Fitness- Hit it longer!

Professional golfers are hitting the ball longer than ever.

The top driver of the ball in 1992 was John Daly (5’11”, 220lbs) with an average distance of 283.4 yards. The top driver of the ball today is Bubba Watson , who is 4” taller, yet 40lbs lighter at 6’3”, 180lbs, with an average distance of 313.1 yards, a difference of 29.7 yards or 3 clubs. Think we all agree that is a lot easier to hit an 8-iron into the green as compared to a 5-iron. 

So what is the cause of this extra distance? Equipment definitely has contributed to the extra length, but the golfer is the main contributing factor. How? Through golf-specific exercises that serve multiple facets:

Strength – the stronger the body, the more speed you can generate. As you know, speed equals distance.

Flexibility – the less tension and the increased range of motion in your golf swing means more potential energy that can be delivered to the ball for more distance.

Stabilize – the ability to stay stable, stay in posture and keep you in the correct positions minimize the variance in your golf swing allowing for repeatability.

Some great golf –specific exercises that can be done within your normal workout routine or at home are:

Planks – This will strengthen your core strength and stability and will reduce lower back pain, a common problem with golfers.

Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.

90/90 Hip Roll – This strengthens your abdominals and spine while loosening your hips. Tight, uneven hips can cause your spine to flex and contort as it attempts to take pressure off your hips. The stiffness limits rotational movement in both your torso and hips, which results in back and hip pain.

Lie on the ground with your knees and hips bent at 90 degrees.  Keep your arms out to the sides, palms facing up. Place a yoga block or a rolled-up towel between your legs. Slowly rotate your pelvis to your left as far as you can, keeping your lower back and right shoulder on the ground. Next, rotate to your right as far as you can.

Push-up, Pull-up Superset – Push -ups engage  your chest and shoulders,  increasing overall upper body push strength, while pull-ups engage your back and increase overall upper body pull strength. Alternating between push and pull workouts create balance in the upper body so there are no compensations being made.

For this superset, do two push-ups for every pull-up. If doing assisted pull-ups, change the ratio to 1:1. 

With your new fit self, take life outside and Play!