Spine Angle Changes

Spine angle changes during the golf swing are complicated actions. It's helpful to know something about the structure of the spine when considering how it moves when you swing a club. An over-simplification of spine mechanics, like "maintain your spine angle", can get you into trouble. 

The spine is a complex structure catagorized by distinct regions: the cervical region of the neck, the thoracic region of the upper body, the lumbar region of the lower back, and the sacral region between the hips. We can think of the spine as a central axial structure that helps to support the body and organize movement patterns. When the spine is viewed from the right side of the body, we can see a distinct curvature in each region.

Each region moves differently during the golf swing, and we can measure the changes exactly by placing motion detectors at key points along the spine. In an effective golf address position, the thoracic region (upper body) will bend forward between 30 - 45 degrees from vertical depending on age, gender, playing style, and individual concepts about setup. 

In the backswing the thoracic region turns towards the trail side, and the left side of the shoulder plane tilts down towards the ball to compensate for upper body rotation. The turning motion is powered by several muscle groups including muscles that wrap around the trunk and large muscles that connect the shoulders and upper arm to the back.

In the downswing the thoracic region turns forward to the lead side. The tilt of the shoulder plane changes direction and the right side orients towards the ball. In a powerful swing this turning action is associated with a pull of the upper body downwards to the right and the right shoulder bends forward and down through impact. 

The spine rotates and bends during the backswing and the downswing. Each region of the spine has distinct bending characteristics that are determined by vertebra structure and connecting muscle groups. The thoracic region does not bend with the same mechanics as the lumbar region. Spine rotation and bending are complex motions. 

This discussion leads us to a crucial point. The action of the spine during the golf swing is complex and it cannot be described accurately by changes in a single angle or a single rotary motion. Instruction that recommends maintaining the spine angle during the backswing or the downswing does not properly account for what actually happens. Yet, "maintain your spine angle" is a common theme in more lessons than we care to remember.

We are back to our starting point. It's best not to oversimplify the motion of the spine during the swing. If you are learning to swing a club with the concept that "the spine angle" should be maintained, then you have a confusing task before you. All you need to convince yourself that spine changes must be more complex is to watch any professional golf tournament. You will see some of the best swings on the planet.

Viewed from just about any perspective, the spine is a dynamic structure that changes orientations continuously throughout the swing. We think it's useful to know something about the spine to help you learn to swing a club effectively. We have more on this topic in our swing analysis website page.