02/06/2026
Student Takeover, Part 2 🚨🚨
MScPT Student Matt here again! 🏌️
This week we are going to swing into your timeline and break down the infinite wisdom of my favourite golf coach Chubbs Peterson, slide by slide 🤓. Chubbs definitely knew his stuff in recognizing the best physical qualities that help prevent common golf injuries to the low back, elbow and wrist!
Slide 2: Golfers who displayed better overhead squats saw more controlled lumbar extension in the impact area and reduced shear forces at the oft-injured S4-S5-L1 area.
(*1*) DOI: 10.3390/s24041252
Slide 3: Golfers with back pain were seen to have statistically significant reductions in lead hip internal rotation and hip external rotation. Think of this as twisting to your left and right on your lead leg, respectively. (*2*) DOI: 10.1177/0363546503261729
Slide 4: (3*) DOI: 10.26773/smj.251015
Current literature around throwing athletes likes to use the concept of “proximal to distal” sequencing to explain how speed is generated in the hips and core and makes its way out to the hands and club. Restrictions in hip mobility means that forces are not smoothly transferred out to the extremities, often resulting in injury to the elbow (and shoulder). (4*) DOI: 10.1016/j.jse.2023.10.009
Slide 5: Tilting the thumbs downwards is a movement that us physios call ulnar deviation. Under high swing speeds this can put stress on cartilage structures near the pinky side of the hand (e.g. TFCC) as well as thumb tendons (e.g. De Quervain’s syndrome). As mentioned in the slide, loss of posture in the downswing is a major contributor to having to ulnar deviate to large degrees. What contributes to loss of posture? You guessed it-hip mobility, core strength and glute strength.
(*5*) TPI Manual 1
For those of you that made it to the end of the caption, I’ll be posting a more in-depth breakdown of this week’s post and next to the VersaMC website via a blog!
Stay swinging!
-Matt
