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Director, The Golfing Machine Division of Biomechanics and Sports Science
Information goals for this series:
- Providing a foundation for learning of selected key human body structures and regions with the goal of orientation and understanding of the function of these designated structures.
- Defining the technique and performance relationship between the highlighted human body area and its purposeful biomechanical operation in the performance of the golf motion.
- Providing the reader with a Golfing Machine-BIA™ Fusion connection for optimal scholastic and practical education assimilation and application.
In this article series key areas of the human body will be highlighted, explored, and dissected to identify basic function as well as the role played in the choreography of motion for golf activity.
In Part 1, the first area for exploration, discussion, and assimilation is to become familiar with the human structure from a global as well as navigational position perspective. Pictured below are four views of the human skeleton:
From left to right are: a front or anterior view of the skeleton, a back or posterior view of the skeleton, a right side or right lateral view of the skeleton, and a left side or left lateral view of the skeleton. The basic pose for these four views is upright, with the orientation of each upper extremity designated as “neutral”.
In general, these bony structures connect to each other and the union of one bone with a neighboring bone forms what is referred to as a joint. Ligaments which are strong tensile tissues connect bone to bone. Tendons connect muscle to bone. Motor nerves provide the “spark” for mechanical muscle action for shortening and lengthening of muscle fibers which provides the capacity for bones to be “moved” creating joint action(s).
Thus:
- Nerves power muscle.
- Muscles move joints.
- Joints create voluntary poses of the human skeleton.
- Poses interconnect to create patterns that blend into a continuous stream of flow motion choreography.
- Patterns for BIA™ golf performance are created to operate the human body in a specified manner in compliance with a G.O.L.F. technique pathway operational concept blueprint map.
Hence, if we know each joint’s permissible range and plane(s) of motion we can develop a true BIA™ golf performance operational schematic by which the parameters for human body poses should occur so myth about movement can be separated from fact. This is a key to enhancing golf performance aptitude and proficiency of execution consistency. After all, it is the human body that operates the club and places motion into the club. However, the performance of the human body must be tailored to the science of G.O.L.F.
In the aforementioned paragraphs the term plane was introduced. There are three main spatial zones that organize and regionalize the human body frame by which the coordinate location and direction of any joint action relative to a standard point of reference may occur. This standard point or baseline body position of reference is referred to as anatomical position. These three main zones or primary planes used for spatial orientation and defining of generalized joint actions are the: Sagittal, Frontal, and Transverse planes. All of these planes divide the body into equal zones relative to a central median axis. Please consult with the BIA™ L1 text for detailed discussion of these planes.
The anatomical position is a good starting point for general knowledge. But for golf there must be a precise performance designated standard position of anatomical reference for quality assurance inspection and analysis of the golfer’s biomechanical system. In the BIA™ System, the designated place of anatomical reference for pose and joint action identification (and analysis) is referred to as the Golf Baseline Position™ or GBP™. GBP™ is identified as The Golfing Machine’s 8-3, Adjusted Address Position. For more information about 8-3, Adjusted Address, please consult with The Golfing Machine Text, 7th Edition. GBP™ is the golfer’s anatomical position of standard reference for performance analysis of the biomechanical system while stationary or in motion.
In GBP™, the three primary planes of anatomical reference are now obliquely oriented to the ground and thus are renamed to coincide with these adaptations to the: Sagittal Oblique, Frontal Oblique, and Transverse Oblique planes. Please consult with the BIA™ L1 text for detailed discussion of these GBP™ planes and also refer to the Tent Model™ section (a closer look) on this website.
These GBP™ oblique planes of standard reference for golf performance now permit the capacity to objectively determine dysfunctional operation (in comparison with functional or lawful operation) of the biomechanical system with specificity to structure(s), muscle(s), joint action(s), and plane(s) of motion in association with primary golf science technique analysis of the stroke pattern. This method of combined diagnostic correlative analysis is a key element of TGM-BIA™ Fusion programming. Simply put, what “is” displayed verses what “should be” displayed by the biomechanical system relative to the science of G.O.L.F. is now possible. This is the reason that these oblique planes of standard reference for golf were developed and why the Tent Model™ was created.
In order to benefit from GBP™ and Tent Model™ analysis it is imperative to become more familiar with human body organizational structure and basic function. Therefore, the next step is to understand the organization of the skeletal system of the human body.
In BIA™ 101 Part 2 a map of the human skeleton by key regions will be introduced to enhance the ability to better understand function and performance as a first step in developing the ability to identify disruption sources that impair golf stroke patterns.
For more information about this subject or any other information presented by biagolf.com, please address inquires to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Thank you.