Week 27: Stretch to strengthen your swing

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Performing simple stretching exercises will help you improve your golf game.

If you want to improve your swing without going to the driving range, you may want to give stretching a try. Stretching lengthens your muscles, which will help you gain greater clubhead speed in your golf swing. It also increases your range of motion to give you a more fluid, powerful stroke. Try these basic stretches before you head to the first tee.

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Before you stretch -- It is best to warm up your muscles by increasing your body temperature a bit. Try riding a stationary bike for 10 minutes before you begin to stretch. You will find that your muscles are much more receptive to stretching once you get them moving a bit first.

Shoulder and triceps stretch -- Grab the head of one of your irons in your right hand and hold it behind your head so that the shaft of the club rests against your back. Reach behind your back with your left hand and grab the grip of the club. Slowly pull down on the club with your left hand for 30 seconds. This will stretch your right shoulder and triceps muscles. Then, switch hands and repeat the stretch.

Chest stretch -- Hold one end of your driver in each hand. While keeping your arms straight and your elbows locked, slowly start moving the driver back behind your head and toward your hips. Hold this stretch for 20 seconds. To make the stretch more difficult, you can use a shorter iron instead of a driver.

Torso stretch -- Hold one end of your driver in each hand. Place the driver behind your shoulder blades. Slowly recreate the turn in your torso as though you were taking a practice swing. You don't need to hold the stretch. It's more important that you move slowly and try to get the maximum range of motion that you can get. Try this for 10 swing repetitions.

Oblique stretch -- Sit on a bench with your back as straight as possible. Place your right hand on your right hip and extend your left hand high over your head. Slowly bend to your right, while keeping your chest straight and extend as far to the right as possible. Return to an upright position and switch hands. Repeat the stretch ten times on each side.

Calf stretch -- Stand on the edge of the first step of a staircase with your heels dangling off the edge of the step. Slowly lower your body weight into your heels while keeping the front of your foot in contact with the step. You should immediately feel a stretch in your calf. Do this for 30 seconds. To increase the difficulty of the stretch, alternate feet during the stretch.

Hamstring stretch -- While lying on your back, hold the end of a towel in each hand and wrap the center of the towel around your left foot. Keep your leg as straight as possible as you pull your toes up over your body and towards your head. Hold this for 20 seconds, then switch legs and repeat.

Stretching will give you a more powerful, fluid swing, but it will not solve all of your problems on the course. If knee pain is preventing you from performing at your best, you might be suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Various treatments for OA do exist, such as ORTHOVISC®, which provides up to six months of knee pain relief. Made from ultra-pure natural hyaluronan, which is found in healthy joints, ORTHOVISC® is injected into the knee joint where it acts to replace your natural joint fluid, to help cushion, protect, and lubricate your knee.

ORTHOVISC® is a proud sponsor of PGATOUR.com. Talk to your doctor to see if ORTHOVISC® is right for you. Or visit our Web site at www.orthovisc.com for more information on how to maintain your knee health to help you keep playing the game you love.

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-date information on maintaining joint health and the prevention/treatment of knee pain due to sports-related injuries or the early symptoms of osteoarthritis.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

ORTHOVISC® is for patients who do not get adequate pain relief from simple pain relievers like acetaminophen or from exercise and physical therapy. ORTHOVISC® is not for use in people with known allergy to hyaluronate preparations, to gram bacterial proteins, with infections or skin diseases in the area of the injection site or joint. Common side effects include joint pain, back pain, headaches and pain or redness at the injection site.

This is a paid placement by DePuy Mitek, Inc. The opinions expressed above are those of DePuy Mitek, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the PGA TOUR.