Week 9: Take the first step toward a better golf swing

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The feet and ankles are too often overlooked when discussing the golf swing, but they play a very crucial role.

The feet and ankles are too often overlooked when discussing the golf swing, but they play a very crucial role. To hit the ball solidly requires not only steady nerves but also steady ankles and feet. If they are unbalanced, then the entire upper torso will overcompensate with an exaggerated swing that often results in a hook. The ball will fly wildly as the body tries to recover its balance.

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To hit the ball solidly requires not only steady nerves but also steady ankles and feet.

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The importance of your back ankle and foot

During the backswing, your weight transitions to the back foot, and torque is created around a middle axis running down your lower leg. This creates tension in the ligaments and muscles in the ankle area. As your swing transitions from the backswing to the downswing, your back leg's ability to maintain stability as the torque uncoils will be determined by the degree of laxity in your ankle. A golfer with a weak back ankle may let their heel lift and pivot around the toe while transitioning into the downswing, resulting in errant shots.

The importance of your front ankle and foot

A weak front ankle can also lead to problems in the swing, since the right leg movement depends on the stability and inherent tension that will be created by the lower right ankle joint. If you don't have a firmly planted front foot and ankle that can maintain their position during the downswing and follow through, the weight shift will turn into a swaying motion instead of a torqueing motion. This will result in pushed shots with very little power, and therefore, short distances.

The following is a basic ankle rotation exercise to help you improve the condition of your ankle:

1. Sit on the floor, and stretch your legs out fully in front of you.

2. Tightly roll your yoga mat under your knees, and then place your palms on the floor, with your fingers pointing towards your hips.

3. Breathing freely and slowly, bend your right foot towards you, creating a right angle with the floor. Slowly rotate your foot clockwise for about 10-15 times, and then rotate it counterclockwise.

4. Repeat twice on the same foot then do the same to your left. After constant practice, you can do this ankle rotation exercise on both feet at the same time.

If it isn't your ankles and feet that are concerning you out on the course, but your knees, you might be suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. If you are living with OA, various treatments do exist, such as ORTHOVISC®, which provides up to 6 months of knee pain relief. Made from ultra-pure natural hyaluronan, which is found in healthy joints, ORTHOVISC® is injected into the knee joint where it acts to replace your natural joint fluid, to help cushion, protect, and lubricate your knee.

Talk to your doctor to see if ORTHOVISC® is right for you.

Or visit our website at www.orthovisc.com for more information on how to maintain your knee health to help you keep playing the game you love.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

ORTHOVISC® is for patients who do not get adequate pain relief from simple pain relievers like acetaminophen or from exercise and physical therapy. ORTHOVISC® is not for use in people with known allergy to hyaluronate preparations, to gram bacterial proteins, with infections or skin diseases in the area of the injection site or joint. Common side effects include joint pain, back pain, headaches and pain or redness at the injection site.

This is a paid placement by DePuy Mitek, Inc. The opinions expressed below are those of DePuy Mitek, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the PGA TOUR.