IT'S GOOD FOR YOUR GAME
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Tiger Woods was one of the longest hitters on tour in 2000, but his golf swing centered around an explosive snap release where his lead leg hyperextended. Look how stiff his left leg is in this photo and imagine the sheer force in his knee when it snapped straight — ball after ball, year after year, until both his knee and his back were damaged. Tiger is a well-conditioned athlete, but his joints (and yours) can take only so much pounding.
Give your knees a break
By T.J. Tomasi
There’s an ever-increasing number of golfers who suffer knee injuries -- some so severe they require a total knee replacement. If you have any hint of knee problems, or you want to protect against developing them in the future, you can modify your golf swing to decrease the amount of stress on your knee joints. Here are some suggestions, but as always, consult your physician before trying anything new.
Learn to play more “on your toes.” Playing flat-footed increases the area of physical contact you have with the ground, putting much more stress on the knees. Learn to decrease this contact by allowing your target heel to come off the ground on the backswing and your trail heel to come off the ground on the downswing.
“Walk through” your shots. Allow your trail foot to come off the ground during your follow-through as you step toward the target with the back foot. Gary Player’s knees are still going strong at 80, and he’s used the walk-through technique for years.
Open your stance. If your front knee is a problem, you will benefit from an open stance that will have you facing the target more so you don’t have to turn as much in the impact zone.
Keep your knees flexed at all points throughout your swing. Video your swing and check these points for flex: (1) address; (2) the top; (3) impact; (4) the finish.
Insider Takeaway: To reduce torque, release your front knee on the backswing, then keep your lead knee slightly flexed through impact and at the finish.
Note: When Tiger Woods was great, his swing was long and loose, and his body was greyhound lean. Somebody convinced him to tighten up his swing and pack on muscle until he looked like an NFL receiver. The young Phil Mickelson was lanky, with a long, loose swing, but as he aged, he put on some muffins instead of some muscle. Surprisingly, it’s Phil, at 46, whose swing and body have lasted, while Tiger, at 40, is sitting on the couch.
When the wind blows, it’s the flexible palm tree that survives while the rigid maple tumbles over.
Dr. T.J. Tomasi is a teaching professional in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Visit his website at tomasigolf.com.
Paul Goydos, winner of the 2016 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open on the Champions Tour, has been playing golf for almost 50 years and is still going strong. Goydos protects his knees by allowing the left heel to rise while keeping his back knee flexed. Once you lock either knee, you ratchet up the amount of force placed on it, and that’s not good.