 | |
| |
 |
Golf - It's all about Golf sponsered by Indy Golf Shop |
|
|
|
Play Better Longer: Reducing Golf Related Injury
On the surface golf may look to be a slow paced low impact sport with little risk of injury. However, as many golfers have unfortunately discovered looks can be deceiving. The "Physician and Sports Medicine" Journal reports 57% to 67.5% of all golfers will sustain some type of golf related injury. Scientifically speaking our body was not designed to swing a golf club. During the swing strong compression, shear, and torsion force is produced placing our spine, joints and muscles at a relatively high risk for injury. The golf swing is an explosive movement that demands precise coordination of muscle contraction and relaxation, postural stability, strength, balance and body awareness. That is not to say we cannot swing a golf club without these elements. The body does a great job in compensating for weakness and faulty movement. However, there is a downside to this compensation. The downside is inconsistency, loss of power, and overuse of certain muscles which often leads to muscle and joint pain and injury. Many golfers spend hours upon hours practicing their swing with little or no time devoted to training their bodies. This type of golf preparation usually results in two things: 1. Inconsistency 2. Aches and pains So how does the golfer reduce their risk of injury? By establishing and maintaining core strength, muscle balance and flexibility by participating in a well developed integrated exercise program. Increased muscular efficiency and flexibility allow you to increase power and consistency while drastically reducing chances of pain and injury. Beware; all golf fitness programs are not created equal. There are many programs out there that are merely body building or general strength training routines masquerading as golf fitness programs. These programs generally focus on training specific muscles or muscle groups with little attention paid to movement. Lying flat on a bench and pushing weight off your chest or doing biceps curls that isolate one single joint movement will hardly translate to improved performance on the golf course. In fact, many of the standard "gym" exercises found in such programs further disrupt muscle balance and postural stability and can increase risk of injry. There are other golf fitness programs out there that claim to strengthen "golf muscles" by promoting exercises that mimic the golf swing. There are two problems with this approach to golf fitness. The first problem being; there are no specific "golf muscles". It takes virtually every muscle in the body working in precise concert to complete a golf swing. The second problem is; due to the repetition necessary to master the golf swing those targeted "golf muscles" are often already over developed and over tight in relation to the rest of the body. Performing exercises that mimic the golf swing prior to establishing a strong foundation and good muscle balance will only strengthen the imbalance and lead to further inconsistency and greater chance of injury. Look for a qualified strength and conditioning or fitness professional that has a solid understanding of not only exercise science and biomechanics, but also the physical demands of the golf swing. Increased muscular strength and efficiency will allow you to increase power and consistency while drastically reducing chances of pain and injury. Add a well developed integrated exercise routine into routine and you will not only be playing better, but you will feel better doing it. Bill Scibetta, RN, NSCA-CPT Bill is the founder and President of Precision Fitness - Personal Training Centers in the Charlotte, NC area and co-author of the book Play Better Longer! - Peak Performance and Injury Prevention for Golf. Bill is a licensed Registered Nurse as well as a National Strength and Conditioning Association - Certified Personal Trainer. After spending years practicing in the specialty of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Bill has dedicated his career to helping individuals identify and overcome obstacles that stand in the way of optimal wellness and peak physical performance. http://www.LakeNormanFitness.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Golf - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
