The Kinetic Sequence in the Golf Swing: Part 2
This week, we’re diving deeper into refining the kinetic sequence—especially if you've identified limitations in your swing. Before making improvements, it's crucial to first understand what the kinetic sequence is and how it impacts your golf swing. If you missed Part 1, check out the previous article [The Kinetic Sequence in the Golf Swing: Part 1] to build a solid foundation before moving forward.
What is the kinetic sequence?
To summarize, the kinetic sequence describes the timing and direction of force created during the swing the create the kinematic sequence of the swing. The order of major force development in the swing is as follows…
1. Lateral weight shift
2. Tilt
3. Turn
4. Bend
5. Jump
Altogether, this sequence of forces create a powerful and efficient golf swing. So how do we improve our force development in these areas and integrate them into a swing?
Improving force output
To improve your overall force output, the first thing you need is top end strength. Many people neglect the fact that max power output is a percentage of your top end strength. The heavier you can lift slow, the heavier you can lift fast.
Second, we need to improve your speed. This means we need to create a nervous system that is primed for moving fast. Only then can we combine strength and speed to create power.
To do this, we can help integrate the two, speed and strength, by working on power specific movements. These we call strength-speed.
With these components, we need to also keep in mind that it is important to train the opposite side as well. This means we must train for strength, speed, and power on both sides (including taking swings as both lefty and righty). Doing this creates strength and force output on the opposite side of the force developers we use in our typical swing. Considered “big break theory” by TPI (Titleist Performance Institute), improving your ability to break or halt rapid and powerful movements will improve your swing speed and force delivered to the ball overall! So beyond starting a strength program and working on speed drills specifically, lets look at some example strength-speed drills to improve your kinetic sequence directly…
Improving power and the kinetic sequence
Lateral Shift
Creating the lateral shift in the swing is the first force component we put into the initiation of the downswing. Here is a way we can work to improve this characteristic…
2. Trunk Tilt
To improve torque in the tilt component of the downswing, we can try the drill below…
3. Rotation
Rotation here is a critical step in now getting the club out in front while, of course, creating power and speed. There are many drills we can try here but give this med ball rotation variation a try!
4. Bend
The bend at this stage of the kinetic sequence is designed to help keep you in your golf posture and low, away from early extending or sliding forward during the swing. A great drill to incorporate the bend component of the kinetic sequence is the maintain posture with rotation drill below…
5. Jump
The “jump” or vertical force creation is critical and one of the first force components we develop as kids. Creating that vertical force at the end of the downswing comes from first creating a dip around the start of the downswing as we create that initial lateral shift. By the time we about reach impact, we are creating vertical force through that lead side leg as we prevent sliding and instead translate the lateral and rotary forces into vertical force. The drill below does a great job of helping to cue and sequence these actions while creating maximal vertical force.
Conclusion
Distance in the golf swing directly correlates with higher payouts on the PGA Tour, making speed a crucial factor for success. To maximize these forces efficiently, we must refine the kinetic sequence, ensuring a clear and strategic approach to improving force production. By doing so, we can seamlessly integrate newfound speed, strength, and power into the golf swing—enhancing performance while minimizing compensations.
-Dr. Nick DC, MS, TPI, CSCS
If you would like to learn more about your body, pain, and performance, send Dr. Nick an email at contact@integratedrpc.com or call at (585)478-4379, or schedule a FREE discovery visit at Contact.
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