Richard Troxel
These photos show Dick Troxel's backswing before and after his Somax program, which he finished in October 2000 at age 68. Dick increased his Arm Angle from 20° to 25° after we released microfibers in his left shoulder with Microfiber Reduction, our special form of connective tissue massage. As a result, Dick can bring his club shaft closer to horizontal. He has improved his Backswing Anglefrom -15° to -10°. If you look at the distribution of his weight around the vertical broken line, you can see he had a reverse pivot because of tightness in his hips. After releasing the microfibers in his hips, Dick is now able to load his weight onto his right leg.
These photos show the improvement in Dick's Cast Angle. Prior to Somax, Dick cast (using his wrists too early) his club 30°. After releasing the microfibers in his wrists, his Cast Angle is now just 10°. He also now rotates his hips rather than sliding them to his left, as they are no longer restricted with microfibers and tension. His legs are now much more active during his swing, because they are now free to move. Before his shoulders and hips moved as one unit because of the microfibers and tension in his back. Now he is able to separate the two, leaving his shoulders back at this point, creating a more powerful swing.
These photos show the improvement in Dick's finish. Dick increased his Finish Angle from -25° to +15°. Combined with the 28° improvement in his Backswing Angle, Dick has increased the total range of his club shaft by 45°. The increased Finish Angle is more than cosmetic. Golfers with a small Finish Angle actually have to slow their club head down before impact. Dick's additional flexibility has also greatly reduced his back pain during golf.
Another benefit of Microfiber Reduction is apparent from these photos. Dick looks taller and thinner. Microfibers released from his rib cage allowed him to expand his chest and lengthen his trunk. Prior to his Somax program, his chest expanded only 1" when he took a deep breath. After his microfibers were released, his chest expanded 3". His lower chest (diaphragm) expansion increased from .5" to 2.5", a 500% improvement. Dick lost his breathing flexibility as a result of several bouts of pneumonia when he was very young.
Dick writes:
Some mention could be made of my polio and short right leg (2-1/2"). The built-up shoe is apparent in the photographs. A major objective in working with Somax was to develop flexibility to compensate for the polio experience I had as an infant. The inflexibility that is so evident in the "before" photos can, I believe, be related to the tightness (or microfibers) in my back and upper leg muscles that are (in my opinion) polio related. There is no question in my mind that Microfiber Reduction opened up flexibility that never before had been available to me.
Golf really is only a secondary benefit that I achieved from our work. The items cited in the final paragraph are, to me, much more important benefits of Microfiber Reduction. My wife points out that my back is straighter and I stand taller. (I had a "lump" of some sort in my upper spine that was eliminated during our first few sessions together.) I can, for example, walk longer distances without panting and am less tired while traveling, golfing or other activities. My golf swing is, as the pictures demonstrate, more complete. To me, these changes are more significant than being able to hit a longer tee shot.
Less obvious: I now have an early morning, daily workout at our club gym, including bike riding and stretching. I have joined health clubs in the past but NEVER stuck with the regimen. No doubt the Microfiber Reduction has somehow given me the confidence/motivation to realize that aerobic exercise is truly beneficial.
Another point that is relevant is how quickly these changes were accomplished. The improved turn etc. occurred within minutes after removing microfibers. It did not require additional weeks of stretching and gym work. Indeed, it is unlikely that any such gym work could have produced these changes.
I recently spent a golfing weekend with an old friend who is my age. He walked in a bent-over posture and could hit the ball maybe 75% as far as my drives. I have no doubt that without Microfiber Reduction that would be me. I showed the pictures to a friend who is a former club professional and he said he was most impressed with the change in my leg action in the "before" and "after" pictures.