Electromyographic analysis of the trunk in golfers

Abstract

Golf is a popular sport for both men and women. The trunk is the most common area of injury during the golf swing. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the muscle firing patterns in the trunk during the golf swing. Twenty-three golfers with handicaps of five or below volunteered for this study. Surface elec tromyographic electrodes were placed on the abdomi nal oblique and erector spinae muscles bilaterally. High- speed cinematography was used in conjunction with the electromyographic electrodes. The results demon strated relatively low activity in all muscles during tak eaway (below 30% of maximal muscle test), and rela tively high and constant activity throughout the rest of the swing (above 30% maximal muscle test, with the exception of the contralateral erector spinae during late follow-through, which was 28% maximal muscle test). This high and constant activity demonstrated the im portance of the trunk muscles during a golf swing. These results indicate the need for an effective preven tive and rehabilitative exercise program for the golfer.