Get Your Golf Swing Ready

If you’re a golfer and you’ve been waiting for winter weather to end so you can get out on the links, it’s time to get your body in shape so it’s ready for those long drives. Your entire body is involved in your swing, so there are several areas you should target with exercise.

Your muscles need to work in rhythm to control the movement of your swing. The most important muscles for swinging a golf club are your hip extensors and rotators, your scapular muscles (muscles that attach to and move your shoulder blades), and your core (abdominals and back extensors). The flexibility and endurance of these muscles play a significant role in the effectiveness of your swing, especially as your round progresses and you take more swings.

Flexibility and Rotation

Focus on stretching and flexibility more than strengthening in preparation to take your first swing. Muscles that are not properly stretched are at increased risk of a strain. Exercises that will help your golf swing are exercises that work on rotation of your hips and back.

Good posture is needed for a good stance from which to begin your golf swing. To improve your posture, squeeze your shoulder blades together and then release them; repeating this action 10 times, three or four times a day, will help open up the pectoral muscles in your chest and strengthen the rhomboid muscles in your upper back.

Other groups of muscles, including your abdominals and gluteus [buttocks] muscles, need to be strong so that you can slow down and control the forces that occur during your golf swing.

If you have any history of back injury or current back pain or osteoporosis, it’s a good idea to consult a physical therapist for advice on what types of exercises will safely strengthen your abdominal and gluteus muscles without putting you at risk of injury.

More Than Golf

If you only golf only occasionally or you don’t play at all, exercising the muscles involved in golf will still benefit you.

Stretching and exercising these muscle groups will help improve upright posture, increase your endurance, and make daily life activities, such as walking and going up and down stairs, easier. They will also help get your body in better shape for other sports activities, such as tennis and kayaking or canoeing. These exercises will also increase your mobility, which will help alleviate pain and stiffness from conditions such as osteoarthritis and give you a better functional quality of life.

Don’t Play Through Pain

As you exercise, you should feel the muscles working and moving, but you should not be in pain. If you experience pain when you exercise or when you’re golfing, don’t continue the activity; if you do, you may further aggravate the muscles, or even cause a strain or tear that could require weeks or months of recuperation. Instead, rest the affected area, apply ice, and take over-the-counter pain relievers. If the pain doesn’t ease in a couple of days or the pain worsens, see your doctor. 

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