I know a lot of people don’t consider golf a sport at all and I am sure there was a time when I really didn’t think of it as a sport either; but more a game. But knowing what I know now about exercise physiology, anatomy and the science of human movement, I realize that golf very much is a sport with a skill set that must be developed in order to compete and remain injury free. It is no secret that Tiger Woods takes his game preparation very seriously. Not only does he spend hundreds of hours practicing every facet of the game itself, but he also strength trains in order to develop proper movement patterns, correct muscle sequencing during movements,
increase core strength and remain injury free. It is fairly obvious looking at him that he is “in shape”. You just need to look at his biceps under his golf shirt to know that this golfer takes his conditioning very seriously. In fact, I have heard that he bench presses over 400 pounds. Not to shabby for a golfer, eh?

I think the professionals golfers have realized that it just isn’t more time on the driving range or putting green that will improve their game, but time spent in the gym improving their bodies will have a direct impact on the performance of their sport as well.

One of the most practiced and most frustrating aspects of golf is the swing itself. To perfect your golf swing, several components must be in place. One of the important aspects of your golf swing is thoracic mobility or the ability of your upper back to rotate freely and separately from your hips. To help improve your range of motion through your upper back while maintaining your hip stability I recorded a video on the Diagonal Plate Raise. Include this in your workout/gym sessions and you will see an improvement in your ability to swing more freely.

Keeping with the golf theme, there are two excellent web sites that are a gold mine of information. Bookmark and visit often to:

Anthony Renna “Better Golf With Fitness” http://www.bettergolfwithfitness.com
/better_golf_with_fitness/

The second site you will want to visit is The Titleist Performance Institute at: http://www.mytpi.com/

Enjoy watching the Masters this weekend and good luck with your own game!

Till next time,
Narina

This exercise, called a Diagonal Plate Raise, is an excellent exercise to increase mobility or movement through the upper back (thoracic spine). Thoracic mobility is important to all of us to keep our lumbar and cervical spines healthy. When performing this please ensure that your hips or lumbar spine do not rotate; keep hips square to the front. Make sure you follow the plate with your eyes so you are not twisting your neck. This can be done for 6-8 repetitions for 3 sets on each side.

For more information on joint mobility and how it affects how everyday lives or our enjoyment of sports (golf, etc), please sign up for our newsletter and I would be happy to send you the free article.

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Narina