ACE GOLF UPDATE STAY FIT OVER THE WINTER

By Chris Ownbey : Published for AG December 2007 Print | Email

Winterize Your Golf Game



How many times have you started a new golf season with high scores, short drives and aches and pains? Let’s be honest, it happens more times than you’d like.


If you are like most of us, you tend to spend the winters being sedentary. Do yourself a favor: As winter approaches and you find your golf season coming to an end, review these tips on how to winterize your golf game.


The golf swing is very athletic. You use every major muscle in the body in a specific sequence of motion to enable you to hit the ball solidly with power.


It’s a proven fact that muscles used in the golf swing that are not exercised and conditioned on a regular basis will not respond to the correct golfing techniques. Golf is athletic, and we are athletes. Name a sport that doesn’t have an off-season. All athletes work on their bodies during the off-season to reach their true potential.


Why wouldn’t you?


There are three main physical fitness components every golfer must have to play their best. To be a successful player you need strength, flexibility and balance. These are all equally important and should not be ignored in your golf-specific, off-season training program.


Strength: Core strength and rotary strength


It takes strength to maintain good golf posture and to rotate your upper body powerfully into the ball. A lower level of golf-specific strength will result in difficulty with posture and downswing power. For incredible rotary strength, try standing rotation twists.


Stand facing toward the weight machine


Grasp the handle with both hands. Now strengthen your arms and rotate your torso to the right. Imagining everything is connected, use your big muscles to pull to the backswing, then repeat to the front and rotate to the left.


Perform two sets of 10 reps


Flexibility


A flexible back and hamstrings are a must to achieve a full backswing with no muscular tension. Lack of flexibility creates tension in your golf swing, robbing you of clubhead speed and distance. For increased flexibility, try the lunge with instep touch reverse twist.


Stand tall with your feet together


Step out with your right foot as if to do a lunge


Place your left hand on the ground in line with your left knee


With your right hand on the side of your head, rotate and look behind you toward the ceiling


Take your right hand and elbow, reach down and touch the inside of your right foot


Repeat both sides


Perform two sets of 10 reps


Balance


Have you ever fallen out of balance during a swing? Of course you have; everyone has. So why do golfers ignore balance training for a better swing? Just as you can’t expect to fire a cannon from a canoe with any accuracy, you can’t expect to express the strength and power necessary for a long drive, mid-iron shot, shot from the rough or chip shot with any accuracy if your body is out of balance. You can’t teach balance, you can only train for it. For perfect balance, try doing standing lunges.


With your feet together, hold a golf club extended out in front of you


Step back with your right leg into a lunge


Twist your body to the inside so your left hand is reaching to your right knee


Extend and rotate your body, keeping your arms straight to the outside fully extended and hold


Push back up and repeat


Perform two sets of 10 reps to each side


Don’t let your clubs get dusty and forget about your game during the winter or off-season. It’s no fun to come off the course feeling spent when you should have energy to spare. You have between three or four months to greatly improve your strength, flexibility and balance. It would be the wisest thing you could do to winterize your game for next season.


Chris Ownbey is a Titleist Performance Institute certified Golf Specific Trainer for the Golden Bear Golf Center in Carrollton. For more information, visit www.chrisownbeygolf.com or call 214-457-9684