Stretching For Golf Isn't What You Think
Mike Pedersen, CPT
Stretching for golf is critical to slowing down the rapid decline senior golfers experience, as well as reducing the stress on the muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. The golf swing puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the body, and unless you are participating in a consistent stretching for golf program, you will be a statistic.
The statistic I'm talking about is being one of the millions of golfers who aren't improving and who are injured at some point every season you play. Does this sound like you? If so, keep reading to find out how you avoid being a statistic, and instead be one of the very few who actually improve and play their best golf.
The golf swing is dynamic. What I mean is it involves motion. This motion needs to be fluid, tension-less, and powerful. The only way to accomplish this is with dynamic strength and stretching drills aimed specifically at your golf swing faults.
This approach to golf improvement is not utilized among most amateur golfers, but if done correctly will take your game to the highest level in the quickest amount of time.
In most of the golf fitness books, videos and articles you read, you will see the golfer holding a particular stretch for up to 60 seconds.
Let me ask you this!
Do you ever hold any part of your golf swing when you're playing or hitting balls? I don't think so. So why would you train your body in this fashion? You wouldn't! You would look at certain positions in the golf swing and incorporate dynamic (movement) stretches to improve those positions in an efficient manner.
For example, let's say you are having a tough time making a full backswing. The backswing is a fluid and tension-less movement that is destroyed when you add tension or restriction to it.
Instead, you would make some backswing moves, going as far as you can, then a little farther and releasing it. Doing this 8-10 times throughout the day. You can do this in your office or at home. No need for a gym or workout gear.
Grab a short iron, stand tall with your arms extended straight out in front of you. The club will be horizontal to the ground at about chest height. Now rotate back as far as you can without too much hip rotation, then rotate through as far as you can with more hip rotation just like your golf swing.
Now this is a dynamic movement that will greatly improve your body's ability to turn back fully and through to a complete finish for maximum power and distance.
In closing, don't get me wrong!
You can definitely do static stretches and not hurt your golf swing. But the emphasis should be on more dynamic stretches, and less holding stretches to maximize your golfing potential.
As you can see, this is a much different approach to stretching for golf.
About the author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf performance trainers in the country, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf improvement sites. Take a look at his just released golf dvds and manual at his golf swing trainer site - Perform Better Golf.
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