Muscle activity during the golf swing

Correspondence to:
 MrMcHardy
 Macquarie Injury Management Group, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, NSW, Australia; [email protected]

Golf is a popular recreational past time in Australia and throughout the world.¹ The golf swing is a complex movement involving the whole body and is used to develop momentum that is transferred to the golf ball to propel it towards the target. This movement pattern requires a coordinated sequence of muscle activity to efficiently transfer the power generated by the swing. The purpose of this research is to review the muscle activity that occurs during the golf swing. This paper presents a review of the synergistic action of the muscles of the upper and lower body during the golf swing and discusses how these muscles are recruited during the different swing phases. For the purpose of this paper, all swing related activity refers to a right handed golf swing unless otherwise noted. By understanding the component parts of the golf swing, the clinician may be able to better construct a sports specific management programme. Such a management programme could target specific muscles and actions to improve function and reduce injury producing mechanics.

METHODOLOGY

A Medline search was conducted on studies carried out between 1965 and the present. The key words golf, swing, and electromyographic were used. A hand search of references in selected papers and Science and golf: proceedings of the World Scientific Congress of Golf books were also reviewed. Research papers that fit the criterion of being an electromyographic (EMG) analysis of the golf swing were reviewed, and the data collated were used to provide an overview of the muscle activity that occurs throughout the body during the golf swing.

RESULTS

There were 12 studies that fitted the Medline search criteria, with an additional three studies found in Science and golf: proceedings of the World Scientific Congress of Golf (table 1).

Table 1

 Overview of electromyographic studies on golf swing

StudyMuscles examined by study

EMG, Electromyography.
Bulbulian et al2	Lumbar, external oblique, latissimus dorsi, and right pectoral bilaterally
Watkins et al3	Abdominal oblique, gluteus maximus, erector spinae, upper rectus abdominis, and lower rectus abdominis bilaterally
Bechler et al4	Seven hip and knee muscles of both the left (lead) and right (trail) leg
Kao et...