is a sport with a specific group of physical requirements.You don't need to be the guy lifting the heaviest weights in the gym, nor do you need iron-man levels of endurance.To play golf to your potential though, you should be working mainly on your core strength, your flexibility and your balance.These areas should make up the bulk of your Upper Body Stretches
Upper body stretches can improve stability and separation at the top of the back swing resulting in greater power and efficiency.Long turns with the club in a half kneeling position is a stretch recommended by the Titleist Performance Institute.Get into a lunge position, your front knee bent at 90 degrees and your back knee resting on the ground or knee pad.From this position, keep your hips square and perform a full shoulder turn.Over time, this will create more torque in your swing and result in greater power transfer.
Lower Body Flexibility
Your personal program should be determined by a screening that identifies your strengths and weaknesses.Until then, there are some stretches that can help improve you overall .Calf flexibility is often overlooked but can make a big difference in your swing.Begin with the straight leg calf stretch.With your front leg bent and back leg straight, push down into your back heel, you should feel a stretch up your calf muscle, hold for several seconds and repeat.The hamstrings are also important in terms of maintaining posture throughout the swing.Hamstring stretches are useful for warm up and warm downs.In the gym, perform stability ball roll outs.Start on your back and lift your heels onto the ball, arch your back and, keeping your trunk stable, roll the ball back and forth, feeling the strain up your hamstrings.
Core
Pam Owens at the Titleist Performance Institute says that lack of core stability leads to inconsistency and inefficiency.A solid core allows you to transfer more power into the ball.Exercises that work to strengthen your glutes, hips and abdominal muscles include planks, side planks, stability ball roll outs and Russian twists.Additionally, your core should be engaged whenever you are exercising.Whether you are doing push ups or bicep curls, draw your stomach up and in to strengthen your core and help to prevent injury.
Balance
The golf swing is an explosive motion involving all the major muscle groups.By improving your balance, you can find greater consistency in your game.Those with poor balance should begin by standing on one leg and holding the position for 15 seconds before switching legs.Once that becomes simple, begin making golf swings standing on one leg, holding your follow through.With constant work and improvement, eventually you'll be hitting balls off one leg with your eyes closed.Not only will you be able to impress your golfing buddies, but your scores will be dropping as well.
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