Golf Training with George Allen

Ok guys this week we’re back talking about ways you can improve your golf this offseason and build a better body for your game, and for life.

Now that we’ve looked at basic posture, let’s get flexible.

So what is flexibility? Flexibility is the capacity of a joint or muscle to move through its full range of motion.

Being flexible is an extremely important factor in achieving maximum force and speed throughout the swing. A single tight muscle can restrict the golfer’s ability to turn efficiently or move in the correct sequence. This fact is becoming more and more prevalent in the modern game and many of the world’s top players now employ qualified bio-mechanists to help them identify any individual physical limitations they may have.

Clearly golf is evolving as a sport. Elite players are becoming fitter, stronger, better athletes. With travelling physiotherapists, portable gyms and tour vans equipped to provide comprehensive physical treatments becoming a necessity for the worlds best players, fitness is an essential part of the modern game. Make it part of yours too.

This week I am going to give you a few stretches that can help you improve your flexibility and increase your distance from the tee.

Golf Training: Flexibility

Gluteal muscles (your bum)

1. Lie down on your back with your knees raised to 90 degrees.
2. Cross one leg over the opposite leg placing your foot on the knee
3. Reach through and pull the un crossed leg and both knees towards your chest
4. Hold for 30 seconds

Hamstrings

1. Sit on the floor with your legs out straight
2. Slowly reach forwards with your hands and try to touch your toes
3. If you can’t touch your toes then hold your ankles and stretch forward instead
4. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds

Rotation stretches

1. Sit on a bench
2. Hold a bar behind your neck across the top of your shoulders
3. Keeping your hips facing forwards turn your upper body to the right (this imitates the backswing in golf)
4. Repeat on the opposite side
5. See how far you can turn without moving your hips (i.e. 45 degrees, 90 degrees or more)

Tip of the week: Tour players aim to reach in excess of 90 degrees

Floor rotation stretch

1. Lie on the floor on your side facing to the right
2. Raise your left leg to 90 degrees at the side keeping the opposite leg straight
3. Put both arms out in front of your chest to the side
4. Stretch out in a big circle brushing your left arm past your ear to the opposite side. Keeping your knee and hips facing to the right throughout
5. Stop when the back of your left hand reaches the floor on the opposite side
6. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat on the opposite side

So there we have it, some stretches that can improve your golf and general health. Good golfing.

My weekly golf fitness articles can be found on our website and we at LWOS want to remind our readers to always consult a healthcare professional before doing any new physical activity or exercises.

Thank you for reading. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.

For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.

Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?