GETTING READY "FORE" THE GOLF SEASON
by David Gilks
Getting ready to golf this spring? There are several issues that you should address prior to hit those balls this year. How many of you have been reasonably active this past winter, you know, working on developing power in your swing, maintaining your flexibility and range of motion? I thought so, very few of you. Unfortunately most golfers don't see golf as a athletic event, rather just a game of technical skill requiring less exertion than other sports.
Unfortunately this is an incorrect perception and it often is the cause of injury and game plateaus. Just think about it, the club head can travel over 100 miles an hour, about the same amount of effort to throw a baseball, in fact many young golfers achieve 90% of their peak muscle activity when driving a golf ball. This equates to lifting a weight in a gym so heavy you could only lift it four times before you fatigue. Yet many golfers will swing the club an average of 30-40 times a game. Sounds like work to me! If starting a fitness program is something new to you, get a physical and a musculo-skeletal screen prior to walking onto the green.
If everything is ok, I would like to share with you a great dynamic, rotational exercise that will give you consistent power from hole to hole. If you belong to a gym, most have medicine balls that you can use. Look for a 6-8 lb. one. Grasp the ball, stand up tall with your arms out in front of you, about hip height, push off with the inside foot, rotating the body in a half circle to the left than to the right. It's important to remember to keep your shoulders back and focus on using your lower extremity only during the exercise. As you body turns the arms should follow the rotation, not lead! What you do for your left side, also do for your right. For the first couple of weeks, try to keep the motion short and let your hips generate all the movement, keeping your arms and shoulders fixed in position. Your end goal for sets and reps will be 5 sets of 15 reps per side. From there you can change the angle to work on the various positions of your swing. Use a slow and controlled motion. Remember that strength is the ability to produce force; power is the ability to create force rapidly.
The uncoiling of various joints from your foot to wrist creates the power of your swing. By using weighted exercises such as the above mentioned medicine ball drill, you encourage the body to recruit more muscle and you can optimize your technical ability to produce the amount of force you may need. Because the golf swing depends on the synchronization of all the major muscles and joints in the body, it is important to strengthen your legs, hips, and torso, wrist and rotator cuff muscles in order to maximize power and lower the risk of injury. If you have existing injuries, have them dealt with prior to the season getting into full swing. What makes a great game of golf is the ability to play consistently from hole to hole. Plan for the season ahead and enjoy the many benefits that regular exercise (besides golf) can bring.
