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The Biomechanics of Balance: Part 3  Email this Article to a Friend
Michael Mellman, MD Balance: Swing Path, Fatigue and Injury Most joints are surrounded by muscles of varying size, strength and function. Typically, the larger and stronger muscles are involved in maintaining posture which is dependent on balance.
If posture/balance is poor then these muscles have a greater demand for compensation placed on them to maintain a position and they fatigue earlier. This fatigue transfers more demand to the smaller muscles. Small muscles are used for guidance in moving a limb smoothly from one position to another, the golf swing. This causes fatigue in these smaller muscles creating a domino effect. The end result is a change in posture and swing, more swings and less accurate shots. This cascade of events causes more fatigue resulting in muscles being used unusually and excessively and the probability of pain and injury rises. Absolute balance is a body position that uses the least amount of muscular effort, thus minimizing fatigue and injury. When imbalance produces fatigue toward the middle to the end of a round of golf, the swing is "lost," performance deteriorates and the probability of injury rises. Most golfers have compensations in their swing. These swing compensations are a result of compensations in balance. Balance creates the path of the golf club, thus, changes in balance produce changes in swing mechanics and compensations in set up (balance) result. Absolute balance takes advantage of gravity and the alignment of the skeleton and its attached soft tissue (muscles, tendons and ligaments.) If a person is in absolute balance free of compensations, there is no overuse of any of the skeletal and soft tissue elements. When overuse is minimized through absolute balance, fatigue, and injury from repeated or sustained effort is minimized. The best analogy to balance is the center pole of a circus tent with multiple ropes holding that pole (your spine) in position. If the center pole is held in balance, which means that the tension in all of the ropes is exactly equal, then the demand/tension on all of the ropes is equal and no one rope is more likely to break/fatigue than any other. In Summary, if balance is "absolute" then no muscle or muscle group is "overworked" in the service of maintaining a position of posture during the golf swing. If a person lacks absolute balance, a muscle or muscle group fatigues earlier, smooth motion diminishes and there is a change in posture. The resulting shift in compensations produce a change in the players golf swing and performance and the probability of injury rises. Look for Golf Schools for the Injured Golfer offered by Dr. Mellman and Dr. Wright, --coming to Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club this Winter. To be announced in this Newsletter. Announcements: Dr. Wright will be Traveling with the USC Men's and Women's Golf Teams extensively in October. An evening on the Green at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club will not be held in October. We will resume our Biomechanics Research in November. If you are a pending subject, please email Dr. Wright to schedule a date. Golf School dates in October: One Day Schools: October 2nd and October 3rd Two Day Schools: The October 22nd and 23rd -- school is sold out. Three Day School: October 14th, 15th and, 16th
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Dr. Michael Mellman wrote this month's tip, a summary of balance as related to swing path, fatigue and injury. Dr. Mellman and Dr Wright are working together in Dr. Frank Jobe's biomechanics lab at Centinela Hospital. Their project is a study of balance as related to set up and swing path. The body electrodes provide feedback on joint stress and the potential for injury. 