In his professional time, Peter Ambrose serves as director of the Northern Virginia marketplace for Merrill Lynch. In his free time, Peter Ambrose of Merrill Lynch enjoys playing golf, and is a member of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
As is true for any athlete, posture plays a key role in the development of a golfer's technique. Posture not only dictates a golfer's physical relationship to the ball, but also plays a key role in efficient cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and digestive functions. A golfer who approaches the ball with bad alignment cannot perform at peak, because the body is not performing at peak levels.
Many people in contemporary Western society have what experts call a forward posture, which occurs when the muscles in the hips tighten and pull the pelvis forward. Eventually, the torso pulls forward as well, the shoulder rounds, and the head tips forward. This alignment makes it impossible for the head and shoulders to twist properly, an essential motion for a golfer.
By attending to proper alignment through formal posture correction programs, the golfer can restore full range of motion to the torso and hips. Then, on the golf course, he or she can maintain this strong positioning by bending forward from the waist and keeping the shoulder blades flush against the back. With this straight alignment and a soft knee bend, the golfer can approach the ball with a stronger swing.
