the structures of the lower back.
In addition, an S-Posture can be the result of too much pelvic tilt when addressing the ball or a misunderstanding of an athletic set-up position (common in athletes who have played baseball, football and basketball).
S-Posture is best confirmed by screening the player. So if you think you may have an S-Posture then come and see Bonnie (TPI certified) at Bend + Mend in Sydney’s CBD for a Golf Physiotherapy Assessment and TPI screening.
