Golf Stretching Exercises To Improve Golf Fitness
The essence of golf stretching exercises – Golf is a physically demanding sport, and a great golfer needs to stay flexible and be in great shape. The pros spend thousands of dollars on golf fitness trainers and coaches to help keep them on top of their game.
If you are just starting to play golf after leading a primarily sedentary lifestyle then you are going to notice that it is going to be pretty difficult for you to just run out and play an entire 18 hole round of golf.
However, if you have been playing for a while you are most likely in much better physical shape, but generally, your golf game will be greatly determined by your level of physical fitness.
If you are in great shape physically, in terms of flexibility, strength, and stamina you will be able to play a much better game than someone who is in lesser physical shape.
Golf Flexibility Exercises: Golf Exercises Fitness Tips
You are going to need golf flexibility exercises to improve flexibility at the same time that you work to improve strength in order to have the best overall physical condition possible in order to play.
This means that you want to work to build lean muscle, rather than bulky muscles. The key difference is the amount of flexibility that the muscles provide.
Bulky muscles tend to be stronger, yet at the same time, they are not as flexible which will significantly restrict your ability to twist appropriately while you are swinging the ball. However, building lean muscle is not impossible, but will take a conscious effort.
Golf Weight Training Exercises: Golf Fitness Training
The majority of people who are working to build muscle strength tend to build muscle mass automatically. This is typically because they are lifting large amounts of weight.
Relatively to build lean muscles you need to work to build repetitions of lower weight weights. This will allow you to develop your muscle strength, while at the same time allowing you to work towards building the lean and slender muscles that are better for your overall golf game.
During golf weight training exercises refrain from the urge to lift weights that are heavier than 10 pounds as this will result in bulky muscles rather than lean muscles.
Golf Stretching Exercises Tips
You should also work to keep your body as flexible as possible. This means you need to ensure that you do golf stretching exercises both before and after playing golf to ensure that you are taking good care of your body.
If you don’t do any golf stretching exercises then you might find yourself very sore after a game and regretting playing.
Just doing stretching exercises for as little as 5 minutes before and after a round of golf will ensure that you are able to constantly play without any problems and without feeling as if you are spending more time stretching than playing golf.
As you are playing golf, it is very important to remember that you are frequently out in the very hot sun. For this reason, you need to always make sure that you take some water with you to make certain that you stay well hydrated during the game.
If you become overheated or dehydrated, it will start to hinder your golf game as well as cause you difficulty in having the necessary endurance to play.
Always drink plenty of water to make sure that you are able to keep on playing. This is important no matter what type of golf stretching exercises you are doing to ensure that you are as healthy as possible.
Your last major tip should be making sure that you walk as much as possible. Golf may be a rather slow-moving sport, but it does usually involve great amounts of walking. You need to be able to walk great distances without losing your breath, or experiencing back or leg pain.
These problems can really reduce the amount of time that you can play and could potentially cause you to have to stop playing a game in the middle of a course. This is never something that is enjoyable so ensuring that you get plenty of walking exercise is essential.
If you have problems with finding somewhere to walk then consider looking into a treadmill that will allow you to still get plenty of walking exercise even off the green.
A bit of careful planning and a tiny bit of carefully planned and executed golf stretching exercises can go a very long way towards helping you improve your golf game dramatically.
If you want to play better golf instead of just messing around on a green, you will need to improve your physical fitness levels and you will be rather amazed at the benefits that it provides to your health as well as your overall golf swing.
Pre-Golf Stretching Exercises
Benefits To Stretching Before Golf
1. Increase blood flow and provides warm-up to muscles
2. Improves functional range of motion throughout the golf swing
3. Promotes relaxation and fluidity of swing
4. Reduces potential for injury or strain
5. Sports specific dynamic stretch with proper sequencing of swing
Standing Backbends
Feet should be shoulder-width apart
Place hands on hips
Bend backward trying to keep knees straight. Bend back until you feel resistance
Repeat 15 times
Trunk Rotations
Place club over shoulders and behind the head
Grab the club at each end
Assume the golf posture
Rotate upper body back and through while keeping lower body still
Repeat 15 times
Overhead Side Bends
Grab club just outside shoulder width
Feet should be shoulder-width apart
Hold club extended overhead
Lean trunk to one side feeling a stretch on the opposite side
Pause at the bottom, and go immediately to the other side
Repeat three times on each side
Hip Stretch
Place on foot in front of the other
Use golf club for balance
Tuck your bottom under and maintain for the entire stretch
Lunge forward until stretch felt in the front part of the thigh
Next, lean away from the “back” leg
Hold the stretch for 15 seconds
Alternate legs and repeat three times on each side
IT Band Stretch
Cross one leg behind the other
Rotate trunk and reach for the “back leg”
Hold the stretch for 15 seconds
Alternate legs and repeat 3 times on each side
7-Iron Half Swings
Make a half swing with a 7-iron at a moderate speed
Focus on the proper sequence of swing and fluid motion
Continue to swing back and forth without hesitation to promote a proper warm-up
Arms and shoulders should feel relaxed and light
Repeat 15 times
Can add a second club once warmed up for second set Hamstring Stretch Place foot on golf cart or bench
Maintain the arch in back
Bend forward at the hips until stretch felt in the back of the legs
Hold the stretch for 15 seconds
Alternate legs and repeat 3 times on each side
Shoulder Stretch
Place forearm against the roof support of the golf cart
Lean forward until stretch felt in the chest or shoulder region
Hold the stretch for 15 seconds
Alternate arms and repeat 3 times on each side
Other Stretching Recommendations
This stretching program is not a substitute for specific stretches that may have been
prescribed by a physical therapist or physician.
All stretching should be done PAIN-FREE and you should be NO worse off than
when you started.
Top 5 Stretches for Golfers Video
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