Yes it is true. Sitting down for 40 hours a week at work is killing your golf game, absolutely killing it. Okay, lets add to that the few hours at home you spend on the couch watching TV and the daily commute, oh and don’t forget the hours spent in bed. All this time in a non-loading position wreaks havoc on your golf swing.
Now your probably thinking I’m talking about the inactivity and how that will make it difficult to walk 18 holes bla, bla, bla, bla. Now you would be right, it will have a negative effect, but lets talk about how sitting down affects your swing (specifically hips).
Sitting – The Hips
So in simple terms in when you sit your thigh muscles shorten and your posterior muscles (bum, fanny, glute) lengthen. When you sit for prolonged periods your brain thinks your using (contracting) your thigh muscles and relaxing your glute muscles. Overtime this results in your glutes being weaker and your thigh muscles tighter.
Therefore you lose mobility in your hips. Not good.
Hip mobility in golf is so important. With poor hip mobility the body has to compensate in some way in order to swing the golf club. These you may experience the following:
· Slices and Hooks
· Lose Posture
· Back Pain
· Slide, sway…
These are just some of the issues you may encounter.
The Fix
So know you know what the problem is, how do you go about fixing it? Well the simple answer is, there isn’t one. Your body is complex and while sitting can affect your hip mobility it can lead to many other imbalances too. Your best bet is to be seen by a professional who can screen your entire body and make sure any limitations are covered.
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