The modern golfer Part I: the biomechanics of injury prevention

In the first of a 2-part article, Pat Gilham explores the biomechanics of the golf swing and the implications for prevention.

The golf swing is a multi-segmented and complex skill, which involves accurate body perception and well-coordinated muscular actions⁽¹⁾. It involves a kinetic chain initiated from movement of the legs and hips followed by the trunk and shoulders, and finally the hands and wrists⁽²⁾. The idea is to create explosive power through a wide range of motion, and transfer this power to a ball - via a club - to propel the ball a great distance with accuracy⁽³⁾. Typically, a player will maximally recruit 30lbs of muscle to generate four horsepower during the golf swing. This equates to around 900kg of force being applied to the ball in half a millisecond at impact⁽³⁾, an action that is repeated multiple times in a round of golf.

Unsurprisingly, golf can generate injuries; the typical injury rate in amateur golfers ranges between 15.8-40.9% annually, and 31-90% annually in professionals⁽⁴⁾. As a result, there is now a greater emphasis on developing adequate strength, power, and flexibility training amongst all levels of golfing ability - not only to optimise swing mechanics and golf performance, but also to prevent injury. The prevalence and possible mechanisms of these injuries are still a matter of controversy, however. With this in mind, we will examine the most recent literature and try to outline the most effective strategies to help minimise injury risk.

The biomechanics of the golf swing

The golf swing is a highly coordinated, multi-segmental, rotational, closed chain activity, requiring strength, explosive power, flexibility and balance⁽⁵⁾. As figure 1 shows, it can be divided into the following stages: