by Jan Fourie

Last month we emphasized the importance of having an understanding of the functional anatomy of the human body for safe and effective exercise.  We all have the same bones and muscles in our bodies.  These might be different shapes and sizes in different people, but our bodies are made up of the same “mechanics”.  That is why a person’s bio-mechanics can be analyzed.  The way you stand, sit or walk can tell a physical health professional a lot about the way your body is functioning.

Dis-function can be the result of various things.  It can either be bad habits that have crept in over many years, old injuries that were never properly rehabilitated and then compensated for in the posture or walking gait.  It can even be because of psychological reasons or physical illness.  A teenager that has low self-esteem would for instance have a different posture to that of the extrovert “Mr. Cool”!  A boy who feels that he’s too short or a girl that feels that she’s too tall will also assume a posture to try and compensate for that.

The brain and body gets feedback from different sources to allow an awareness of what its position is in a certain space.  This is referred to as proprioception and coordination.  Over time one will get used to a certain posture and way of walking.  So often one sees that a boy walks just like his dad.  This is because he had learned how to walk from his dad.  What is “normal” or natural posture for one person is not normal for another.  And what is normal for one person might not be ideal to promote effective functioning of the body and to prevent injuries.

The same applies to the grip in golf.  The ideal grip, which allows one to hit the required shot consistently, would not be necessarily feel “normal” to everyone. For example, it might feel totally “wrong” for a person with internally rotated upper arms when gripping the club correctly. It might be very uncomfortable or almost impossible for some, because of the physical state of their bodies to achieve the desired grip. At KeNako the Golf Professional and the Biokineticist work together to help golf players correct or overcome technical difficulties to achieve the desired results. If there’s a physical reason for someone not being able to do what the Golf Professional wants, then a constructive gym program would be a positive way of addressing the difficulty.

Jan Fourie
Biokineticist at KeNako

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Jan Fourie

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