Five Exercises to Avoid Injury and
Improve your Golf Swing
As the cold air
breaks this week and returns to nicer golf weather, the courses will be filled
with eager golfers looking to take advantage.
But what can you do to avoid that dreaded injury that could sideline you
during golf’s busiest and nicest season?
Further, what easy exercises can you do to strengthen your game?
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| Ryann Roberts, DPT |
To answer these
questions, we have enlisted Erica Dechowitz, future professional golfer and Ryann
Roberts, DPT, AZOPT owner and physical therapist.
Erica is currently rehabbing arthroscopic
knee surgery in her right knee with Ryann after a fluke shot in a bunker caused
her knee to buckle improperly.
This
golf-related injury could have happened to any of us, and probably would have
ended worse for most of us.
Being in the
best shape of her life at the time of her injury prevented Erica from a more
serious injury, which would have affected her goal of qualifying for the U.S.
Amateur this summer.
 |
| Erica Dechowitz |
Your core –
simply, your body minus your legs and arms - is the most important part of a
strong golf game.
The power in your
swing comes from your core and hips.
The
ability to balance and shift your weight correctly through your swing comes
from your core.
The strength to get
through playing 18 holes of golf comes from your core.
According to Erica, “as long as you’re stable
in the core, you can swing as hard as you want, and the ball will go
straight.”
After your core,
the next important parts of your body are your quadriceps, hamstrings, and
shoulders. But as Erica told us, “you
cannot just go to the gym and pick up weights without knowing what muscles you
are working and why. You will risk
future injury or a worse golf game.”
With the help of
Erica and Ryann, we are able to provide you with these five exercises that will
strengthen the important parts of your body to help you avoid injury while
hopefully improving your golf swing. Try
them, and let us know what you think in the comments section of this post!
Exercise #1 – Front Plank
Equipment Needed: None
Muscles Trained: This is an isometric
(static) core exercise that will strengthen the abdominals, back, and
shoulders.
Description: Put your body in a push up
position with your body’s weight on your forearms, elbows, and toes and hold
for 5 to 30 seconds.
There are many
variations such as the side plank and reverse plank, which involve a higher
degree of difficulty.
Make sure your
butt stays neutral and does not sag below your hips or rise above your hips and
that your core stays contracted throughout the exercise.
Reps:
Perform 5-10 daily
How will this translate into your golf
game? “The plank is a basic core
strengthener that will help improve your balance during your swing,” says Erica.
Exercise #2 – Hip Flexor Stretches
Equipment Needed: Towel, if needed
Muscles Trained: Your hip flexors, located on your upper
thighs, just below your hipbones, which allow you to lift your knees and bend
at the waist.
Description:
Begin by kneeling on your right knee (use a
towel to cushion your kneecap, if necessary).
Place your left foot in front of you, bend that knee, and place your
left hand on your left leg for stability.
Your right hand should be placed on your right hip, keeping you from
bending at the waist.
Make sure your
back is straight and your core is tight.
Sink, as if trying to touch your groin to your front heel, being careful
not to extend your knee over your toe.
You should feel the stretch in your right hip flexor.
Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, and then
switch legs and repeat.
Reps: 3-4 reps with each leg, 2 or 3
times per day
How will this translate into your golf
game? According to Ryann, “this
stretch will reduce stress on your back and allow you to make complete turns
while maintaining your stable base.”
Exercise #3 – Corner Pectoral Stretch
Equipment Needed: Two walls, usually
behind a closed door
Muscles Trained: This stretch works your pectoral (chest)
muscles. By altering the position of
your arms, the stretch will focus on different parts of the chest muscles.
Description:
Stand facing the corner with your elbows at
shoulder height.
Place your forearms,
elbows, and hands against the wall with your elbow at a 90 degree angle.
Lean inward and hold for 15 seconds.
Reps:
6-10 reps daily
How will this translate into your golf
game? “This stretch helps to set
your shoulders in the proper position giving you better shoulder mobility and
rotation,” says Ryann.
Exercise #4 – Side Lying Shoulder
External Rotations
Equipment Needed: none up to light
weights
Muscles Trained: This exercise promotes scapular (shoulder
blade) movement and stability and reduces the risk of shoulder injuries. Also strengthens the rotator cuff and the
posterior deltoid.
Description:
With either no weight or a light dumbbell,
lie on your side with the dumbbell in the hand of your upper arm.
Position your upper arm’s elbow against your
ribs to avoid any other movement except external rotation.
Simply rotate your arm through the full range
of motion, keeping your scapula (shoulder blade) retracted throughout the
entire exercise.
Do not allow your elbow
of the upper arm to drift away from your body.
Reps:
2 or 3 sets of 20 reps each arm daily
How will this translate into your golf
game? “Since the shoulder is a high
mobility joint, this exercise will give you better shoulder stability improving
the strength that will help you achieve better posture and scapular (shoulder
blade) control. Ultimately, this will assist
your follow through and help with more consistent ball striking,” says Ryann.
Exercise #5 – Russian Twists
Equipment Needed: Medicine Ball, Bosu
Ball
Muscles Trained: Core
Description: Stand with your feet shoulder
width apart. Hold a medicine ball with
both hands and arms only slight bent.
Swing the ball over to the right hip and forcefully swing ball forward
and around to your left side. Reverse
back in the opposite direction. Keep
your core tight to maximize proper usage of all muscles. Once you become more advanced, you can do
this exercise while balancing on a Bosu Ball.
Reps:
2-3 sets of 30 seconds daily
How will this translate into your golf game? This exercise is Erica’s
favorite.
She prefers this exercise on
two Bosu balls flipped over with a personal trainer throwing the ball to her (for
a better description, Tweet Erica directly
@EricaDech).
Erica tell us “this exercise will strengthen
your core, give you better endurance, and improve your ability to wind up and
release through your swing for maximum speed and better ball striking.”
Erica Dechowitz
has been golfing competitively since she was 15 years old, but has been on the
golf course since she was a toddler.
After growing up in Pennsylvania and attending Kutztown University,
Erica moved to Arizona in 2011 to train year-round. She currently is working towards qualifying
for the U.S. Amateur in August. Erica’s
favorite golf drill is to hit 5 balls with a club, and then hit another 5 balls
with the same club, but with her eyes closed. This drill forces her to really focus on her muscle
memory and how her body feels throughout the swing. Erica’s favorite golf course is Bulle Rock
Golf Course in Maryland, which she golfed with her dad during a road trip after
her high school graduation. Keep up with
Erica on Twitter @EricaDech.
