JUST HIT THE BALL, RIGHT?
Golf is a dynamic sport that is comprised of complex movements involving multiple areas of the body. As we have reiterated in our other workouts of the week, proper body preparation is essential for reducing your risk of injury and increasing your capacity for performance.
While golf may seem like a sport that mostly involves the upper body, it requires muscle groups from your lower body, torso, and upper body, making it a whole-body effort. Consequently, we need to attempt to balance our bodies in a way that does not require us to depend on one area a great deal more than another. Unlike other ball sports, when we golf, we are hitting a very small, still object (a golf ball) with a very small club head. This requires us to utilize rotation, stabilization, and strength in a consistent and coordinated effort to attempt to make the same swing motion each time. In other sports, our body is adjusting to a moving target which allows us the opportunity to activate the strongest parts of our body to maximize our performance. Golf is far different because it requires precise coordination of all parts of the body; making training all the more important!
"Golf is a sport, so you have to train like an athlete." ~Tiger Woods
FORE!!
Why do golfers say "fore" and what does that have to do with preparing my body for golf? Well, on a course, golfers yell "fore" to warn other players on the course of an incoming ball. This phrase is particularly important if you aren't exactly sure where your ball will land. There are a few theories behind the origination of the phrase, but, for today's topic, we will be relying more on the term "fore" that was derived from an old Scottish saying meaning simply, LOOKOUT AHEAD. Lookout ahead If you can keep one thing in mind when it comes to training for any sport, it would be lookout ahead! Preparing our bodies for what is ahead is key to success. Warming our body up for an upcoming set of movements is essential to perform at our best and to maximize injury prevention. So, in golf, we always want to focus on FORE in both our game on the course and our preparation for the game. (particularly if we are a novice)! So, why do we need to focus on strength, mobility, and flexibility if we are just swinging a club? Great question! As you can see from the golf swing anatomy image above, there is a multitude of muscle groups both big and small that contribute to the golf swing from start to finish. Each of these areas plays a role in the success of our game. Moreover, when we fail to address all of these components we tend to overcompensate for areas of relative weakness within our body. For example, if our core is too weak, we may end up relying more on our back muscles or our hip flexors to initiate and complete the swing. Because our bodies naturally help us when we can't perform a movement with biomechanic accuracy, we often are not aware of the additional strain that is being placed upon other areas of our body. All the more reason to make sure you are warming up before playing, cooling down after playing, and working on strength, flexibility, and mobility on your non-game days. Keeping with the theme of FORE...here are 4 tips for your golf game ⛳️ To maximize rotational power: strengthen your core and lower body and work on improving the range of motion in your hips, back, and upper body ⛳️ To improve your trunk rotation: strengthen your core, lumbar, and pelvic stabilizers ⛳️ To improve range of motion: work on mobility/stretching in the upper and lower body ⛳️ To work on postural corrections: film yourself to assess the biomechanics of your swing and seek a PT (like us here at OMPT) to help with correctional strategies Golf really does require a comprehensive training program to properly prepare the body for the complexity of the movements we are asking it to perform. The workout of the week below is a fantastic starting point, but if you want a customized plan that more thoroughly addresses your game, reach out today!
WORKOUT OF THE WEEK
Click HERE to view the workout in action and learn more!
LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES
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Check out these trusted resources and friends!
GOLF IN BEND
(Information below from the visitbend.com website)
"Playing a round of golf in Bend, Oregon comes with an abundance of spectacular views from the breathtaking Cascade mountains to panoramic high-desert landscapes. You’ll also have access to plenty of sunshine, great weather for year-round opportunities to take a swing, and an impressive variety of courses to choose from.
With over two dozen beautifully maintained, designed, and diverse public and private golf courses in Bend and the surrounding Central Oregon area, it’s no wonder we’re known as a bonafide golf destination that’s been dubbed “the Palm Springs of the North.”
Whether you’re picking up a club for the first time or a well-seasoned player, a wide variety of hazards, designs, tees, and greens will keep your game as challenging or straightforward as you want."
BIKE IN BEND
(Information provided by https://bendbikes.org/)
Bike Events Calendar this summer
Want more social recreational rides, the best places to check out are:
Bend Area Cycling Enthusiasts
Central Oregon Wheelers
Riding Oregon Gravel
Bend Bike Geeks
The Source Weekly's events page
TIGER OR HAPPY GILMORE...WE CAN HELP!
Whether you are a complete novice or a seasoned professional, training for your activity is the key to your longevity in any sport. The healthier you are, the more enjoyable the game will be. Hit 'Em Long And Straight 🏌🏻♀️🏌🏾♂️,
Nicole and the OMPT team Want workouts specific to your activity? Reach out for a customized plan. Is there a particular sport or activity you'd like us to highlight? If so, please click here to give us your ideas!