From the inventor of Moflex and the Director of Sports Science at V1 Sports, Philip Stotter, MS, CEP
For maximum power creation in the golf swing, with minimal negative stress on the body, the ground must be the first link in the kinetic chain of energy transfer. Newton’s third law of motion tells us that using our feet and legs to drive forcefully into the ground results in the ground pushing back up into the golfer’s body with an equal magnitude of force. The force the ground transfers into the golfer is known as the ground reaction force (GRF). GRF is then transferred up the kinetic chain, first through the feet then the legs and into the pelvis, then up into the golfer’s core, shoulder complex, arms, and, finally, the golf club and ball. Transferring this energy up the kinetic chain from the ground to the ball with the most efficiency is what allows you to create the most power (club head speed) your body will allow. The feet and ankles or how you train your feet and ankles determines how efficient this relationship with the ground can be utilized.
When we talk about biomechanics of the golf swing, I like to start with the phrase, where does it all begin. A great golf swing always starts with the body and its contact with the ground. The feet are the only two objects on the human body that should touch the ground in the golf swing. If there are physical limitations in this area (such as balance or biomechanical restrictions), mechanics will be compromised, ultimately ending in poor performance or even worse, injury. The feet and ankles are extremely important to the overall function of the human body. Since it is the only structure that interacts with the ground while in an upright position.
The feet and ankles are directly responsible for the distribution of weight and force throughout the body when the force of kinetic energy, gravity, and the ground collide. Therefore, it is imperative that the feet and ankles are fully functional and doing their job correctly to ensure postural control, or what is commonly known as balance, so that the force of gravity is properly dissipated as well as recruited throughout the rest of the body during a dynamic motion like the golf swing.
The complex motion of a golf swing requires that the body perform a series of tasks in sequence from the feet all the way to the cervical spine, in order to propel that little white ball towards the target with the correct amount of distance and spin. Multiple clinical studies demonstrate that professional golfers possess superior balance when compared with amateurs, even highly skilled amateurs. Studies like these prove that postural control (balance) is vital to swing mechanics, club speed, and distance. So it would be accurate to say, maintaining your balance is often the difference between consistency, club velocity, distance or lack of it. If you are able to maintain good balance, you will have a better chance of being able to make an efficient swing where you can transfer energy more efficiently throughout your body’s different segments. That will help you to generate more speed and more distance. The bottom line is that without good balance, golfers are relying on compensations from coordination and a little bit of luck. So the question is, do you feel lucky or are you going to do something to improve your odds?
