If you are a golf enthusiast you are ready to hit the greens. But are you warming up properly before swinging the club? Use these exercise tips from Libby Norris to make sure your fitness on the golf course is up to par.
Recommended Exercises:
1. Range of Motion - Getting Warmed Up
Book Drill
Progressions:
1. Standing - no shift
2. Standing - shift weight
3. Stance - no shift
4. Stance - shift weight
Start:
- Feet shoulder-width apart with arms out to front holding a book, DVD or video between palms perpendicular to the floor
Action:
- Rotate through the core and bring arms to the right - right elbow bends in to rib, left arm stays straight
- Focus - book/DVD should end up parallel to floor with palms top/bottom
- Come back to centre - book/DVD perpendicular again; repeat to the left side with left elbow in and right arm straight
- Gradually increase range of motion and comfort
Benefit:
- Increasing flexibility and range of motion
- Proper arm position
- Increased core rotation and awareness
- Creating tempo
Hip Twist
Progressions:
1. External Cue
2. No external cue
(external cue is something placed beside hips to ensure you stay within your body frame)
Start:
Stand facing a wall placing forearms flat about shoulder distance and parallel - feet shoulder distance and about 2 feet back
Action:
Rotate hips from side to side
Focus - avoid shifting hips side to side
2. Strength and Endurance
Deadlift with Ball Squeeze
Progressions:
1. No weights
2. Weights
Start:
- Legs astride a stability ball, or a smaller beach ball between the thighs with knees slightly bent
- -Position and keep feet in a parallel position
Action:
- Let arms hang down in front of thighs - add body bar for progression
- Bending from hip, hinge forward reaching down to kneecaps and back up
- Focus on pressing in to your heels to initiate lift back up
Strength Bar Squats
Progressions:
1. One side
2. Alternating
Start:
- Stand with feet hip distance holding body bar down in front of thighs
- Squat down so that body bar is just above the knees - hips shift back and weight on heels
Action:
- Rotate to the right so that left shoulder ends up as close as possible over the right toe - body bar should gradually end up in a perpendicular position
- Focus - keep body bar close to the body and truly turn through the core
Strength Bar 6-point Squat Sequence
Start:
- Stand holding body bar with arms across chest with feet stance distance and knees slightly bent
Action:
1- Hinge at hip in to stance position - pause
2- Rotate to right (ideally with lt shoulder over rt toe) - pause
3- Squat down in rotated position
4- Press up in rotated position
5- Uncoil rotation
6- Lift back to start
Repeat to opposite side and alternate
Strength Bar Rotations
Progressions:
1. Standing - no shift
2. Standing - weight shift
3. Stance - no shift
4. Stance - weight shift
Stance - rotate 1-2-3 + hold on 4 (do sets starting with the rt and lt)
Start:
- Stand with feet in stance distance with the body bar behind the back hooked under the arms
Action:
- Rotate from side to side - start with small rotations first since there is added resistance and gradually increase
- Perform a set with each of the progressions
- Focus - on your range of motion - keep the body bar tight to the back keeping the movement controlled
Other exercise options:
- Russian Twist - on stability ball
- For core rotation and control; hamstrings and glutes
- Lying on stability ball using a medium sized dumbbell; roll and rotate pressing dumbbell upward
- Swing Backs - double handled medicine ball
- For core rotation and control; upper body
- Standing in stance position holding the MB; swing back to rt for one set, back to lt for one set
- Swing Backs - body bar
- Standing in stance position holding body bar; rotating through core (not just arms) turn back to rt and then to lt
- Cross Chops with lunge - double handled medicine ball
- For core rotation and control; upper and lower body
- Stand holding MB; step forward with rt foot and chop MB down across front bent knee; step back, repeat with lt step
