Understanding the Fundamentals of Golf Biomechanics
by John Callahan, Keiser University College of Golf Professor and PGA Professional
Golf Biomechanics is the study of how golfers apply mechanical principles, primarily linear forces and torques, to move a golf club. Many golfers feel words like linear force and torque complicate the study of the golf swing. They argue that golf is a ‘see the ball, hit the ball game; keep it simple!’ However, when the fundamentals of golf biomechanics are understood, the “mystery” of how skilled players hit the ball so far and straight fades away.
“Linear force” refers to moving an object, in this case, a golf club, with your hands at the handle in a linear, straight-line direction – up and down and in and out. “Torque” refers to moving the club at the handle in a twisting direction – clockwise and counterclockwise. Golfers also apply force and torque on the ground with their feet to move their bodies. No two golfers, regardless of skill level, use these mechanical principles the same way or at the same time along the time stamp of the swing. Still, skilled golfers have enough in common that we can develop a blueprint of an efficient swing—a swing that optimizes distance and direction—a significant component of our curriculum at Keiser University, College of Golf.
Kinematics
Golf Biomechanics has two sub-categories: Kinematics and Kinetics. Kinematics measures properties of the golf swing through motion, i.e., sequencing, velocity, and acceleration of body segments and the club. In the golf world, Kinematics has been studied in detail since the 1990s, and the “ideal” Kinematic Sequence, pictured below, has been the subject of much discussion.
Kinematic Sequence Graph from Teaching Fundamentals by TJ Tomasi, Ph.D.
Kinetics
To reiterate, Kinematics measures the properties of the golf swing through motion, while kinetics examines the forces that cause the motion. As outlined in the Introduction, understanding when and in what direction to apply linear forces and torques with the hands on the club handle and with the feet against the ground allows the player to feel what a skilled player experiences at any given moment during this fleeting, one-plus-second golf swing action (see the time stamp in the Kinematic Sequence above).
An Example – Ground Force
Let’s look at the example of how a skilled player intends to pressure the ground with the trail foot during the particularly critical swing phase of transitioning from the backswing to the downswing. I have chosen this example because it is the most misunderstood and miss-taught concept of applied force in the golf swing and, when corrected, sets the stage for a dramatic improvement. Counterintuitively, when a skilled golfer pressures the ground with their trail foot during transition, they try to spin it away from the target. See the artist’s rendition below. As the avatar approaches the top of his backswing, he tries to spin his right foot away from the target in the direction of the yellow arrows, which facilitates his hips to move in the opposite direction along the orange arrow. Note that his right foot does not spin along the yellow lines because it is flat on the ground and because of friction. However, that is his intent.
Artist: Casey James Callahan
Conclusion:
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