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The weakest part of most golfers’ bodies is the part they need most: the core. Without strong, pliable muscles in your stomach, hips, butt and lower back, you can’t make a golf swing that is both powerful and technically sound.

via Fitness: Get to the core of your swing: Golf Digest Magazine.

Dr. Taylor Lee’s Blog » Blog Archive » Core Stabilization equals Lumbar stabilization

Core Stabilization equals Lumbar stabilization

When I think of stabilizing the core, it is synonymous with stabilizing the spine. Dynamic stabilization of the lumbar spine during inactivity as well as during activity significantly contributes to the prevention of injury to the spine and associated structures. “How?” you ask. By activating certain muscles of the trunk, this helps to stabilize the joints of the spine, allowing the spine to be better prepared to take on stresses of the environment. Medical studies have shown a significant correlation between an abdominal muscle and the directly stabilizing multifidi muscles of the spine. In other words, when the transverse abdominus muscles (corset-like muscle wrapping your trunk) contract, the multifidi muscles refelxively contract to prevent lumbar extension, thus stabilizing the spine and its associated passive structures.

Here are the steps to performing this stabilizing maneuver:

1. Starting position: Lie on your back with the knees bent to 90 degrees (a position called hooklying) and a pillow under your head.
2. First, a neutral pelvis (the position of your lumbopelvic structure which is most comfortable for you) must be established. Go back and forth from the end ranges of anterior pelvic tilt (arching your back in) to the end ranges of posterior pelvic tilt (rounding your low back as to tuck your behind under) until a comfortable position in found. Maintain this position as you follow the subsequent steps.
3. Place your fingers on the transverse abdominus muscles on either side of the six-pack muscle (rectus abdominus) and just below the rib cage. The transverse abdominus is a corset-like muscle originating from the spine and wrapping around to attach to the fascia underneath the rectus abdominus muscle.
4. While the fingers are slightly compressing the transverse abdominus muscles, draw in the belly button without lifting the rib cage. Imagine your belly button being pulled up and in as you feel for the transverse abdominus muscles to contract underneath your fingers. When the muscle contracts, your fingers should feel a hardened muscle which lead to the palpating fingers to be pushed out.
5. Hold the contraction for counts of 5 and relax in between reps. It will be very difficult, at first, to continue breathing as your hold th contraction. However, as you feel more confident in your ability to consciously activate the transverse abdominus, it will become easier and easier to breathe at the same time. The time of holding the contraction should steadily increase to minutes.
6. Once you have mastered contracting the transverse abdominus while lying on your back, you may progress to doing it in sitting and then in standing. Essentially, this maneuver must become a subconscious action automatically performed before any lift or during maintenance of prolonged static positions. This maneuver should be initiated by the individual during exercise as well.