So many times a see and hear of golfers rushing to the course, grabbing their driver and hacking a couple of swings, then rushing to the first tee. The end result is bogey, double bogey or maybe worse.
How many times has this happened to you?
All you’ve got to do is a few simple golf stretches before play to get that first par or maybe even birdie. Of course swinging a club and putting is also very important. But if your body isn’t warmed up, forget it!
The phrase I have used for years is, “prepare your BODY to perform©â€. Every other athlete warms their body up to perform, why wouldn’t a golfer? A body that is not properly warmed up will not have a chance at the proper swing sequence without tension.
Now the question is what type of warm up to do that would be the most effective? Since you are preparing to perform a very dynamic movement (golf swing), you would want to perform dynamic (movement) golf stretches. These golf stretches will be the most effective for getting your body ready to play your best from the first hole on.
I have inserted a couple (of many) to give you an idea of what type of golf stretches before you play you should be doing.
Partial Squat w/Club
Instructions:
• Feet shoulder width apart.
• Place club in front of you and hold with both hands for balance.
• Lower body by bending at the knees not hips and raise club at same time.
• Raise back up and repeat 10 times.
• Keep upper body very erect.
Benefit to Golf Swing:
• Increase blood flow and circulation through out body.
• Great total body warm up to allow body to make a relaxed, comfortable first swing.
• Increase range of motion in hips encouraging a more synchronized swing from the ground up.
Standing Rotation/Twist w/Club
Instructions:
• Hold club chest high, with grip shoulder width apart.
• While keeping feet and hips fairly stable, rotate club to the right and then the left.
• Try to breathe out on every turn to release tension.
• Repeat each side 10 times
Benefit to Golf Swing:
• Prepare golf specific muscles of the trunk to make an aggressive move from the first tee on.
• Also prepares proper sequencing of swing, while warming muscles.
• Will improve body movements during swing from the beginning, not sacrificing strokes of the first couple of holes
These are just two simple golf stretches before play you can do that will make a huge difference in your performance (especially the first few holes).
Mike Pedersen is an internationally known golf performance expert. He is Golf Magazines Golf Performance Expert; has been featured on pga.com; also a noted expert and quoted in the top golf magazines in the world, as well as the founder of several cutting-edge online golf performance membership sites. Take a look at his just released golf training system at performbettergolf.com
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
For more tips on golf training or improving your game, visit the internet.