(Always check with your personal doctor before starting a workout program and tailor it to meet your goals.)
Many golfers can benefit from a golf fitness program. A fitness program can greatly benefit your game and improve your score. Many golfers need to improve their flexibility and strength Golf is a ballistic form of sport which involves sudden and one-sided moments.
This can lead to overuse injuries and muscle imbalances. That’s why physical fitness plays an essential role in improving your game and preventing possible injuries. Here are 9 simple golf fitness exercises which can help you stretch and warm up before each golf game build strength and power, stabilize the shoulders, and loosen your hips.
1. Hip crossovers – Each direction, six reps.
Why you should do it.
The twisting of your lower body will help stretch the tendons and muscles in your lower back and hips. This encourages the torque placed on the hip area during a follow-through or at the top of a back swing.
How to do
Lie face up with your heels on the ground, feet wider than the shoulder-width apart, knees bent, and arms to sides. Now twist the legs to the right until they touch the ground. Do the same to the left. Keep alternating sides while ensuring your abdomens tight and shoulders stay on the ground.
2. Mini-band walking forward – 10 steps, one set
Why you should do it
The resistance of a stretch mini band against your legs helps activate and strengthen the glutes, which play an essential part in ensuring a stable base during a swing, particularly at quicker speeds.
How to do
Put a mini band around the legs right above your knee. Place another one around the ankles. Next, walk forwards in small steps. Make sure to keep your knees bent and alternate the elbow driving back in each step. Keep the knees over the toes and the back straight at all times.
3. Glute bridges – 10 reps, one set
Why you should do it.
This is a great exercise for your glutes. Also, it can strengthen the lower back and hamstrings. Its extended posture is quite similar to that when a golfer thrusts the hips to the target at impact.
How to do it.
Lie face up with knees bent, toes off the ground and arms out to the sides. Squeeze your butt muscles (glutes) and thrust the hips upwards till the whole body stays in a straight line from the knees to the shoulders.
4. Quad rocking – 10 reps, one set
Why you should do it
This exercise helps mobilize your hips and allows these parts to perform properly during the swing. Also, it can strengthen the lower back, thus alleviating some of the stress put on this area during a golf game.
How to do:
Get down on four limbs with knees under the hips and hands under the shoulders. Pull in the belly button towards the spine while keeping the lower back in a natural curve. Move the hips backwards till you feel the pelvis rotating. Try to breathe normally and keep the pelvis still during exercise.
5. Lateral squat – Each direction, 6 reps
Why you should do it.
This exercise can stretch the hamstrings, groin, glutes, hip adductors and strengthen your quads. These parts play such an essential part in creating power during a golf swing. And the lateral squat will make them more powerful and elastic. This exercise also develops the lower area of the core.
How to do
Stand with the feet spread gently wider than your shoulders. Shift the hips to the left and down by bending the left knee and keeping the right leg straight. You should point your feet flat and straight ahead on the ground. Next, push through your left hip and return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise in the opposite direction. Make sure to keep the knee behind the toes, chest up, and back flat.
6, Front leg Squat:
Why you should do it
Any king of squats builds strength throughout your body. It is a stimulus. The quad muscles (upper leg muscles) are your biggest muscles in your body. There is a strong synergistic effect on the whole body when these muscles are exercised. In exercising these leg muscles with the front leg squat you in turn effect quads, hamstrings, groin muscles and stomach muscles. Do not forget that your leg strength plays a strong role in your golf swing power.
How to do.
Stand with your feet just a little wide then the shoulder and shift your weight over your right leg slightly while your left leg straightens out (you somewhat use your hips in this movement).
Then straighten your right knee and return to a standing position. Then do the shift your weight over your left leg slightly while your right leg straightens out . Repeat this movement
from right leg to left leg.
7. Knee Hugs.
This exercise will help the golfer body posture and balance. This exercise will help strengthen the leg muscles (both glutes and hamstrings).
How to do.
This is a pretty easy exercise to explain. While standing feet about shoulder width. Lift your right knee up as to your stomach and gently grab the knee with both hands and bring in up near your chest . Hold this position for a couple seconds.
Then with the other leg. Lift your left knee up as to your stomach and gently grab the knee with both hands
and bring in up to near your chest . Hold this position for a couple seconds. Try to perform movement 3-5 times for each leg.
8) Leg Stretching
Why you should do it
This is a great movement to do before you play a game of golf. It limbers up your legs.
How to do.
Grab a driver club hold with the right hand slightly higher then belt high. Then take your right leg and move it back wards and forwards like a football player kicking a ball only at much slower speed. The take the club in the left hand left leg and move it back wards and forwards like a football player kicking a ball only at much slower speed.
9) Arm Stretching
Why you should do it
This is a great movement to do before you play a game of golf. It limbers up your arms. Standing with your feet .
slightly more then shoulder width.
How to do.
Take the driver club and hold it in front of you parrellel with the ground. Now keep your heading looking forward. Swing the club to the right twisting your hips and do the same for the left side. This great club swing simulation movement . A great warm up exercise before each golf game. Golf Fitness can be fun also
The bottom line
To be sure, you don’t need to jump high, lift heavy weights, or run fast to be a good golfer. Nevertheless, if you are willing to spend effort and time in these golf fitness exercises, your performance on the course will certainly be improved. Keep in mind to check with your personal doctor before starting a workout program and tailor it to meet your goals. for more help with their golf game senior citizens can view golf tips for seniors article.
