It is that time of year. The winter chill is slowly dissipating and the promise of spring is here. That means it is golf season, and time to brush the dust off those golf clubs and more importantly, knock the rust off your body! Since you may not have swung a golf club in several months, it is important to make sure your body is golf ready with a few simple tips:
1. Perform the movement test to gauge your readiness for the upcoming season:
- Stand in your 5-iron posture with your arms crossed over your chest.
- Rotate your upper body into a backswing and then a downswing while keeping your lower body quiet.
- If your motion is limited or you have difficulty keeping the lower body steady, you would benefit from addressing these limitations with some exercises.
You may have a difficult time performing an efficient golf swing if your spine is stiff. The open-book stretch will help stretch your spine and surrounding muscles, enhancing your ability to rotate during your swing.
2. To do the open book:
- Lie on your side with your knees bent.
- Straighten your arms in front of you.
- Just like a book, open your arms and chest with the goal of trying to bring your top arm towards the floor opposite the arm resting on the ground.
- You will feel a stretch in the mid to upper back area, which can be held for 10 seconds and repeated 10 times on both sides.
Once you become comfortable with this exercise, repeat the movement test to see how much further you can move. Whenever you improve your range of motion, it is important to apply that to the movement pattern you want to improve. Your body can acclimate quickly to increased range of motion, but only with practice and repetition.
The golf swing is extremely dynamic with many moving parts, so it benefits you to become as efficient and consistent as possible. Give yourself the best chance at success this golf season. Good Shepherd’s Golf Performance and Injury Prevention Program can perform a full assessment to gauge your golf readiness and physical ability.
This program is available at Good Shepherd Physical Therapy – Palmer Township, Good Shepherd Physical Therapy – Fogelsville, Good Shepherd Physical Therapy – Slate Belt and Good Shepherd Health & Technology Center in Allentown.
For additional information, please call 1-888-44-REHAB (73422).