Stretching For The Powerful Swing And For The Better Health
The Golf can be practiced even by the elder people
, however the injuries , especially concerning the back occur in all populations. One of the ways to prevent them is to stretch appropriate muscle groups. This not only will benefit the way your joints respond to the exercise, but enhance your technique and if you dont play any sports, the stretching will definitely make you look and feel younger, better and more performant in your daily activities.
1.The exercises you can do before your golf practice after 5-10 minutes of a warming-up cardio (jogging) :
Neck muscles stretch
The purpose: as the body function in kinetic chains, the mobility of the trunk and the shoulder griddle will be better if the neck muscles are flexible enough.
Take a stance as if your head were suspended by the thread into the sky, inhale, slowly draw the chin in towards the throat. Slowly incline your head to the right, then to the left , while exhaling. To enhance the stretch, you may help yourself by putting your right hand if your head has been inclined on the right, on the opposite temple. Then bend your head down and slowly throw it back. Make alternate semi turns from up to the sides and from your upper chest to the sides. 10-15 reps for each side and movement.
Spreading fingers:
Purpose: to get strong arms and flexible fingers for the better grip and as a bonus a better neuromuscular coordination.
Put your hands in front of you, your arms bent at the elbows and your palms facing the floor. Spread all your fingers at the maximum range. Then join them. Make 8 repetitions like this. Then spread all the fingers except the two in the middle which you would keep joined together. So make 10 repetitions like this. If its too hard to do it on both hands simultaneously, do it on one hand first. Then switch the working hand.Then spread the fingers, while keeping the first finger joined with the second one and the third finger glued to your forth finger. 6 reps
Wrist stretch + Back strength:
Purpose: to be able to flex the wrist forward and back to form the 90 angle with the forearm for an easier swing.
Place yourself like a dog, on your hands, palms down and knees. The knees under your hips, hands uner your shoulders. Keep your head up slightly. Lift the back side of your hands, so they form an angle less than 90. 10 Reps.
Circles
The purpose: the shoulder griddle mobility
In the standing position , arms stretched out perpendicular to the torso, rotate the arms in the circles 10 reps forward and and then 10 reps backwards. Keep the arms extended and dont bend them at the elbows.
Shoulder stretch due to the pressure on the arm.
Purpose: for the better backswing of the left arm. To keep the body balance, you will perform this exercise on both sides.
Keep a good standing posture. Lift your arm on front of you, the palm facing down. Then approach it to your chest, so it is perpendicular to the trunk. Apply the pressure with the opposite hand at the level somewhere between your elbow and your shoulder. Keep the pressure for 6 seconds on each arm.
Pecs , shoulders and arms stretch
The purpose: the flexibility of the upper limbs is important for the powerful swing!
Clap your hands in front of you on the level of your solar plexus. Then clap them behind your back. While doing this exercise, you may hold a small abject, like a ball. 15 reps.
Pecs and shoulders towel stretch.
Purpose: better arm mobility.
Hold two ends of a towel or a club in your hands, in front of you. Keep your arms straight. Pass the object behind your neck and go down your back. When you feel a good stretch, return to the start position. 10 reps.
Lateral torso bents
The purpose: the vertebras mobility, the lateral chain flexibility and better upper limbs range of motion
Stand tall and proud with your feet anchored wide apart. Raise your arms sideways on the level of your shoulders and stretch them as if you wanted to move them away from your body. Bend your torso laterally to the left and to the right while keeping on stretching your arms out. 10 reps on each side, but go down to the maximum.
Ocho stretch
Stand with your feet wide apart . Bend your torso forward. Your knees may be slightly bent. Take a ball in your left hand and hold in in front of your left lower limb. Then pass it to your right hand between your legs. The right hand would be placed on the right of your right leg. Then pass it from your right hand to your left hand between your legs and so on. Its like if youd be drawing number eight around your lower limbs. Keep doing this for a minute.
Lateral trunk Rotations + wrists extensions.
Purpose: the vertebral column mobility (lateral trunk rotations are not really good for the health of your vertebras but as it makes part of the swing movement, you have no choice. Better start it out , not buried by the weight of your driver.) and better wrists mobility.
Hold your feet apart, knees slightly bent, keep your back straight , facing a wall or near the tree, at a distance that makes your arms stretch as well to reach it. Keep your heels on the floor. Inhale. Turn to the sides, while touching the vertical surface with your palms , keeping them in full contact for some seconds while exhaling. 10 Reps.
Crossed hamstring / pec stretch.
The Purpose: the flexibility of the lower limbs , torso and upper limbs can really enhance your swing!
Stand with your feet wide apart. Inhale. Bend forward and touch your left foot or ankle with your right hand while exhaling. Your left arm would be lifted up to stretch your pectoral muscle. Then touch your right foot or ankle with your left hand while stretching your opposite upper limb up in the air alternatively. Keep your knees straight. Do 10 - 15 reps on each side.
Calf and ankle stretch
Put one foot in front of the other wide enough to feel the stretch yet not to feel pain. Bend your front leg. Your arms should be placed either on the front bent leg or hold something for additional support ( the wall or a tree). The working back foot should keep the contact with the floor. Keep the wheel grounded to the soil. At first you keep your working (back) leg flexed to make your ankle joint work. Keep like this for 6 seconds . Your breath should be slow and regular. You may inhale by your nose and exhale by the mouth. And for the next 6 seconds you will straighten your back leg too to target your calf muscle precisely. Then you will change the side.
Ankle twist
Purpose: the mobility of the left ankle for the optimal swing . For the body and brain balance you will perform the exercise on both sides.
Feet apart, hold something like a chair or a tree for the support , in inversion (the toes looking inwards). Make an external rotation of your left ankle and the left knee till your left hip is completely on the left. So your right feet would be extended on the toe tip and your knees in valgus, i.e. turned inwards. Then change the side. 10 reps.
You can make ankle twist, ocho stretch, lateral torso bents, pec /shoulder/arm clapping exercise, circles , fingers stretch and neck semi turns as a part of a separate stretch session.
You must do calf and ankle stretch, crossed hamstring pec stretch, lateral trunk rotations, pec and shoulder towel stretch, shoulder stretch by pressing the arm and the back strength/wrist stretches after your golf practice and as a part of your special stretching separated session, but keep the postures without moving for 15 seconds, 30 seconds or one minute (depending on the time you have, the level of difficulty of the exercise) while breathing regularly and slowly.
Bonus exercise as a part of your post-workout or stretching session: back and wrist advanced stretch
Purpose: wrist flexibility, back stretch and a better posture
Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet touching the floor. Put your arms behind your back, bent at the elbows, the hands bent and lifted up vertically and the palms touching each other at the level of your vertebral column.
To see the pictures of the exercises, go to www.sportsreiki.fr
by: Uliana
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