A Valuable Golf Workout Tip Here is a golf workout tip that you can afford to ignore at your own peril.Even as more and more golfers get into golf-exercises and physical training programs, many do not realize how important warming up is. Golf Equipment - The Most Expensive Is Not Always Correct For You The essentials of golf begin with the clubs you choose. Shopping on the Internet will save you time and money but choosing can be difficult, as there seems to be endless options. Perform Better Golf By Training Your Body What will it take to get you to perform better golf? I'll bet you've tried the gimmicky golf training aids. Did they work? How about equipment? How many drivers do you have in your garage? Am I getting your attention yet?My approach to perform better golf is through training your BODY, not buying more equipment or taking more lessons. Golf Nutrition Is Not An Oxymoron - Listen Up Golf nutrition is still a relatively new concept. However, everybody knows that leading athletes in the NBA and NFL quite often have special diets and specific nutrition programs to help them perform at their peak. Shoulder Stretches for Golf Performing shoulder exercises and stretches are important to ensuring that you have a good swing. Stretching the rotator cuff muscles, those found in your shoulders that allow you to move your shoulder in a circular motion, increases flexibility and ensures a more natural and fluid golf swing. Stronger Abs for Golf Everyone wants a firm midsection. For the golfer, it delivers much more than just a coveted physique. Why A Consistent Professional Golf Swing Is So Elusive It is the dream and deep desire of every golfer to be able to consistently execute a professional golf swing every time they play almost at will.Indeed many spend a lot of time practicing hours on end to perfect their professional golf swing. Golf Tips - The Secret and Crucial Role of Alignment in Supercharging Your Game! The alignment is an absolutely crucial and vital part to any golfer's game. You swing round your body, therefore if your body is offline, your swing in turn will be off line and out of sync, resulting in a poor swing and a poor shot, usually ending up deep in the rough. Annika Sorenstam- The Legendary Female Golfer Even those not normally interested in golf, usually recognize the name Annika Sorenstam. Her acclaimed position in golf has come to Annika for many reasons?skill, persistence, determination, fortitude, and more. How To Achieve The Proper Golf Swing Every golfer wants to know the magic secret to achieving the proper golf swing. One that is repeatable and produces results. Golfers - Here's a Short Drive That Will Not Disappoint Are you planning a golf vacation to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head or Kiawah Island in the near future? We know you will spend the majority of your time teeing it up on all the beautiful golf courses. We would, however, like to suggest a day-trip to see a new engineering marvel and North American record holder. Your Putter Fitted Perfectly in 5 Easy Steps Ever wonder why putting is so difficult for you? Want to know how to fix it? I'll bet you're using improperly fitted equipment without realizing it? If so, consider yourself lucky. We've come to save your putting game. Increase Golf Swing Speed Easily Golf swing speed is an elusive term for most amateur golfers. We've all heard of it and know it relates somehow to longer drives, but how can we increase golf swing speed quickly and effectively?Do you think it's swing harder? Have you tried that approach? What happened? I can take a wild guess. What are You Doing to Improve Your Golf Swing? Improve your golf swing. You have probably tried everything, from following advice that worked for your friends to so called 'tips from experts. Golf Strength Training Is The Missing Link To A Great Game Golf strength training is the quickest way to add yards to your drives and eliminate back pain forever. The golf swing puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body, especially the lower back. Senior Golfers Can Still Play Great Golf. Do You Want To Know How? If you're a senior golfer?don't give up and don't give into the perception that's it's all downhill from here.No way!You have a lot of GREAT golf years ahead of you, but you need to take a different approach to your golf improvement. Do You Want To Play Par Golf? The key to playing par golf is to focus on more than just golf techniques, and pay attention to your entire body. Fitness is key to any sport, whether you're running up and down a basketball court, throwing the pigskin or playing the links. Why You Should Be A Risk-Taking Golfer Very few people, whether they are golfers or not, realize that the mind cannot stand still. Even the most unobservant person's mind is continually receiving new impressions. Improve Your Golf Game With This Secret Weapon Any golfer who has made any effort to improve their golf game will have already heard the often-repeated expression that golf is all in the mind and that the game starts there.But what many golfers do not know is that they fail to improve their golf game because their minds are not prepared for what they must do to make significant progress. The Ultimate Swing Training Program Why isn't your golf swing improving? Have you ever had your golf swing analysed? That's not just having a golf professional look at your swing but check out your golf swing plane, posture, your spine angle, balance and general biomechanics. If you haven't you are not having a true swing analysis done.
|
| home | site map | |
| © 2007 |