By Gary Rothbart
When looking at an athlete’s involvement in a sport, one must take into consideration the type of sport
for which the athlete is training. Sports, for the most part, are broken down into two categories: power
sports or endurance sports. Golf is definitely a power sports.
An elite amateur or professional athlete will spend hundreds of hours per year preparing for
competitions. Sometimes, gains in sport-specific conditioning are limited by the incorporation of poor
pre-round training techniques. This can also often be seen in the pre-round routines being used by
professional and amateur golfers.
For the purpose of this article, I will be looking at the differences between static stretching and active
stretching and their resulting effects on power output for golfers.
During the pre-round warm-up, many golfers, especially at the elite competitive level usually perform
stretching exercises. There are a number of choices that can be considered with respect to this aspect of
the warm-up. Before we decide which type of stretching technique should be performed, we must look
at what we are trying to accomplish. What I mean by this is that the foundation of any training decision
must be made by looking at the physiological response to the training technique being implemented. As
mentioned previously, golf is a power sport. As a result, we are trying to maximize power output during
the round. From a physiological perspective, what are we trying to accomplish? The basis of training for
power sports is the recruitment, activation and discharge rate of the fast-twitch muscle fibres. What we
do not want to do is impede this process by incorporating the wrong stretching techniques during the
pre-round routine. As mentioned, stretching exercises are usually a part of a golfer’s pre-game routine.
The question is, which type of stretching exercises will provide the best possible result during the
round?
The two most common forms of stretching are static and active: the purpose of static stretching is to
lengthen the muscles. It is performed by holding a stretch for a period of time; active stretching involves active movements such as arm circles, leg swings and shoulder shrugs.
From a physiological perspective, active stretching is the preferred choice before a round of golf and
should be a part of every golfer’s pre-round routine. The reason this is the preferred choice is that static
stretching interferes with the discharge rate of the power generating fast-twitch muscle fibres. This
interference will have a negative impact on the production of power. Studies have shown that static
stretching decreases the dynamic strength of the muscle (Evans 2006). A study by Knudsen using four
variables compared the effects of static stretching to no stretching on vertical jump performance. It was
concluded that each variable was statistically different by five percent or more with and without static
stretching (Knudsen et. al, 2000, Evans 2006). The subjects who performed the jump without the
stretching routine were found to achieve a greater peak vertical velocity (Evans 2006). In addition, some research professionals feel that static stretching may put the subject at a greater risk of injury
(Kokkonen et al 1998, Evans 2006).
Let us look at this from a different perspective. As mentioned, static stretching causes the muscle to
lengthen. This causes inhibition in the ability of the muscle to recoil or contract forcefully. We can
illustrate this by using the following example. If I take a piece of plasticine and stretch it, the end result is the plasticine stays stretched and there is no recoil action. Conversely, if we bend a plastic ruler and then let go of one end, the ruler snaps back quickly. This example is extreme but it does provide some understanding of the process. The application of power is dependent on the ability to produce a quicker, more forceful contraction. A muscle that is statically stretched prior to a round of golf will not have the capability to perform this type of contraction.
Often, the importance of the pre-round stretching routine and its resulting effects on performance are
not taken into consideration by professional and amateur golfers. If the goal is to increase power, the
player should be involved in a limited, non-aggressive, active stretching routine, prior to the round.
Ideally, the active stretching routine would be performed after a seven to 10 minute cardiovascular
warm-up. Some golfers may be tight in certain areas or dealing with an injury. Under these
circumstances, a limited amount of static stretching should be considered for the tight or injured area.
Static stretching can be performed after the round and should be avoided before power workouts.
References: The Effects of Static Stretching on Vertical Jump. Thesis submitted to The Graduate College of Marshall University, Evans 2006. Acute effects of stretching are not evident in the kinematics of the vertical jump. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (Supplement) 71, A-30. Knudsen, D., K. Bennet, R. Corn, D. Leick, and C. Smith 2000, Evans 2006. Acute muscle stretching inhibits maximal strength performance. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport 69, 411-5. Kokkonen, J., A. G. Nelson, and A. Cornwall 1998, Evans 2006.