Improve your Golf Swing with Pilates

It’s winter, and the avid golfers I know have entered that mellow part of the year where they yearn for just one thing…The Spring. 

These golfers lament that their golf swing will not be as good as it was in the latest throws of September.  They plan vacations so that they can golf again…

What if I said that I could improve a golf swing over the winter without a single golf club?  What if I could provide a training program that could allow your body to gain flexibility and strength that was focused on the golf swing?  Has a golf game ever hurt your back?  What if I could fix that? 

When I work to help someone improve a golf swing I work with three things.

1.  Strength and Flexibility in Rotation of the Spine
2. Create efficiency in Lateral Weight Shift
3. Axial Length for the Prevention of Back Pain

When it comes to improving a golf swing, the following exercises are just the tip of the iceberg.  They are mat exercises that you can do at home, and soon we will post a video that shows what we can do with the Pilates Apparatus.  Pilates creates functional strength and flexibility so that you can move efficiently in every endeavor, so if you want to golf we can make it happen!

When thinking about spinal rotation finding flexibility is key. Try the following stretches, imagine breathing into the ribcage and using your breath to find increased length.

Find the longest possible line from your pinky to your toe

Imagine reaching through the entire fascial line

The stretches above allow you to reach from the pinky finger to the pinky toe.  How long can you be?  And of course be sure to do both sides.

The Pilates Mermaid helps to open the ribs.  The base of the ribcage is often where the lower body and upper body can disconnect and cause trouble in the golf swing.  Integrating the two helps keep the motion of the golf swing fluid and fierce.

Breath into the ribs as you reach your hand away from your center

Added rotation expands the back of the ribs

After these stretches its time to practice efficient spine rotation.  Book openings is a great exercise that allows the body to feel the rotation move through each vertebra.  Follow your hand with your gaze and remember to engage the oblique abdominals as you return to the beginning.

Start with your hips stacked

Rotate your spine

Follow your hand with your gaze

 Axial length and lateral weight shift can be practiced with the side lift and side leg lift  Be sure that you are reaching your head away from your tail, and sending your heels away from your center to find all of the length you can find.

The longest body helps the hips suspend

Lifting your leg without collapsing at the waist is key