It is a simple question yet one that is not easy to answer. I imagine that most of you come up with some definition that is something to the effect of 'Flexibility is stretching, right?'? That answer is partially correct. Flexibility training , Exercise For Will Do Wonders incorporates stretching techniques. , Carts -- A Surprisingly Large Industry However, it is NOT limited to traditional stretching, and the two terms cannot be used interchangeably. We Should Talk About What Flexibility Means According the National Academy of Sports , Reading A Green Medicine, flexibility can be defined as the normal extensibility of all soft tissues that allow full range of motion of a joint. You will note that nowhere in the definition of flexibility is the word stretching used. To help further explain, understand, and clearly define flexibility, let us take the definition and break it down into three parts. The first part of the definition, 'the normal extensibility,'? is best understood by thinking of the muscles in your body. Each muscle in your body has what is termed a 'normal length-tension relationship.'? When the muscle is at its 'normal length-tension relationship,'? it functions correctly. When the muscles contract and extend (i.e. when you 'flex'? your bicep in the mirror, your bicep muscle is contracting and your tricep is extending) they enable you to create movement of your skeleton. Often, athletes cause a disruption of the 'normal length-tension relationship'? through training, , How To Create Better Shoulder Stability For which leads to one muscle becoming shorter or longer than its normal length-tension relationship. When this happens, the body begins to have difficulty moving the skeleton in a safe and efficient manner, which will be magnified when trying to perform athletic movements. The second portion of the definition of flexibility discusses 'all soft tissues.'? This part of the definition is quite easy. As you know, the human body is comprised of numerous types of cells and tissues. Soft tissues are simply a categorization of certain types of tissues in your body including muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The final part of the definition reads: 'that allow full range of motion of a joint.'? Every joint (where two bones are connected in your body, i.e. shoulder, , Choosing the Right Club for Your Swing hip, , Exercises For Strength Can Be Done In Your Home elbow, etc.) moves through a specified range of motion determined by the design of the joint. The anatomical structure of a joint determines the amount, direction and type of movement through which a joint moves. This is known as the range of motion. To achieve a full range of motion, the surrounding muscles and connective tissue have to be flexible enough to allow the joint to move through that range of motion. To demonstrate what a full range of motion is, bend your elbow as much as you can (brining your hand as close to your shoulder , The Proper Swing And How To Achieve it as possible) and then straighten it. Each joint in the body has a range of motion that is unique to the design of the joint. For example, the shoulder , What Do You Do When Your Game (Swing) Leaves You joint is classified as a ball , Controlling Back Pain on the Course and socket joint, which has a range of motion of 360 degrees (a much greater range of motion than the elbow). Once broken down, flexibility is simply defined as: every ligament, tendon, and muscle (soft tissues) in your body, having the correct length-tension relationship (normal extensibility) to allow every joint in your body to move through its full range of motion. This concludes the first part of this article. We now have a pretty simple working definition of flexibility. In the next section of this article we will discuss the question: 'Why is flexibility important to the golf , Do You Need A Travel Bag? swing?'? The Real Meat of the Article'?Flexibility and the Golf , How To Practice Swing So now we have a 'working definition'? of flexibility. We probably need to discuss the golf swing , How Training Can Transform Your Game briefly to create the connection between 'your'? flexibility and 'your'? golf swing. , Fitness Evaluation Is The First Step Towards Improving Your Game Breaking down the golf swing, , Do You Need A Travel Bag? we know that it is categorized into different phases: address, take away, back swing, , The Proper Swing And How To Achieve it transition, down swing, , The Absolutely, Positively, Best Way To Get Outstanding Results With Your contact, and follow through. Your local swing , What Do You Do When Your Game () Leaves You coach has probably discussed the importance of these phases of the swing , Going to School : How to Select a School in order to create a good swing. , How To Really Improve The Basic I am sure you also are aware that the body must 'move through'? these phases in a certain sequence for a correct swing , Getting Started in : Learn, But Enjoy Part 1 to occur. The key phrase when it comes to the golf swing , Young Michelle Wie Cracks European Tour Lineup - PR Move Or Pure Talent? and flexibility is 'move through.'? Go back to the definition of flexibility. What does it tell you? In general, it says that every muscle, ligament, and tendon in your body must have the correct range of motion within itself to perform the activity you ask of it. Take that definition and place it upon what movements are required of the golf swing. , Going to School : How to Select a School It essentially states that your individual body MUST have the required flexibility parameters within every muscle, ligament, and tendon to execute the golf swing , Courtesy on the Course correctly. Now the kicker question: what happens if your body does not have the needed flexibility parameters to swing , What You Should Know About Plyometrics And How It Will Help You Get Longer Drives a club , Create a Strong Mind: How to Get in the Zone on the correct path? Is the answer, 'Forget about golf , Young Michelle Wie Cracks European Tour Lineup - PR Move Or Pure Talent? and go grab your fishing pole?'? No, that is not the correct answer. Your body is a little smarter than that one wise-crack answer. If you ask your body to do something, nine out of ten times it will 'try'? to do what you are asking it to do. When your brain tells your body to do this and this and this in a certain order, your body is going to try as hard as it possibly can to complete the task. The task (in our case the golf , Perform Better With These Fitness Tips swing) may get completed, but probably not exactly as we would like. In the golf swing, , Women's And Exercise this results in shots that we are really not happy about (slices, hooks, , What You Should Know About Plyometrics And How It Will Help You Get Longer Drives blocks, etc.) When the body does not have the needed flexibility to swing , 7 Rules For Beginner Golfers a club , Exercise Training For Will Do Wonders on the correct path is what we term 'compensation.'? Compensation is the body's way of making up for inefficiencies it may have within it. If you do not have the flexibility properties in, say, your hamstrings for the golf swing, , Do You Know The Similarities Between Highland Park And Poplar Creek Courses? your body will create compensation patterns in your swing , Carts: Great For , But What About All The Other Uses? to 'make up'? for the lack of flexibility in your lower body. So the reality of the situation becomes that, regardless of how hard you work on your swing , Training Aids Can Ease Your Path to Fairway Success and how much you practice, , What Do You Do When Your Game (Swing) Leaves You until you correct the flexibility issues within your body it will be very difficult to correct your swing. , Clubs: How To Bag The Best Price So there you have it! The connection between flexibility and the golf swing , Reading A Green is a very important connection if you are looking to make good shots on the course. , Controlling Back Pain on the How do I get it? We have discussed flexibility and the golf swing. , Phil Mickelson's Pebble Beach History & A Treat For Autograph Seekers You now have an understanding about the definition of flexibility, the importance of flexibility as it relates to the golf swing, , Adjustable Weight Drivers - Do They Really Work and what happens if you do not have it (flexibility for the golf swing, , The Ultimate Swing Training Program that is). Now the final question to answer is: 'How to I get it if I don't have it!'? That is a question to answer in another article, or take a look at our web site www.bioforcegolf.com for more answers. Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness , Training Aids Can Ease Your Path to Fairway Success instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA , How Training Can Transform Your Game Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, , Exercises For Strength Can Be Done In Your Home golf , Baggin' It Right...Raises Your Game instruction and golf swing , Do You Need A Travel Bag? improvement techniques , Golfdust - Impact Indicator Training available to amateur golfers , Controlling Back Pain on the Course on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com Check out his manual and DVD, Your Body & Your Swing, , Baggin' It Right...Raises Your Game ( http://www.bioforcegolf.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=93 ) on BioForceGolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.
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