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.

Clubs for Beginners

One of our favorite opportunities in clubfitting is when we work with new golfers who are just starting out in golf. We recognize that it's a bold step for new golfers to reach out and seek help with acquiring a set of clubs. It's not easy to pass over the hype for retail clubs that promise more than they can deliver. We know beginning golfers interested in clubfitting are serious about wanting to learn and play their best to have fun with the game.

The JTCLUBS approach to fitting new golfers is to provide clubs that will help them enjoy playing golf and accelerate their ability to learn and get the most benefit from their lessons. It means not worrying about filling the bag with clubs that can't be used effectively. It means dispelling the myths about "game improvement clubs" that look like and perform like shovels and are ultimately limiting. We prefer clubs that inspire you to play.  

We help develop a plan for acquiring the right clubs for each stage of learning the game. New golfers should start out with clubs that match their current playing status and make it easier for them to progress. We explain which clubs will be best for getting the most from their lessons and how to use new clubs effectively for practice. And then we build the best clubs to get you started in the right direction.

There are sensible strategies for starting a set of clubs that fit newcomers to the game that can stay with them as they acquire skills and increase the challenge of their play. A full bag is not necessary to learn or play. Clubs that they can swing effectively will replace frustration with satisfaction. Golf involves a complex sequence of movements that are not part of typical daily life. New clubs should be fit and built with an understanding of those realities. 

We encourage new golfers to avoid the "beginner sets" that are the staple of the big discount stores. These sets are marketed mainly on the basis of eye appeal and less for learning golf. A custom club approach will help golfers make the right choices and provide the most effective way to build a set. They need just enough clubs that fit them correctly to learn the swing, practice in a way that reinforces their learning experience, and enable them to navigate the course in a way that opens up the possibilities of the game. 

Golf Video Distortion

One of the major problems in teaching golf (and consequently learning golf) comes from the perspective errors in viewing the golf swing in a two dimensional plane. It's the way most of us look at the golf swing: e.g., by viewing face-on or along the target line, by video capture from the same positions, or from pictures in books and magazines. Depending on the viewpoint, it's difficult to judge angles and positions accurately.

We think of the problem as video distortion, and it has lead to some inadequate concepts of the golf swing that are open to debate -- "the downswing is a double pendulum", "the spine angle should be constant in the swing", "the swing starts from the ground up" are examples of ideas that merit scrutiny. It's difficult to develop an accurate description of a three-dimensional swing from two dimensional input data.

Here's a classic problem. A common opinion is that the spine angle should not change during the swing. Let's consider what's happening in the swing. If we consider an effective address position, the upper body is bent forward (flexion) about 35 - 40 degrees from vertical. Viewing the backswing from a face-on perspective, a skilled golfer may look like he has maintained a constant spine angle during a full backswing and downswing. 

Viewed from down the target line, however, we may see considerable lateral bend and flexion in the spine during the downswing. Modern studies indicate these changes in spine angle are a significant contributor to the power developed in the swing. A golfer who struggles to minimize spine angle changes in the downswing is likely to lose power. A direct measure of the changes in the spine angles during the swing helps to understand how these spine angle changes manifest themselves in an individual golf swing.

That's where we can use a motion capture sensor capable of detecting movement in three degrees or six degrees of freedom (e.g., bend, tilt, turn, and/or slide, thrust, lift). Measuring the angle changes that occur in the swing shows us that forward bend and side tilt angles are constantly changing during the swing and that our view of overall spine angle in the swing is the result of how bend, tilt, and turn angles interact. A problem that develops in one or more of those angles are difficult to visualize from a 2D perspective without the help of the K-Vest.

3D Swing Systems

Analyzing a golfer's swing using 3D technology has come of age. Professional players have had access to the methodology for years and just about everyone on the modern tours has benefited from it. Biomechanics analysis of a swing on a regular basis can track changes, both good and bad, during the tournament season. Coaches, instructors, and trainers use the data to fine tune player performance.

The most comprehensive approach to 3D swing analysis has been undertaken by the professionals at TPI. Greg Rose and Dave Phillips together with several experts including Phil Cheatham have done the hard work of analyzing large number of swings and applying professional biomechanics knowledge to interpreting the data and selecting the most effective equipment for the measurements. The understanding comes from integrating golf instruction, fitness professionals, biomechanics, medical professionals, and golf technology into the most extensive system anywhere.

An important key to using 3D swing analysis systems is having a meaningful database to use in understanding what a player does to generate an efficient repeatable swing -- a swing that allows full power to be developed without excessive movement. The models and conclusions drawn from the analysis should be based on what works in the real world of golf not a theory or an opinion.

Cost of the 3D analytical equipment dropped, and understanding of the limitations of conventional video increased. This combination stimulated the development of portable systems that can be set up quickly. The first practical system that has kept pace with technology is the K-Vest. It uses 3 motion capture sensors to measure the rotational speed around three axes and communicate wirelessly to a computer. A sensor on the pelvis, thoracic spine, and lead hand provides the most important data needed to understand the kinematics of a golf swing.

The K-Vest system incorporates the TPI analytical approach and uses reference data from the extensive database developed at TPI for thousands of pro and amateur swings. The database is an essential component for developing models and comparing your swing to what actually works with the best and most effective players in golf. This system provides access to the best professional analysis and expertise in golf that we have not seen to this extent in any other competing system. 

Total Club Weight

The total weight of a golf club is a major factor in the club's feel and performance. It affects the distance a golf ball travels after impact and it influences swing plane and swing path. A club that is too light may disrupt swing timing and rhythm due to a loss of feel for the position of the club. It can lead to inconsistency in striking the ball at the center of the club face, thereby leading to loss of both accuracy and distance.

Overcompensation with a club that is too heavy requires more work to swing it, resulting in a slower speed and a loss of distance. If you have a comparatively slow swing speed, a heavy club could have a major effect on distance. Consider that the lightest club in your bag is the driver and the heaviest club is the putter. Change their weights by 10% and you could see a huge effect on your game that you may or may not like – even a 5% change will be noticeable  

Total club weight is the sum of the component weights of club head, shaft, grip, and ferrule. Head weights for any given degree of loft are made to a relatively standard specification. Most popular grips fall into a 20 g weight range, 50 g being a nominal standard.

In contrast, shaft weights can vary over a range of ~80 g, making shafts the primary factor in determining the overall weight of the golf club. Typically, steel shafts are heaviest, with the most widely used ones over the years weighing in at 125 - 135 g. Modern lightweight alloys have enabled steel shafts at a wide range of light weights to be produced. One of our favorites, the KBS Tour 90, weighs about 95 g for the uncut blank and closer to 90 g in the finished club. That's about 30 g less than the rebar-like steel shafts that are common in retail clubs.

The average weights of today’s graphite shafts are about 65 g for woods and 75 g for irons, but modern technology can get you to as low as ~40 g at the light end of the range, and well over 100 g at the heavy end while still retaining key features of stability, strength, and flexibility. Therefore, when you buy a new club or club set, the choice between graphite and steel is the major factor in specifying total club weight.

Should you choose steel or graphite? Well that’s where club fitting comes in. Don’t just assume that you should select one type of shaft over the other without trying them out. We find golfers are constantly surprised by the performance benefits of both types. Furthermore, the distribution of weight over the length of a club and along the shaft itself are a key factors in determining the feel of the club. The balance point of the club can be varied considerably in the design to affect both feel and trajectory. The way to decide what's right for you is to test for yourself under the watchful eye of a skilled clubfitter with all the tools needed for measuring performance.