Pre-round static stretches can harm golf performance

[ChipNRun]

This is a detailed summary of an experiment on golf warmups conducted J.C. Gergley at Stephen F. Austin University. I mention it in @2bGood's current thread, Older Guy Stretching.

------------------------------

Link to full SFA report: Passive Static Stretching During Golf Warm-Up

------------------------------

 

A few years ago, athletic trainers did an experiment on the effect of different pre-round flexibility warm-ups for golfers and subsequent performance on hitting shots with their drivers.  Subjects were N=15 competition amateur males (average USGA HDCP = 2.5) with average age 20.6 years.

 

Treatments: The comparison warmups were:

 

• The Dynamic Activity treatment (experimental routine) involved pre-shot warmups involving swinging a Medicus golf club, plus three practice shots each with PW, 8i, 4i, FW and driver. 
• The Static Stretching treatment (experimental routine) involved a 20-minute sequence of 12 stretching exercises involving the arms, legs, torso and neck. The Dynamic Activity routine followed. 

 

After the day's warmup routine, the golfers each hit 10 performance shots with their drivers. Golfers used their normal pre-shot routine, with one-minute rest periods between each performance shot. Using a within-subjects t test, each golfer's performance averages for the two days were compared on clubhead speed, distance, accuracy and consistent contact.

The golfers were tested using a counterbalance design: half received the Dynamic Activity day followed by the Static Stretch day, while the other half received the Static Stretch day followed by the the Dynamic Activity day. The golfers had a couple of days break between the two test days.

 

Results: The average performance* of golfers on the SS treatment day was lower than on the DA treatment day. Differences were statistically significant to the p < 0.05 level.

1. Clubhead Speed: -4.19%
2. Distance: -5.62%
3. Accuracy: -31.04%
4. Consistent contact: -16.34%

 

* Measures 1, 2 and 3 were taken using standard golf electronic devices. No. 4 was a subjective yes or no response for each shot.

 

Discussion: The researcher draws on two different biological phenomena as possible explanations as to why the static stretches appear to degrade performance. One is that stretching creates slack in the tendons which degrades the power and efficiency of the golf swing (think wobble introduced into the skeleto-muscular linkages). A second relates to findings in other research that static stretching alters neurological activity which harms the synchronization of muscles firing.

 

Although I am not a neurological researcher, about four years ago I adopted a dynamic stretching routine which I do before my pre-round range warmup. These dynamic stretches are motion related, and mirror body movements we use in the golf swing.

[Tax77]

Interesting, may give it a try. Would have been more interesting if they tested older men. My bruised and battered 40 something year old body is in no way comparable to a teenage male in top physical condition. 

[Soloman1]

You can always add some yoga stretches before a round if your intent is to slow your swing speed down.

[juststeve]

It's not at all surprising that hitting balls before a round is better than just stretching.  We could have told you that without an experiment.  If you are going to support the thesis that pre-round stretching is harmful to your game you need to compare people who stretch before a round to those who just go from the car to the first tee and hit a drive.  Then we would know whether ore-round stretching is helpful or unhelpful.  

 

Steve

[Nard_S]

Thank you but my shoulders & back are worth way more than my index.

[golfarb1]

The obvious conclusion :

Ditch the YOGA

SUSTITUTE  the proven  dynamic movement of raising and drinking a can of beer . The ONLY changes most golfers need to do is start drinking BEFORE teeing off. 

[ChipNRun]

10 hours ago, NotThatGuyorAmI? said:

I always figured any sort of pregame warmup, stretching, ball hitting was largely “mental.”

 

This doesn't work after age 55 or so (I'm 70 now). Once upon a time, I could jump out of the car, hit a few wedges and putts, and tee off.

 

Now, I need to do the dynamic stretches to get the muscles warmed up. And, I need to hit a dozen or so full shots just to get my hips firing to start the downswing.

 

If I don't, I have ugly swings the first few holes, and I feel stiff and achy the next day.

[Nels55]

13 hours ago, juststeve said:

It's not at all surprising that hitting balls before a round is better than just stretching.  We could have told you that without an experiment.  If you are going to support the thesis that pre-round stretching is harmful to your game you need to compare people who stretch before a round to those who just go from the car to the first tee and hit a drive.  Then we would know whether ore-round stretching is helpful or unhelpful.  

 

Steve

A close reading of the experiment reveals that all golfers did the dynamic activity treatment before the test:

"

• The Dynamic Activity treatment (experimental routine) involved pre-shot warmups involving swinging a Medicus golf club, plus three practice shots each with PW, 8i, 4i, FW and driver. 
• The Static Stretching treatment (experimental routine) involved a 20-minute sequence of 12 stretching exercises involving the arms, legs, torso and neck. The Dynamic Activity routine followed. 

 

I am not surprised by the result based on the knowledge that I have gained from learning about Muscle Activation Technique.  If I understand the studies definition of static stretching correctly it is not a good thing.  As a matter of fact it leads to injury in many cases.

[Ri_Redneck]

My problem is my stats vary more than that when doing exactly the same thing before each round. Probably should take into consideration golf is a damn hard game.

 

BT

[johnrobison]

On 11/9/2020 at 9:26 AM, Nard_S said:

Thank you but my shoulders & back are worth way more than my index.

I don't think it's just about performance. If I'm not mistaken, dynamic stretching has also proven higher efficacy for injury prevention, as well.

[Mcgeeno]

I've heard a bunch that Dynamic is better than Static, and either are better than nothing.

 

Not sure how in depth that study goes but if I'm reading correctly one group hit 15 balls first as part of their dynamic stretching routine?

 

I would think hitting balls before you play would be a good idea lol.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Mcgeeno

[Nard_S]

40 minutes ago, johnrobison said:

I don't think it's just about performance. If I'm not mistaken, dynamic stretching has also proven higher efficacy for injury prevention, as well.

I'm not disputing it but....athletes of all sports stretch AND do dynamic warmups. Rory stretches, NBA, NFL & MLB guys, stretch. You know it's not the big muscles one has to worry about. It's the tiny ones. The muscle clusters around the shoulder socket do not benefit from fast, heavy dynamic, they get stronger by isolating with light & slow. So seeing I've blown each and desire to never do so again , I stretch, do some heavy dynamic to wake things up and go at it.