The First True Swing Trainer
Creating a swing exerciser doesn’t sound like such a big deal, but in fact it is a complex proposition. In order to develop increased strength and power, heightened stress (or “demand”) must be placed on just the right muscles during training. And the muscles must be exercised in the correct sequence, in the correct operational relationships. To achieve this, it is first necessary to devise a way to track the swing with resistance so that it properly follows the delineation of the arc. Furthermore, to be efficient and correct in its effect, that resistance needs to mirror the muscular demand curve of the swing—it must start at a relatively low level, as the swing is initiated; then it must increase rapidly, along with the demand for acceleration; and it must peak at a high level as it moves through the point of impact with the ball, where all the gathered power must be delivered in a controlled manner. (In the case of hockey, the puck would be struck, and in the case of lacrosse, the ball would be released).

Before the advent of Kellion’s PowerGroove technology, no training equipmentprovided the full complement of necessary capabilities. And to fully appreciate what the PowerGroove can do, we need to look at the type of resistance, which we call exponential resistance. While it also happens to be major advance across the spectrum of exercise applications, it is perfect for swing-sport purposes because it provides that mirroring of the muscular demand curve described by initiation, acceleration, and impact zone.

The graph on the right shows an example of anExponential Resistance curve. The vertical axis represents the level of resistance, and the horizontal axis represents action over time. First we will note the way low-start, rising resistance follows theinitiation and acceleration phases of the swing, and here it is important to think about what is not happening. For example, heavy resistance in the initiation phase is undesirable because the effort to overcome it would trigger core muscle contractions that do not follow the real-world action of a sport swing. The muscular sequencing would be compromised as a result. And as the acceleration phase came on, the core muscle engagement that should start driving that acceleration would contrarily tend to relax (somewhat) because of a relative drop in stress—Instead of being trained for enhanced acceleration. Only the rising curve of exponential resistance can train these phases correctly. Now look at the last third of the curve on this graph, where the resistance is rapidly rising to a high peak. This is the impact zone, “make or break” time. Force must be delivered, yet that force must be controlled for accurate delivery even as it tends to fight against control by its very nature. 

The intuitive solution is to moderate force in order to impose control, since accuracy is the priority. Force is generated by the larger body muscles, but control falls on the wrists, primarily, (with the attendant forearm muscles included) and to a lesser degree the hands. Through this mediation in the impact zone between large muscle force and small muscle control, then, the wrists become a kind of gatekeeper for power. Strength cannot become power in the swing beyond the wrists’ ability to negotiate the transfer of force. But when the wrists are exceptionally strong—strong enough to fully control (accurately transfer) the sum of available force—a new threshold is crossed. Then the wrists become a catalyst for power, a fulcrum for power, delivering more than what came to them. This is why a true swing trainer must do its most intensive training in the arc span leading up to the point of impact, at the point of impact itself, and just beyond it. This is exactly what the PowerGroove’s exponential resistance does.

The PowerGroove rotates to any swing plane, and custom handles for any sport application can be used. While Kellion can advise on different swing sports, coaches and trainers will want to avail themselves of the unit’s flexibility in order to promote their own approaches to a particular sport. The PowerGroove should be approached as a brand new kind of tool. Experimentation, and familiarization with the various capabilities, will swiftly bring substantial rewards.
We’ll also note that the PowerGroove can be applied to throwing as well as swinging.

There have been attempts to put basic resistance on the swing. Cable column weight-stacks and stretch bands are put forward for the job, but are unsuited to tracking an arc, especially the peculiar arc of the golf downswing. Golf-specific systems that employ a side-located rotary approach are better, but the fixed circularity of these devices limits their ability to match the swing, and seriously compromises their relevance for the critical impact zone/wrist release section of the swing. In terms of the type of resistance applied, the weight stack is the worst, but none of these methods come close to what is really needed.

The first major advance embodied in the Kellion PowerGroove Swing Trainer is its ability to properly track the downswing arc through the point of impact and wrist release. The second is an even bigger advance—a completely new form of resistance we call exponential resistance.  It is not only perfect for our golf-specific purposes—it has paradigm-shift ramifications across the entire spectrum of fitness, rehab, and sports training and exercise equipment.

The PowerGroove’s exponential resistance provides the mirroring of the swing’s demand curve, as described above. Tracking the downswing arc through the wrist release with exponential resistance accomplishes muscle strengthening that is acutely golf-specific, real-world (i.e., it translates fully into performance on the golf course), and extremely efficient—even though it doesn’t seem particularly difficult at an appropriate user-setting. (Ten minutes is a thorough workout session).
It’s The First True Swing Trainer, providing resistance tracking for the critical part of a sport swing. This is where specific muscle groups are called upon to produce power and control in a split-second evolution of demand from low (initiation) through intermediate (acceleration) to high(impact zone). The innovative design of the PowerGroove lends itself perfectly to the task. First of all, the resistance rides properly along the arc of the swing path—a crucial capability. Secondly, the exponential aspect of the resistance mirrors the muscle demand curve, optimizing the effects of the exercise. The result is remarkably improved power and control, exactly where it needs to be. Golf, tennis, baseball, hockey, lacrosse—any sport with a swing can now be specifically trained as never before.

Contact us today for more information on “the new essential” for sports, fitness and rehabilitation.