Rounded shoulders and lower back pain

[the garboligist]

I am having lessons at the moment and my pro said that I have very rounded shoulders which are bring my elbows in on the set up stage. Also to get the correct "straight back" posture I have to stick my backside out which is giving me hell as I have mild sciatica in my right hip and right lower back. Also because of the work that I do I have very powerfull hands and shoulders which means I tend to bully my shots withiut nowing it. I play at my best if I stand as upright as i can comforably with the ball quite close, I then only have a slight hook. Of the tees I have to play a very low tee and with only a 3/4 swing i am hitting around 225 with a 3 wood. Is there a swing or any ideas of how I can get round my back problem and still look like a golfer even if I am not one. My handicap is 18 and I am right handed.

[pgmetcalf]

Re: Rounded shoulders and lower back pain

I think address is one of the most important things in golf. I have a video of John Stirling saying, "Every good golfer looks like a good golfer before hitting the ball." John's drill and the mantra which I use everyday is:

* Stand at attention (feet together, chest out and chin up)

* Stand at ease (don't slump just widen your feet .. keep the chest out and chin up)

* Bend from the hips ( Don't let the chin drop when doing this and remember the chest ... I also like to feel the muscles on my calves pull a bit)

* And flex the knees ( now relieve the pressure off your calves by just breaking the knees ... I jig up and down a bit whilst trying to getting that springy feeling in the feet)

The above drill looks easy at first but it's not. It is gauranteed to feel strained at first and this is because you're training new muscles, but it will feel more comfortable in time. Do not swing until you can address the ball properly and when you do begin to practice the swing do so a slow as possible. It doesn't matter how far you hit the ball. What matters is getting the feel of a new swing from a new address position. In addition, when addresing the ball, your left elbow should point towards you left hip and the right elbow towards the right hip ... I tend to break my right elbow a bit at address too.

I think when a professional says your arch your shoulders what he really means is that the gap between your shoulder blades has increased in an unatural manner and it has nothing to do with the slope of our shoulders.

Maybe it's just me adjusting to my clubs but I tend to press down slightly with my shoulders at address - this helps me to relieve the tension built up there. However, the distance between my shoulders blades remains constant.

John's drill, above, should be practiced daily. I practice about 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening just doing that exercise. In golf, if your back is not straight you will run an increased risk of injury.

Let us know how you get on

Paul

[Ian Hancock]

Re: Rounded shoulders and lower back pain

Paul,

What a great explanation of the set up position, it does work very well for me too.

Keep up the good work.

Ian.

[the garboligist]

Re: Rounded shoulders and lower back pain

Thanks Paul,

Like chess, easy to explain , hard to master