Welcome to Psoas Massage + Bodywork

Psoas Massage + Bodywork Newsletter

Welcome to Psoas Bodywork

Greetings!

Golfer

With the U.S. Open starting today, this month's newsletter is dedicated to golf.

We explain why golf instruction, stretching and bodywork go hand in hand in preventing injury, enjoying the game more, for longer, and to your full potential. Check out our stretching videos for more information.

Learn about Thoracic rotation and increasing club head speed in the article below. Local instructor Mark Emmons demonstrates how to swing without pain in an instructional video and also makes a special offer on lessons for Psoas' Clients. And San Francisco Golf Shop Kepler & Trowbridge Golf also has a special offer on club fittings for all our clients. We endorse them both so check them out.

In the right sidebar, check out DJ Split's latest Disc review. Something to golf to, maybe? Well maybe not, but a great disc - give it a listen and let us know what you think.

And finally, Psoas therapists will be at both the U.S. Open Golf Tournament and the Ford Coeur d'Alene Ironman competition working on the athletes. We are so excited to be out there in the athletic community spreading the love!
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Peace,
From the staff at Psoas

Flexibility training - Improve your game!

There is no substitute for good coaching for your golf swing. However, your body can only do what it can do. Everyone is unique and your own strength, stability and flexibility is going to shape how much you can listen to your instruction. Very often deficiencies in any of these areas can make it impossible for your body to consistently perform the swing that your instructor is teaching.

In this next video, using the Latissimus Dorsi as an example, Scott will explain how lack of flexibility can make it impossible to stay in a proper stance and get your club to parallel (to the ground) at the end of your backswing.

Click to see video

Below, Scott provides three stretches to help increase your Lat flexibility.

Click to see video

Stretching is a great way to help increase your ability to reproduce your swing. The less tension in your body, the easier it will be to swing.

The bodywork we do at Psoas Massage + Bodywork can aid tremendously in your flexibility. Give us a call at 415.227.0331 if you want our help.

Mark Emmons - Swing Coach

MarkEmmons Golf Instructor

Professional Instructor
Bay Area Golf Academy
415-215-3102 - cell
M5underpar@gmail.com

Mark has been teaching at the San Bruno Golf Center for the past five years. He is an all around athlete who grew up playing Basketball, Tennis and Baseball.

While working for Hank Haney he had the opportunity to learn from some of the world's best teachers and players.

"Basically, if you stay centered and move the club on a good plane, you can learn how to make the head of the club swing freely through the impact area.

Too many players spin the core muscles of the body so fast that the hands and arms can't catch up at the right time. This results in a painful hitting or chopping motion that will eventually cause injury. First, learn a proper swinging motion. THEN, add more speed from the core for more distance. Most players have it backward."

Mark is an excellent communicator who has given tens of thousands of lessons in his career. His expert use of Video analysis really enhances his message.

So contact Mark today, he has helped all levels of golfers learn a pain free and fun way to play golf.

Mark's Rates:
$60/ 30 minute lesson
$110/ 60 minute lesson
$270/ five 30 minute lessons

Special for Psoas Clients:
$240/ five 30 minute lessons

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Endorsement from Scott Schwartz - Owner of Psoas

"Last year I took some seminars at the Titleist Performance Institute. I learned that making a correct golf swing is predicated on what your body can do physically. All the instruction in the world is not going to get you to make a proper backswing if your hips are too tight to allow your body to rotate around your back leg. So we fix the internal rotation of your back hip joint and now your teaching can progress.

Mark Emmons - my swing coach - took one look at my swing and was able to tell me why my back was aching from golf. He taught me to understand that my hips were going to lead automatically on the forward swing but I also had to let my arms swing to get the energy from my body to the ball. That way the energy didn't get stuck in my body until way after I hit the ball. - which now allows me to play golf with substantially less back strain.

The combination of good bodywork and golf instruction can truly transform your game - give it a try."

Back Pain and the Golf Swing?!

by Mark Emmons.

Do they have to go hand in hand?

The answer is no... if the golfer is really swinging the club. There is a huge difference between a swinging motion and a hitting, chopping, heaving, hacking, or pulling motion. Which one are you? The answer lies in how it feels.

A true swinging motion that results in effortless power and little to no impact on the body can only occur if the head of the club is passing freely through the contact zone without the chest and shoulders leading the way.

