Yoga Stretches and Poses to Improve Your Golf Game

Golf | HalfMiler | February 9, 2010 at 2:58 PM


Photo courtesy of Golf-Mind Body

Written by Fran Brockmyre

Yoga is an effective way, not only to improve your golf game, but also to prevent injuries that may occur while playing golf. Breathing awareness, flexibility and core body strength are key elements in improving your golf game. These elements are also the focus of a successful yoga practice.

I took up golf as I was approaching retirement age. Golf was a game I was not interested in when I was younger and more flexible. I wish now that I had learned to play when I was younger. After playing golf for five or six years I developed back pain that only occurred when I hit the golf ball. It was diagnosed as muscular in origin rather than disc related. That was the good news. With proper stretching and strength training I eventually got back to playing golf relatively pain free. This was accomplished with yoga.

You can find just about any yoga pose described or demonstrated on the internet. I believe, however, that it is important to learn proper technique. The best way to accomplish this is to take classes with an experienced and qualified instructor. A good teacher will make sure you are doing the poses and stretches correctly and correct you if you’re not.

Proper breathing technique is the most important concept in yoga. I have had more than one instructor say that if you do nothing more than breathe you are doing yoga. Breathing properly keeps the mind focused and calmed as well as calming the heartbeat. These are key aspects of a good golf game also. The first drive of the day, with everyone watching you, can be nerve-racking. Taking a deep, calming breath can be instrumental in hitting a relaxed drive. There are several yoga poses that aid in proper breathing. These stretches teach you to expand your chest and completely fill your lungs with fresh oxygen and completely empty your lungs of stale air and toxins.

A strong core is the next most important element to a good golf swing. Maintaining your spine angle throughout the golf swing is essential. Having strong abdominal muscles aids in stabilizing your trunk, increases your back strength and gives you explosive power at impact. There are numerous yoga poses that can make you strong in these areas. Two of these poses are the plank pose and the boat pose. Both of these poses work to strengthen the abdominal muscles.

Flexibility wanes with age and is the cause of many golf injuries as well as aches and pains. Hip flexibility is required to generate power, speed and balance in your golf swing. It is also important in protecting your lower back from injury. Hip opening yoga stretches include lunges and chair poses, which are similar to squats, and a move named the pigeon pose. There are several other stretches you can do so that you will never be bored. Upper and lower body flexibility support your knees for better balance, give you greater hip rotation when you swing the golf club and give you more club head speed. All this is accomplished by increasing your range of motion by allowing you to turn your hips and shoulders. The popular downward facing dog pose as well as the forward fold are good stretches for the hamstrings. Spinal twists, of which there are a great many variations, and the triangle pose are excellent for opening up the spine and giving you greater range of motion. I found these poses beneficial in strengthening my back muscles which eventually alleviated my back pain.

Finally, yoga teaches you proper posture. A large cause of my back pain was years of poor posture. Poor posture is responsible for much of back pain-related healthcare. A sedentary lifestyle, which is so predominate now, also contributes to poor posture. In yoga class, a good instructor will constantly remind you of the proper way to stand. Proper posture is also important in the game of golf. The correct stance is key to hitting a good golf shot. It is said that golf is a game you can play for most of your life. The trick is to remain injury free. Yoga can be the answer.

Source:

http://www.yogaforgolfers.com/index.html

Content provided by Associated Content

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