The Most Important Tool For Your Golf Game Is…
How is it that golfers are willing to spend countless hours practicing their swing or spend hundreds of dollars on a new club or shoes, but ask them to spend 30 minutes in the gym to improve their biomechanical efficiency and they run away? The consistent factor in the execution of your swing is you. So with that in mind, wouldn’t you want to have a bio-mechanically efficient golf swing that keeps you free from pain or injury? Most golfers will downplay the physical demands of a golf swing, but in reality it is tough on the body. Any repetitive motion that puts a strain on joints or ligaments could have you reeling with pain after just a few holes or quick trip to the driving range. So are you taking care of your most important tool? I’m not talking about your treasured clubs or cart. I’m talking about your body and what you’re doing or not doing at the gym.
In the instance that you have a physical limitation and you continue to swing away at the range, your body will become unbalanced, making you more prone to injury. By working the body with exercises designed for the best golfers, you will not only protect those joints from overuse, but will also prevent some of the common injuries. Once you begin a program that targets your imbalances, i.e. weak muscles, tight ligaments, etc., your game will begin to improve. Playing with pain often causes golfers to adjust their swing in order to avoid pain, which may result in swing faults, i.e. slide, sway, over-the-top, etc. If the golfer with shoulder pain would just find the cause of the pain–something as simple as weakness in the upper back–this could save him from serious injury. Once you know the cause, then the work begins.
Working with an Authorized Titleist Performance Institute Instructor (Fitness, Medical or Golf Pro) will result in you being a healthy, pain free, better golfer. When your swing is in top biomechanical shape you cannot help but feel good when you play. The off-season is the best time to make those improvements to your best piece of equipment. Here in the Northwest, winter has come to visit but that doesn’t mean you need to sit around waiting for spring. By working on your body now, you will greatly benefit and have the edge on those who were waiting for the nice weather. To continue to neglect the physical aspect of golfing is like driving a car without the steering wheel. You have all the tools to get the ball where you want it to go, but if your physical abilities are limiting you then you can’t maximize your efficient golf swing potential.
Diana Del Garbino is a golf fitness instructor and the first TPI-Certified Level 2 fitness pro in Oregon. She works out of Muscles in Motion-Professional Training Studio in Lake Oswego, where she works regularly with local LPGA & PGA Professionals. To learn more about Diana and her golf fitness program go to www.mymusclesinmotion.com.
