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 Taking a golf
lesson isn't always the answer
| Golfers will do anything they can in hopes to play better golf and hit the
LONG ball. Am I right? Are you in this category? If so, I'm quite confident to
say you've taken a golf lesson or two. Golf lessons can be very effective in
getting you back on track, if your swing has gone south. But, not always. |
How many times have you taken a golf lesson, only
to be more frustrated and hitting the ball worse than before that golf lesson?
Do you know why this happens? It can be many different reasons, such as too
many swing thoughts; making drastic changes that require hours at the range and
hitting thousands of balls; or lastly, your body just can't effectively move in
the way it needs to, to make a mechanically correct golf swing.
I'm inclined to say that for the majority of golfers, especially the older
golfer, it's the last reason above. Your body just can't move the way |
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| it needs to. The question now is, why? Why can't your body do what you know
it needs to do to swing the club correctly? It can drive you to the point of
quitting the game. But there is hope. There is an approach that wills almost
100% of the time correct this problem. Do you want to know what it is? It's
addressing your "physical limitations". That's what's keeping you
from a great game of golf. |
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Do you ever get on the course and
just feel like you can't make a full backswing? Or, it just feels impossible to
maintain your golf posture and "stay in your swing"? No amount of
golf lessons or hitting balls will correct this. This is a "physical"
issue with your body, and until you work on it, it will never get better. I've
seen it time and time again. Golfers walking off the course in pure disgust.
They've taken golf lessons, hit balls at the range, and even bought the latest,
greatest titanium drive; and yet still can't play like they think they are
capable of.
Finding out your "physical limitations" is the first step to a
lifelong better game of golf. Once you find out what's keeping you from making
that perfect swing, you |
can set up a game plan to improve it. It may be a flexibility issue, or it
may be a strength issue. But either way, you've got to find out what it is.
The most common issue (especially for the older golfer) is flexibility. Not
being able to rotate your body fully on the backswing, creating that power and
torque for maximum club head speed. If your back swing is cut short, you will
LOSE yards on your drives! And I say again; no amount of lessons or hitting
balls will make that any better. You've got to do specific golf stretches to
improve this limitation.
Now on the other side of these limiting factors is strength, specific to golf.
And one of the most common limitations is weak hamstrings (the back of the
upper leg). The role of the hamstring is critical. It allows you to maintain
your golf posture throughout the swing and for 18 holes. It prevents undo
strain on your lower back. And can give you a steady, comfortable position
while putting.
If your hamstrings are weak, I can almost say with certainty, you've got some
low-back pain or injury. This is prevalent in older golfers and even the
younger ones too. Back pain is the number reason to keep a golfer from playing
his/her best. Have you ever walked off the course with your back in pain? I'm
sure at one time or another you have. Now do you think hitting more balls or
taking more lessons will improve this? I think you know the answer.
If you have a difficult time, "staying in your swing", it most
definitely could be the above scenario. In order to maintain the forward flex
in your upper body (golf posture), your hamstrings need to have optimal
strength (and flexibility). If not, your hamstring will send a message to your
brain saying, "get out of this position, I can't hold it any longer".
Do you think his has ever happened to you?
So working on the physical side of your game improvement may be the missing
link. I can assuredly tell you with this approach, your game WILL improve.
There is no doubt. Getting your body to move just a little better will make a
huge difference in your ability to make an optimal swing for 18 holes. So
before you take that next golf lesson, take a look at your BODY first!
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The Perfect Pre-Round
Warmup
Here's what a pro golfer does before he hits the course: Stretch, practice
putting for 30 minutes, warm up hitting for 35 minutes, then pitch, chip, and
hit sand shots for 10 minutes, then putt again for 10 minutes, and then
finally, go to the tee. Here's what you do: Get out of the car, swing a couple
practice shots, and go to the tee. And you wonder why you don't feel warmed up
until the third hole. |
Granted, you don't need to prepare on the links
like the pros. But if you only get out on the course a few times a month, you
want to make the most of your playing time. The best way to prepare the body
for golf is with continuous dynamic stretches. "Dynamic stretches alert
the neuromuscular skeletal system for the golf swing more effectively than
static stretching," says Katherine Roberts, certified golf performance
coach and author of Swing Flaws and Fitness Fixes (Gotham, Aug
2009).
Try these six dynamic moves on the course before you tee off. Hold each stretch
for two to five deep breaths, or approximately 5 to 10 seconds, says Roberts.
Standing Pelvic Tilts
Begin in your address position, arms crossed over the chest. Tuck the pelvis
under, creating a posterior tilt of the pelvis; arch the back, |
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creating an anterior tilt of the pelvis and return to a neutral spine.
Repeat five times in each direction.
Speed Trunk Rotation
Standing in your address position, bring the palms together. Inhale as you
rotate from the core and bring the right arm back. Exhale as you
"clap" the hands together. Repeat 10 times in each direction.
Continuing in your address position, extend the arms to shoulder height and
rotate from the core. Repeat 10 more times.
Standing Hip Stretch
Begin by placing your hands a chair or a golf club for assistance with balance.
Place the right ankle on the outside of the left knee. Inhale as you bend your
left knee, sitting back as if you are sitting on a chair. Bring the chest
toward the shin, rolling the shoulder blades together. Hold for three breaths
and repeat five times. Switch sides. |
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Shoulder Stretch with Club Behind
Back
Place the club or towel in your right hand, palm facing the ceiling. Bring the
right arm over your head and the right palm behind your back. Bring your left
arm behind your back and clasp the club or towel. Inhale as you gently pull on
the towel, exhale and release. Repeat five times and switch sides.
Neck Stretch
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Bring the right ear toward the right shoulder. Inhale as you press your
left arm toward the floor, exhale and relax the left arm. Repeat very slowly
five times, and gently return your head and neck to neutral. Switch sides.
Standing Rhomboid / Upper Back / Neck Stretch
Bring the club to shoulder height, bend your knees and tuck your pelvis under.
Inhale as you press your arms away from you, tucking your chin into your chest.
Exhale, lift the head and squeeze the shoulder blades together. Repeat five
times. |
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