The power and driving distance of your golf swing will improve by leaps and bounds if you practice core flexibility training...
This is so because it is only with a flexible core that you can execute your optimal back and forward turning with as little tension as possible. As you may very well know, it is your body ’s core that powers your swing.
And where, precisely, is your core? Put in the simplest of terms, your core is the group of muscles around the middle of your body when considered vertically. That means primarily your abdominals, but also your lower back and your buttocks.
It is no surprise that many amateur golf players -- especially those who neglect either core flexibility training or core power training, or both -- sustain some lower back injury at one time or another.
You must be aware by now that concentrating your strength in the arms in order to swing harder can only get you so far. Chances are you’ve tried increasing your power and distance this way. And, more likely than not, you ended up hitting the ball not much farther.
Core flexibility training applies to many other sports as well. A great part of the power used in whacking a baseball or tennis ball, or hurling a discus in track and field, derives from the torque formed around the person’s physical core.
Whether it be a tennis or golf ball you want to send hurtling though the air, it is through the same rotational motion of your core that pent up energy for the strike is unleashed.
The main idea behind core flexibility training in golf is to increase the range of this back and forth turning movement though stretching exercises. It usually doesn’t take long before noticeable improvements appear as you become more efficient in coordinating your shoulders, arms and hands with your physical core in rehearsed sequence. You might even be shocked at the meteoric rise of your driving distance!
You can test your core flexibility as you remain seated reading this article. Cross your arms over your chest and maintain a steady, forward gaze. Rotate as far back to your right then as far back to your left as you can.
How far did you swing? A 90 degree shoulder turn is where you need to be. If you went around only at a 70 degree angle then you are well below your optimum power and driving distance. A core flexibility training program will do you much good.
This very simple test is best done while seated, as this position ensures that the range of turning motion comes from around the abdominal area, or core, not from the hips or feet, as may be the case when standing up.
If the preceding discussion isn’t enough to persuade you to take up core flexibility training for greater golf swing power and driving distance, I don’t know what will!
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For more Golf Flexibility insights into the latest trends in exercise, fitness, training and workouts for golf, read the Perform Better Golf Blog, published daily by Mike Pedersen.
About the Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf flexibility trainers and golf fitness experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Manual, and founder of several online golf fitness and exercise websites.
Check out his golf exercise dvds, workout and exercise training products, and his new and proven Golf Fitness System, specifically designed to improve golf specific strength, flexibility, coordination, and overall golf swing mechanics!
