TPI-Kinematic-Sequence

Essentials of Golf Kinematics:

Sequences, stretch and speeds

By K-Motion

What can you get out of understanding kinematics? Well, when looking at a golfer, their kinematics, their ability to sequence, stretch and create speeds plays a large role in them being efficient. And while golfers all look differently swinging, kinematic efficiency makes it easier for all golfers to shoot lower scores, stay healthy and play consistently. So, if you want to stay healthy and shoot lower scores or help players stay healthy and shoot lower scores, these questions and their answers will help you.

What is a kinematic peak speed sequence?

The kinematic peak speed sequence tells you the order in which, during a swing, your player’s body segments hit their peak rotational velocities. The most efficient pattern is pelvis, torso, lead arm then lead hand.

The kinematic peak speeds - what are they?

Kinematic speeds are the rotational velocities of each body segment during a swing. A player’s kinematic peak speeds are the fastest velocities that each body segment rotates at during a swing.

What do I need to know about kinematic peak speed sequence patterns?

Every high-level golfer swings differently and has different rotational velocities. However, typically, the one thing they have in common is that they have an efficient kinematic peak speed sequence. Especially golfers who hit the ball far.
The key is to understand a player’s kinematic peak speed pattern, which will help you understand how they move to hit the ball and how they can then swing their best.
While each pattern may have its strengths and weaknesses, a peak swing sequence pattern that works from the ground up is most efficient. That is why coaches like to see the pelvis speed peak first and the hand / club last.

In K-Coach and other 3D motion capture technologies, the pelvis is labelled 1; the torso labelled 2, the lead arm 3 and the hand / club 4.

The 1-2-3-4: This is pelvis peaks before torso, torso before lead arm, and lead arm before the hand / club. This is an efficient pattern that many top golfers have. The peak speed of each segment is in order from the ground up to the hand / club. This sequence allows for efficient transfer of energy for generating power.
The 1-3-2-4: Here the pelvis peaks first, lead arm second, torso third and hand fourth. Here the golfer is frequently moving all the segments in unison or in one piece without much stretch or separation created between them.
The 1-3-4-2: Here the pelvis is first followed by the lead arm and then the hand and then the torso. In this sequence, you often see a player with an over-the-top move, as this swing is hands and arm dominant, usually with a lack of stretch created between the torso and lead arm.
The 2-1-3-4: In this pattern the torso peaks first, then the pelvis, then the lead arm and then the hand. The torso is leading in this swing. In most cases, the lower half is not driving the swing, so energy gets lost, making it difficult to create maximum power.
The 2-3-1-4: Here the torso peaks first, then the lead arm, then the pelvis and then the hand. The torso and arm are leading this swing. In this pattern there may be only minimal engagement between the pelvis and torso with the potential for slow pelvis speeds.
The 1-4-3-2: In this swing, the pelvis peaks first then the hand and then the arm and the torso. This is generally referred to as a hand dominated swing. With the hands leading the upper body, energy can get lost, and you may see a casting swing characteristic.

What is a kinematic transition sequence?

The kinematic transition sequence is the order in which each body segment changes direction from back swing to downswing. Typically, we would like to see the pelvis start the downswing followed by the torso, then the lead arm and finally the hand/club. The transition sequence is usually the last aspect of the swing we look at and can be different as long as the peak speed sequence is correct.

What are the kinematic peak speeds of high-level players, in general?

Please, note, speeds will vary with the age and size of players. Small players, on average, will have higher speeds because they are moving less mass and have smaller bodies. As a result, the peak speeds tell a piece of the story, but not the full story.

That said, as a rule of thumb, these on average, are peak speeds of fully mature elite players are:

Pelvis: 500+ deg/s
Torso: 700 + deg/s
Arm: 1100+ deg/s
Hand: 1800+ deg/s (club = 2200 deg/s)

What are speed gains and what are optimal speed gains?

Speed gains are defined as how much speed is increased from one segment to the next segment in line. Good speed gains are produced when your body segments are working well together. Efficient ranges in a 1-2-3-4 pelvis to torso to arm to hand sequence are:

Speed Gain Pelvis to Torso: > 250 deg/s
Speed Gain Torso to Arm: > 250 deg/s
Speed Gain Arm to Hand: > 500 deg/s

(Note that this does vary based on the size and age of the player. They are a big part of the story, but not the full story.)

What is stretch?

Stretch is a player's ability to create rotational separation between their pelvis and torso, called disassociation, during the swing. It is measured in degrees.

How much stretch do I want?

You want the right amount of stretch for you, not the maximum. The right amount enables you to create the most speed, which you do by closing the stretch you create in the swing at impact. Your right amount of stretch will be dependent on your mobility, stability, and a few other factors. The best players create a rubber band effect in their bodies – and as with a rubber band you can stretch it too much or too little. Creating stretch is only useful if you can close the created stretch.