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Axis Tilt in Downswing Lumbar or Thoracic Spine

In this video, we address whether access tilt in the downswing is created from the lumbar or thoracic spine. We explain that both parts of the spine contribute, with emphasis on the thoracic spine for most rotational and side bend movements. Understanding pelvis movement and translation is key to achieving consistent and effective swings.

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This concept video is answering the member question.

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Is access tilt in the downswing created from the lumbar

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or thoracic spine?

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Well, the simple answer is that it's both.

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Um, ideally, the part of your spine that's gonna do most

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of the rotational movement side bend movement extension

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movement, um, is going to be kind of the middle

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of the thoracic sign, somewhere around T six, uh, down

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to the, uh, down to the pelvis,

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or really down to about L three, L four

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and L five don't have quite as much motion, um, uh,

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because the ligament structure there.

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Uh, so we're really looking at trying to get most

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of the movement happening here.

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Um, what I, I think tends

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to happen is some golfers have a little bit more

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of a look like this,

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and, uh, some golf instructors will say that that's more

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of a lumbar tilt,

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and some golfers will have a little bit more

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of a look like this, and they'll say there more

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of the side bend is happening.

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Um, from the thoracic spine, I think that, uh,

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what we're potentially looking at is, um, the effect

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of what's happening with the pelvis

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and how much translation is taken place, uh,

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before going into that side bend.

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Um, but from a, just a biomechanics perspective,

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if we're looking at the body, we basically want, um,

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everything from about, uh, nipple level

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or the bottom of your chest

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or the bottom of your shoulder blades.

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From there down, kind of working as one cohesive unit.

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Um, it's basically going to have some rotation

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with a little bit of crunch and,

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and, uh, translation there in transition.

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And then it's going to have more of this side bend extension

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or the, the technical term, um, for the blended movement

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that we want is negative torsion.

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Um, so the, the movement during the release is going

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to be more of this blend of rotation, extension side bend,

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um, while still lengthening.

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That's a key component to it.

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Um, and when you do that, that tends to help, um,

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control the depth of low point.

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So it allows you to be in a position

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where you're a little bit more over that front foot, um,

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and where you can cover the ball a little bit better.

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Um, so it's a hallmark of some swings,

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but other golfers who don't have as much of

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that translation will appear that they're built, uh,

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they're tilted a little bit more back

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and they will tend to have a little bit earlier,

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um, movement of the shoulder blades.

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In my, in my opinion, that tends

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to require a little bit more timing.

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Um, but it can be more comfortable.

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It can potentially work,

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but again, I think they tend to have a little bit more,

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um, bigger misses.

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And I, I think in general, we, they tend

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to have a little bit less consistency.

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So, um, kind of to put it to bed, what you see

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as far as is the ribcage, lumbar

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or thoracic spine, um, that's not really the key,

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the key to look at.

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It's more about the amount of translation first

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and what's happening at the pelvis that will, uh, kind

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of coordinate how much, um, access tilt we're seeing.

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It's not really a drastic difference in the

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amount of side bend.

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Maybe the feeling

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and the way that it's creating the side bend,

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but not really the amount.

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