Golf-Specific Stretching
Last year golfers suffered approximately 35,000 injuries that required a trip to the emergency room or doctor, according to the National Safety Council. Contrary to popular belief, golf is a physical game that requires a lot of swinging, twisting, turning, gripping, bending and squatting, which places stress and strain on lower backs, hips, knees, shoulders, hands, wrists and elbows. Injuries can also occur if you walk and carry your bag, putting you at a higher risk for back, knee and ankle injuries.
The majority of golf injuries are not usually a result of a single traumatic or fluke accident. They are more frequently a result of tissue damage sustained over time from overuse and poor technique. Most golf injuries fall into the general categories of strains, sprains, fractures, and tendonitis. Since the golf swing emphasizes movements on one side of the body more than the other, playing frequently can inevitably create muscle imbalances that can lead to injuries. Many injuries can be prevented by being better conditioned. Stretching on a daily basis is one of the fastest and easiest way to prevent injury, improve your range of motion and extend your golf career.
Throughout the rest of this program, I will be demonstrating golf-specific stretches to help you warm up, prevent injury, increase your range of motion, improve your swing and even help you relax.
Consistency is the key to stretching. It is better to do a few minutes of golf specific stretches everyday, rather than to wait until you have a couple of hours free at the end of the week. It usually never happens.
On-Course Exercise
Get into the habit of warming up and doing at least two golf-specific stretches every day. Here is an example of a golf-specific stretch.
Step 1-Set up holding a golf club in your hands with your right palm up and your left palm down like shown in the photo.
Step 2-Swing to the top of your swing and hold this position for at least 10 seconds.
Step 3-Swing to the finish and hold follow-through position for at least 10 seconds.
Off-Course Exercise
Complete the Pre-Swing Muscle and Joint Warm Up chapter from the Cardiogolf DVD. To order your own copy of Cardiogolf visit cardiogolf.
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