Click for video

Most players have heard about good players getting so much power from their hips and core muscles that they have overdosed on the principle. For most of us, this super fast spinning of the hips, especially the torso, results in the head of the club lagging behind, unable to catch up to the chest and shoulders at the time of impact.

Take a look at almost any good player. While you will see a fast move of the big muscles of the body on the forward swing, notice how they can make the head catch up and pass the body at, or somewhere close to impact. If the center of the body is moving too fast to the left (for a right hand player) the arms and hands can't catch up and pass the body until well after impact. The problem with this is the club head will have been slowed greatly by impacting the ball when it had not yet reached its top speed. THIS IS WHAT CAUSES BACK, NECK, SHOLDER, YOU NAME IT PAIN IN THE GOLF SWING.

Swinging is easy and fun. Heaving and hacking is hard work and frustrating.

So ask yourself how your motion feels: If it feels like a lot of work, you are leading too much with the big muscles of the body and all that energy you create cannot get to the ball. If it feels effortless and the ball jumps off the club face, you are swinging!

Thoracic ROM and Swing Speed of the Golf Club

Clinical Research By

Mary Peyovich, Stephanie Lansdown, Michael Detwiler, Jeff Brann, James Ivaska, Douglas Nelson

Central Question

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether treatment of the muscles that produce / restrict thoracic rotation might have any effect on golf club swing speed. Increasing club-head speed means greater velocity and therefore greater distance of the flight of the golf ball. Generally, distance of flight of the golf ball is a factor of both speed of the club and the full impact of the club on the ball. The latter is a function of proper mechanics, hitting the ball squarely.

The increase of momentum resulting from the increase in backswing distance will allow for higher club head speed at the point of impact with the golf ball. This distance is often limited by limitations in thoracic range of motion (ROM). Follow through distance would also affect the golf head speed by changing the circular motion of the golf club. Follow through distance is also limited by thoracic range of motion restriction. In this study, we treat muscles that could limit thoracic ROM and measure the effect of this treatment on the speed of the club

Muscles Addressed were:

Internal Oblique
External Oblique
Latissimus
Rotatores
Serratus Posterior Inferior
Serratus Posterior Superior
Levator Costorum
Intercostals

Method

Subjects were recruited across a broad spectrum of ages. The only exclusion criteria were that they should have no current back pain and have some proficiency with the golf swing.

Measurement Phase

Measurements were done by using a goniometer to measure the thoracic ROM, calculating the angle of the shoulders in relation to the beginning position. Club-head speed was measured using a Doppler radar velocity sensor from Swing Speed Sensors, Inc. The subject was allowed to take a few practice swings and the seven

readings were taken, dropping the highest and the lowest for a total of five readings.

The average was taken of these five readings.

Treatment Phase

Therapists were given a sheet with the thoracic ROM degrees. From those measurements, the therapists were allowed to treat any muscle that may limit ROM.

Treatments were generally about 10-15 minutes.

Post -Treatment Measurements

After treatment, measurements of both thoracic ROM and swing speed were taken again.

Discussion

From the initial data, the study suggests that PNMT treatment on the above muscles can increase thoracic range of motion: 89% of subjects increased their right range of motion and 76% increased their left range of motion. Furthermore, the study suggests that

PNMT treatment could increase swing speed. The average change in swing speed was an increase of 6mph. 78% of subjects increased their swing speed.

The results from the study also suggest that a difference in effect is based on whether or not the subject had restricted ROM (less than 45 degrees). In subjects who were restricted the average change in swing speed was an increase of 10.5mph. In those who were not restricted the average change was an increase of 2.9mph.

In the future, we think it would be wise to look at the following. . .

Data suggests that the initial impact of static stretching is to slightly weaken muscles. This effect diminishes within 20-30 minutes. One would then wonder about treating the muscles and waiting 15-30 minutes before taking readings.

In this study, we treated muscles that limit ROM. Another possibility is to up-regulate muscles that create thoracic rotation, specifically left rotation for a right-handed golfer. For instance, we would treat the left Internal Oblique in an up-regulation mode rather than to release restriction in the right Internal Oblique.

Limitations of hip rotation could be another factor in decreasing backswing and follow through distance. By treating the hip rotators we could possibly create another treatment group for the study.

In this study we treated both backswing limitations as well as follow through. Which factor is more important in increasing momentum? Splitting the groups up would allow for an answer to this question.

Many of the Golfers reported that the swing felt much easier after PNMT treatment. If the swing seems more efficient, does that have an effect on endurance?

Psoas at Major Sporting Events