How to STOPP When Starting Correctly
A Legacy Post by Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research Dr. T. J. Tomasi (1940-2023)
Tell your body it’s under threat, and it gets serious by issuing a code-red alarm, creating a number of protections, including a body-wide muscle tension that is usually below the level of conscious awareness, i.e., you don’t know you’re doing it. This process is called “bracing,” and while it works well as a part of your short-term protection system, it can be ruinous for your golf game if you “brace” continuously for a five-hour round.
How You Brace
Under stress, the bottom of your spine curls in toward your stomach to protect the spinal cord. The big, banded muscles of the back tighten in an attempt to give your body an armor-like coating. As part of the body armor, the shoulders rise and hunch forward to shield the neck and head.
As you can imagine, keeping the body in a long-term brace uses up valuable energy, which is why golfers who subconsciously brace as a response to the stress of bad shots become exhausted. If you’re exhausted at the end of your bad rounds but could play another nine with ease after a good round, you are probably a victim of the subconscious “brace.” Here’s what to do.
Brace Busters
The best way to beat “bracing” exhaustion is to spot-check the tension in your muscles. Start at the top and let your jaw and face muscles go limp. Then, relax your neck and shoulder muscles using a soft shrugging action. Lastly, you should have an oily feeling in your wrists, with your arms hanging relaxed at the address like those of a Gorilla. Your grip pressure, in a range from one (light) to ten (tight), should be about a six. Combine these brace-busters with a deep abdominal breath, and you can relax into a Flow of GO.
However, it is important to note that your goal is not to be totally relaxed at any point during your swing. At address, for example, you should feel somewhere between trip-wire-tense and limp, a feeling I call Selective Tension, where some of your muscles are tense and ready for action, and others are relaxed. You should feel some tension in your lower back area, as well as the insides of your thighs, ankles, and the inner rim of each foot. You should also feel a light adhesion between your arms and your upper chest. Remember the acronym STTOP: Selective Tension Turns on Power, a phrase that will remind you to scan your body looking for unwanted bracing.
Learn more!
Want more tips? If you want to take your game to the next level, contact our team at Keiser University’s College of Golf & Sport Management today. With our dedication and experience, we can elevate your game to new heights together. Give us a call today at 888-355-4465.
