What are Rotator Muscles and why are they important for my golf swing?

The spine consists of several layers of muscles, and the muscles are oriented in different directions so that we can perform movements in several ways, such as extension, rotation and sideflexion. The large muscle of the back is the erector spinae (figure 2). The main action of this muscle is to perform extention – for instance lifting objects from the ground. It also performs sideflexion of the spine.The deepest muscles are the rotator muscles. These muscles are short, running from one vertebra to the neighbouring vertebra. (figure 1 & 2). As the name indicates, these muscles rotate the spine. During the golfswing there is an extreme rotational movement occuring in the spine. Therefore, it is crucial that the rotator muscles are flexible and sufficiently warmed up prior to playing golf. If not, the rotation will be decreased and and the rotator muscles may be strained (see further details below). PhysioDriver PSM has been designed to stretch every rotator muscle, by applying specific pressure to these muscles. Traditional warm up exercises (e.g. rotating side to side with the club behind the back) are ineffective as they do not apply targeted pressure over the rotator muscles.

Rotator Muscles

Figure 1. Figure 2.

The Rotator Muscles           The Erector Spinae Muscles

Muscle strain

What is a muscle strain? A muscle strain is a stretching or partial tearing of some of the muscle fibers, but not enough fibers so as to totally disrupt the function of the muscle.
What is the cause? Tight muscles that are forced to perform under heavy or sudden movements/loads may experience muscle strain. Normal muscles that are forced to withstand a sudden and/or excessive load or movement can be strained.
What are the symptoms? A muscle strain will cause pain and usually a loss of strength when the muscle is contracted. Sometimes the injured muscle will go into spasm to protect it from further damage.
What treatment is needed? If you have strained a muscle, you will require rest as some of the muscle fibers have stretched or torn and need time to repair. During the repair process it is advisable to gently stretch the injured muscle so that it does not heal in a shortened range.
How can muscle strain be avoided? Gradual conditioning of muscles is important in avoiding muscle strain when asking them to perform work. Since tight muscles are more prone to strain, it is important to stretch muscles to maintain a high level of flexibility.