What is the X-Factor?
Everyone seeks more distance and consistency, whether you are a professional or amateur golfer. One sure-found way to do that is by increasing your X-Factor. X-Factor is defined as the relative rotation of your shoulders in relation to your hips throughout the swing. Increasing your rotation and making a greater turn increases your power. Professionals’ average X-Factor is around 56 degrees. Amateurs and novices alike average around 46.1 Professionals' ability to do so is due to the fact they can disassociate their hips from their shoulders and trunk. This means they can rotate and move their upper trunk and shoulders without moving their hips and vice versa. Dissimilation exercises help a golfer rotate their hips and shoulders independently. Dissimilation is like how a drummer can play two separate beats with their hands and their feet simultaneously. Being able to dissimilate your body helps improve your golf rotation and increase your X-Factor. X-Factor also helps players engage the Stretch Shortening Cycle of their muscles. When muscles are stretched, they can uncoil and create more power, like when you stretch a rubber band out, and when released springs back with power and momentum. Thus, when rotating more, putting your muscles on stretch they can fire more powerfully down and through your swing. The definition of X-Factor continues to prove that flexibility in a player’s hips and spine is important to maintain club head speed at impact and increasing distance.
Treatment and Assessment the Davis Way:
At Davis Physical Therapy and Sports Rehab, many of our golfers are screened to evaluate their hip mobility, thoracic mobility, lower extremity strength, and core strength. All of these are monumental in having a high X-Factor and an efficient golf swing. We also utilize data capturing technology in the form of DorsaVi AMI and Proteus Motion equipment to help put an objective measure to a patient’s golf swing. From there we focus on improving any limitations they may have. Helping golfers with dissimilation exercises for their hips and trunk helps improve their X-Factor. In doing so, one of the most challenging and frustrating sports becomes effortless and enjoyable!
References:
1) X-Factor Essentials: What it is and How to Train it. MyTPI. Accessed September 1, 2023. https://www.mytpi.com/articles/fitness/xfactor_essentials_what_it_is_and_how_to_train_it#:~:text=The%20term%20X-factor%20is%20used%20to%20describe%20the
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