Golf may not be the most athletic sport on the planet but it does require a significant amount of physical ability. And if you don’t really believe that, just ask the 30 or so million Americans that play golf. They’ll testify to its difficulty.
Many golfers that take the game seriously get too caught up in things like strength and hand-eye coordination, and though they can certainly help you build the foundation for a
fundamentally sound swing, flexibility is more important than both of them.
No matter how strong you are, it’s virtually impossible to get yourself in a proper position to hit the ball without good flexibility. Your risk of injury is also much higher without it.
Take a few minutes out of each day to perform the stretches below. After a while, you’ll begin to see just how much of a difference they can make when it comes to improving your game.
Rotating with a Weight– Speed in a golf swing isn’t generated by the arms or the chest, it’s generated by the torso. Picture your midsection as a spring. The farther you can wind it up, the more energy it will release when you let go.
A good exercise for improving your flexibility in this area is to simply stand up, grab a weight or a medicine ball and hold it out in front of your chest. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart so you have a solid base. Then simply turn as far as you can to your right, hold the position for 2 to 3 seconds and return to a normal position. Do the same thing on the left side.
Do 3 sets of 10 on each side. Make sure you twist far enough to feel some strain in your abdomen but not so much that you feel any pain. Start off with very light weights and then work your way up as you get more comfortable.
Arm Circles – Your shoulders take a beating over the course of the season. Your rotator cuffs in particular are a very important part of your swing. They’re a very injury prone area as well.
To improve shoulder flexibility, stand up with your arms straight out, one on each side of you pointing in each direction. Now start making little circles with your arms. Start off by doing 20 small circles clockwise and 20 counter-clockwise. As you feel your shoulders begin to loosen up, do medium-sized circles and when they’re fully loosened up, do large circles (almost like you’re doing the butterfly in the pool).
Lower Back Stretch and Hamstring Stretch – This is a very simple stretch you can do not only to improve the flexibility in your hamstrings, but also in your lower back, which can be put under a great deal of stress throughout the course of a season.
Sit on the floor with your legs fully extended out in front of you and simply lean forward and reach as far as you can go. If you’re just getting started, see if you can touch your toes. If you can do that with ease, spread your legs a little bit and reach out in between them. When you get to a point where you can feel some pressure in your hamstrings and lower back, hold the position for 2 to 3 seconds and then return to a normal position. After you’ve done this a few times, you’ll notice that the distance you can reach will get farther and farther away.
It’s important to know your limits when doing any stretches. NEVER push yourself to the point where you’re in pain and if you do feel discomfort in any area of your body, take a break and let it rest before you continue with any activity.