subject: A Few Great Exercises For Golf [print this page] Having good balance and a smooth steady swing goes a long way in helping any golfer make better contact. We're going to review a few great exercises for golf that will help you build a solid core and increase your flexibility, while not putting any extra strain on your back. However, please go slow with any exercise that is new to you, and check with your physician if you have any questions before starting an exercise routine.
This first exercise really a stretch, but flexibility and a strong core is what we want to create, and this one exercise helps with both of those things. Begin by laying down on your right side, and draw your knees up towards your chest until you're in a 90 degree bend at the waist. Extend your right hand straight out from your head, and place your left hand on top of your right. Slowly raise your left hand, and arm, up and away from your right in a circular motion, swinging around towards your back until your left hand touches the ground. Hold it in position for 15-20 seconds, and then slowly return it to its original position. Repeat this movement 3-5 times while laying on your right, and then left side.
Now that you have loosened up you're ready for the second exercise, which involves a piece of rubber tubing attached to the top of a door. Standing sideways to the door with your legs and body simulating your golf stance, use both hands to pull down and turn away from the door using your legs to brace your weight. As your hands extend past your left leg (for a right handed golfer) you're reaching the point in your swing where you want to really feel a nice full extension, hold that point for 3-5 seconds, and then slowly turn back to the right, releasing the tension. This exercise allows you to rehearse the feeling of a full extension, while adding tension and resistance and this move will really translate easily when you swing a regular club.
The final exercise is also very simple and is a great follow-up to the previous one because now we're going to rehearse the swing using resistance in the reverse direction. Using a single dumbbell, at a weight you're comfortable with in your left hand. Holding the dumbbell in your left hand assume your normal address position, and for control it's ok to use your right hand as well and mimic your regular golf grip on the dumbbell. Using primarily your left arm, slowly swing the weight back as you would a golf club, stopping when you feel your "backswing" is parallel to the ground. The "downswing" with the weight is not a swing, but a controlled turn, feeling your weight shift from your right leg to your left. Hold your finish position for a few seconds each time as you turn to the left and if you're off balance you're going too fast. The idea is to be in balance from back to front as your weight is transferred.
