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Spine angle and maintaining it

pattyboy21 said:
...Instead of tinkering with my swing, I decided just last night to start doing the stretches and strengthening exercises the sports therapist recommended...
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Any specific exercises you would be willing to share?


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Failed to notice this thread before. Great one, especially with the photos! Spine angle is such an underrated part of the swing.

I've been really working on this, and it, combined with some pointers Freddie gave me on my backswing, dramatically improved my tee shots. Higher launch, more carry. Some goes for the long irons.
 
I think many golfers tense muscles too much when trying to hit ball, try to think you are holding a baby bird in your hands when you swing. relaxed muscles work faster than tense ones just watch hussain bolt when he sprints, he has no tension at all. Also dont hit at the ball like many players do- swing from top of backswing to end of followthrough, your club just goes through the ball, its just something in the way as you freewheel to a full balanced finnish. Hope any of this helps your game.
 
moosejaa said:
Any specific exercises you would be willing to share?


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Just saw this, sorry! Well, specifically related to keeping my psoas muscle aligned, he wanted me to stretch my hamstrings and strengthen my hip flexors. To stretch the hammies, I sit with my back against the wall and my butt all the way back. Then I try to straighten my legs all the way down where the backs of my knees touch the floor. It sounds easy, but my hamstrings are so tight that it takes me over 5 minutes of agony to achieve that position. Then I try to hold it for 5 minutes, and press further by bending forward and trying to touch my ankles.

For the hip flexors, he gave me a small band. If I wrap it around both legs just above the ankle while standing, I move one leg at a time, extending it as far as I can directly to the side. Then I alternate to the other leg. Using the same band, I'm supposed to get on all fours and place the band around both legs just below the knee. From there I alternate pushing one leg at a time out like a dog taking a piss.

I've failed to keep this up in the past and I've had very bad recurrences of the psoas misalignment (including now)...
 
I keep on losing my spine angle before, standing up thru impact. My amateur fix back then is to stand farther from the ball. It fixed the spine angle issue, but affected my ballflight terribly.

Then I learned, much later, that doing that (standing farther from ball) made my clubface rate of closure much faster. It fixed the spine angle issue because the radius or distance from my left shoulder to the sweetspot became the same or matched the distance from left shoukder to the ball at impact.

So, instead of standing farther from the ball, I just shortened my radius to match that from the ball. Makes sense?
 
Shortening the radius (distance from left shoukder to sweet spot) to match that to the ball (distance from left shoulder to the ball) seems like a more permanent fix, no?
 
This does not guarantee you maintain your spine angle.
zachgolf said:
Shortening the radius (distance from left shoukder to sweet spot) to match that to the ball (distance from left shoulder to the ball) seems like a more permanent fix, no?
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Tadashi70 said:
This does not guarantee you maintain your spine angle.
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Yes, agree. But for me it ensures it, provided I get shoulders open enough (not square or closed as left shoulder is too low) thru impact.
 
Freddie, I am not seeing those photos in the first post anymore. Only the very last one.
 
I'll get them reposted Smalls
 
I've been trying to put some extra work in on my swing. How is the spine angle on this one? My head looks like Stewart Cink :)

 
It looks fine..
moosejaa said:
I've been trying to put some extra work in on my swing. How is the spine angle on this one? My head looks like Stewart Cink :)

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Nebhusker look at this thread
 
Any reason why I'm seeing a default picture from photobucket versus the photos you put up in the spoilers? Thanks
 
I just went back and re-read this entire thread. After hitting the ball well with irons most of the season, my iron game was just dreadful yesterday. After the round I was texting with one of the guys I played with, and he let me know that he noticed I was losing my spine angle on nearly every iron shot. Almost like I was afraid to hit the ground and take a divot, he didn't want to give me unsolicited advice during the round so he kept quiet but wanted me to know. Anything teed up was fine, but anything off of the ground (including fairway woods) led to me coming out of my posture during the swing. Time to work on more stretches and exercises, and back to the drill my pro gave me last year of hitting 9-3 punch shots and not watching the ball after I hit it.
 
Blazer said:
My limited experience tells me core strength and lack of flexibility in the hip flexors, hamstrings, etc contributes to this.
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Agree 100% which is why I'm guilty of this way to often!! To much time sitting at a desk!!
 
tucsondivots said:
Did these ever ever get reposted somewhere?
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So I was told I have a complete loss of spine angle. From these pics I am obviously straightening up and pushing my hips forward, head is higher than at address. Also noticed the shaft position at address is completely different than at impact.



I'd like to see a pic of Billy Hurley III's setup at address for comparison too.

 
Maintaining my spine angle was pretty easy until I hit my mid 40's. Now I really have to be diligent with my golf specific stretching exercises to maintain my flexibility, especially in my hamstrings.
 
tahoebum said:
Maintaining my spine angle was pretty easy until I hit my mid 40's. Now I really have to be diligent with my golf specific stretching exercises to maintain my flexibility, especially in my hamstrings.
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I'm in my 40s and I'm not good about the fitness aspect of things. How off do things look based on those pics?
 
Keeping spine angle is one of the hardest things to do for me. Even the best set up and posture I can have, but at impact with longer clubs, especially the driver, I have a harder time keeping my spine angle and head position.
 
moosejaa said:
I'm in my 40s and I'm not good about the fitness aspect of things. How off do things look based on those pics?
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Your head has moved up and you have come out of your spine angle. Many pro's actually dip their head away from the target and down towards the ground at impact.
Jack
Nicklaus-SwingCenters.jpg


The Slammer

sam%2Bsnead.jpg


Tiger
TigerHead.jpg
 
This is huge issue for me. When I get out of sorts my body stops moving I turn into an all arms swing and I stand Straight up.
 
Tadashi70 said:
Swinging too hard from the top. Trying to watch the ball. Standing too close to the ball and creating room on the way down. To name a few
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I know the first two examples I definitely do and I'm sure the fitness part plays into it.
 
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