Monday, June 15, 2009

Study Shows Massage Before Golf Improves Performance


by Sean Saunders

There were some exciting things happening at Swing Right Golf Learning facility this past month. Michael Detwiler and Stephanie Lansdown from Neuromuscular Clinic who are licensed massage therapists were conducting a golf study on treating the rotation range of motion of the spine and its effect on the golf swing. Their results from the study were impressive. After a 10-15 minute precision neuromuscular treatment, golf swing speeds increased an average of 4.34 miles per hour. The average pre-treatment initial swing speed of participants was 85.34 MPH and the average post-treatment swing speed was 89.68 MPH. Some people increased their swing speed up to 15-20 mph. This was due to treating the parts of the body that restrict the turn in the golf swing.

I participated in the study and was surprised my results. On average, I increased my swing speed by 5 MPH and my range of motion by 4 degrees, which meant I consistently drove the golf ball 10 yards farther after I was treated. This study showed me how beneficial it is to stretch and get your muscles warmed up before playing golf and the benefits of massage to help your range of motion. I try to educate my students on the importance of warming up and doing some stretching before playing in order to start their round of golf out better. It is good for a golfer’s psychology to play better early on rather than start out with a bad hole because they didn’t take the time to warm up. In golf, every stroke adds up and one bad shot can determine the outcome of a round of golf. For a tournament player, it is the difference between placing and missing the cut.

If you are interested in participating or would like to know more about the golf study or NMT services, please contact Michael or Stephanie at nmtclinic@pmtc.edu. You can also visit the neuromuscular clinic at 902 W. Battlefield in Springfield, MO.

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