Golf stretching exercises to improve your game

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Golf stretching exercises within a golf fitness program can greatly benefit your game and swing. Research on the golf swing suggests that improving the ranges of motion by which your body moves can allow for the execution of a more efficient golf swing and improve consistency, distance, and accuracy.

Cats Up

Often the amateur or recreational golfer is conceptually aware of how flexibility is a major component of the golf swing and how golf stretches can improve one's flexibility levels. Unfortunately, the amateur golfer gets sidetracked when it comes to what type, how often, what muscles, and all the other details that are needed when performing golf-orientated stretches.

This article will be addressing these questions to assist the amateur golfer in developing a golf flexibility program to improve their game. First and foremost, let us discern why flexibility is such a cornerstone in the execution of a biomechanically correct and effective golf swing. In basic terms, the golf swing requires the club to be drawn through a large range of motion. In order to complete this requirement of the swing, the golfer must have the certain levels of mobility and flexibility within the body.

If the golfer does not have the required levels of flexibility and mobility within the body, the ability to execute the golf swing will most likely be diminished, thus resulting in the development of compensations to overcome a lack of flexibility. A great example is the shoulder turn. The shoulder turn requires mobility in the hips, shoulders, and upper back to execute properly. If the golfer is lacking flexibility in the muscles surrounding these joints, the ability to execute the shoulder turn is compromised and compensations will occur within the swing.

Cats Down

Common compensations resulting from a lack of flexibility for the shoulder turn are a loss of posture, reverse C position, flat shoulder plane, or a lifting of the arms in the backswing. Again, this is just one example of the relevancy flexibility plays in regards to executing a biomechanically efficient golf swing. Understanding the connection between flexibility and the golf swing is the first step in implementing golf stretches to help your game.

The second step in the implementation of golf stretches is determining what muscles require flexibility for the swing. To answer this question we can revisit the mobility/stability pattern of human movement principle. The mobility/stability pattern of human movement principles states in order for efficient movement of the body to occur in daily or athletic activities, certain joints must be mobile while other joints stable. In joints requiring mobility, the muscles surrounding these joints must be flexible. If these muscles are "tight" or inflexible, the corresponding joint will be immobile, causing compensations in any physical activity.

As it relates to the golf swing, the mobility/stability pattern of human movement indicates the ankle, hip, thoracic spine (upper back), shoulder, and wrist must be mobile. As a result, the muscles surrounding each of these joints must be flexible in order to execute a biomechanically efficient golf swing. At this point, we know why flexibility is important for the swing and what muscles need flexibility for the swing. The last step in the implementation of golf stretches is to determine when to perform these golf fitness exercises.

Golf stretches should be performed before a round of golf or practice session to prepare the body to swing a club. This is commonly referred to as a pre-round warm-up program. In addition, it is best to perform golf stretches after a round to stretch (i.e. elongate) muscles that commonly become "tight" from playing. This program is classified as a post-round stretching program. Finally, golf stretches should be performed on non-playing or practice days to address those "problem" areas of the body. Each of these programs is approximately 10 minutes in length making it a realistic program to perform for most any golfer.

At this point we have answered all the needed questions about how, why, and when to perform golf stretches. We can now move onto building golf stretching programs to improve your game. This week the process will continue by adding an additional stretch to the post-round program we have been building over the past few weeks.

The exercise we will add to your post-round golf stretching program is the Cats Down-Up. This is an ideal exercise for the muscles of the lower back.

To perform the Cats Down-Up exercise, place both of your hands on the floor directly under the shoulders. Position both of your knees directly under the hips, eyes looking forward and back flat. Begin the exercise by rounding the lower back down towards the floor, simultaneously extending your head upward and keeping the arms throughout the entire movement. Continue to round your lower back until a stretch is felt across the lower back. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

Once complete, continue the exercise by extending your lower back upward towards the ceiling. Continue to arch the lower back until it is rounded. Keep the arms straight throughout this portion of the exercise. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

Golf stretches, and golf flexibility programs are integral part in the execution of an efficient golf swing. Remember, if the body is not mobile or flexible, execution of the golf swing can be hampered. To learn more about Sean Cochran and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com.