Biomechanics Of Golf Swing

The biomechanics of a golf swing have to do with the human body, the muscles, skeleton and nerves in their involvement with swinging a club to hit a golf ball. Thanks to the study of the body’s movements in correlation with swinging a golf club, scientists known as biomechanists have been able to successfully develop a working model of an optimal golf swing.

Thanks to this research, there has been many advancements in the golf industry from the way the clubs and heads are designed, to the way the golf balls are dimpled. The vast amounts of information which has become available today for manufacturers, coaches and players is so abundant that the game itself has been improved substantially over the years, and while this “optimal” swing cannot be considered the perfect swing, it is still a goal that many players and enthusiasts around the world still strive to obtain. 

The biomechanics of a golf swing can be broken down into a series of actions or stages. The first stage of a golf swing is known as the address. The address of a golf swing is when the golfer places his or her body in line with the ball in preparation of the swing. This address is then followed by the back swing in which the golfer pulls back on the club and begins the swing. This back swing allows the golfer’s body to be aligned in the correct position for the down swing.

The point in which the golfer has completed the backswing and is ready to start the down swing is known as the transition stage according to the biomechanics of golf. This stage is mostly related to the transition of the weight on the feet when the golfer in preparation for the down swing transfers her or her weight to the other foot. 

From here, the golfer will begin the descent of the down swing. During this stage, the movement of the body, arms, elbows and knees are in such a way as to create a substantial amount of torque prior to making contact with the ball. The amount of torque needed will depend on many factors like club choice and distance to the green. All of these stages lines up for the most important stage which happens in less than a millisecond of time. In this half millisecond, the golfer’s club makes contact with the ball in a manner that will ultimately determine the course in which the ball will follow until it makes contact with the ground. 

The contact is followed by the follow through which is more or less the allowance of the body to decelerate from the torque built up for the contact with the ball. This follow though is important especially in the body’s case as it can mean the difference between incurring an injury or not and has been shown through the biomechanics of the golf swing as an important part of the overall swing.