Tiger has demonstated phenomenal golfing technique since his days as an amateur but what has kept him at the top of his game? A Scientific Approach to Conditioning and Quality Practice!

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Australia has some of the world’s leading practitioners when it comes to Golf Conditioning. In Victoria physiotherapist Ramsey McMasters has developed a fine reputation in assisting both professional and weekend golfers improve all aspects of their games. In Queensland physiotherapist Michael Dalgleish and biomechanist Dr Rob Neal have developed a scientific program to support and improve golf performance. Their website – The Golf Athlete (sign up for their great newsletter while you are there) has a range of great research articles that are a must for all serious golfers.

At AOK we have developed or import a number of training tools for golf – the Dura Disc is used by David Leadbetter.  This is his idea for using them.  It takes some getting used to, but hitting barefoot off these strong Australian made cushions enhances the feedback regarding balance during all parts of your swing. Stop a various points in the swing to check for trouble spots. The more you develop a smooth rhythm, not over-swing and stay in balance, the less you’ll fall off the pillows.

From Norway comes the Terapi Master (now known as Redcord) as sling stabilisation apparatus that assists with developing “core” function and strength. In a recent study it was shown that this can easily be translated into greater driving range.

Paul Chek has applied his extensive knowledge of physical conditioning with his book and DVD .

Signorile, Joseph F; Lister, Jennifer L,; Rossi, Gianlucs, Del; Ma, Fangchou; Stoutenberg, Mark; Adams, Jessica B.; Tobkin, Sara
University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL

The scapular stabilizers are key to the normal mechanics of the glenohumeral joint during overhead movements. The Bodyblade® is a unique training device that uses vibration, rather than traditional resistance, to overload the muscles. Research regarding the influence of vibration on motor unit firing has not included the Bodyblade® and has focused on whole body vibration. To assess which device would produce the greatest muscle activity of the scapular stabilizers during a typical rehabilitation session.

METHODS
Thirty subjects performed 10 repetitions of shoulder flexion and abduction using the three devices. EMG data were collected from the upper trapezius (UT), lower trapezius (LT), and serratus anterior (SA) of subjects’ dominant shoulders during flexion and abduction using Bodyblade®, cuff weight and Thera-Band® resistance. Data for each movement were analyzed using 3 (condition) x 10 (repetition) repeated measures ANOVAs for each muscle.

RESULTS
During shoulder flexion and abduction, the normalized root mean squared (Nrms) EMG’s of the UT, LT and SA and the normalized integrated (NInt) EMG of the UT were significantly greater using the Bodyblade® than the Thera-Band® or cuff weight. During shoulder abduction, the LT NIntEMG was greater with the Bodyblade® than the Thera-Band®, while during both flexion and abduction, the Bodyblade® and Thera-Band® produced significantly greater NIntEMG’s than the cuff weights.

CONCLUSION
The significantly greater muscular activity produced in the scapular stabilizers by the Bodylade® under most conditions, suggests that this device might be more effective for training the scapular stabilizers than traditional resistance techniques.

© The American College of Sports Medicine

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