Golf is a game of tension. I am not talking about rage-throwing the club into the forest after slicing the ball left again. I’m referring to the tension in the core that is necessary to shorten up a swing, that allows the player to generate speed and power, and, in turn, hit the ball further.
I know this is surprising, but the average golfer spends most of their week sitting. Wow, right? I’m still trying to wipe the Macaulay Culkin amount of shock off of my face. But prolonged sitting weakens the glutes and the core. Tension in these muscles is actually necessary during the golf swing to create efficient rotation. It shortens up the swing by maintaining muscle activity and reducing excessive rotation on the backswing. Without core tension, the compensation that occurs can hamper performance and often cause injury. So the golfer keeps hooking the ball left and and misses time on the links due to low back pain. Ironically, now they end up sitting again, possibly watching Home Alone.
Finding time to make it to the gym every day is difficult. And golf might be the primary way that someone exercises. So what is something quick and simple that can be done to vastly improve the golf swing and prevent injury? This one actually is a surprise: Cat and Cow.
Drop to the floor on hands and knees. Observe the natural position of your lower back where your spine feels neutral. Try to keep your upper back as rigid as possible and allow your belly to fall toward the floor. Now, contract your abs and glutes use those muscles to bring your belly toward the ceiling until you are back to neutral spine. Feel that nice tension? Repeat 10-20 times. Now, stand on up and find a wall. Position yourself into your golf stance while holding onto that wall. Repeat the exercise for another 10-20 reps, really trying to be mindful of that nice ab and glute tension felt when bringing the belly back toward the spine. Finally, repeat again in your golf stance without using the wall for assistance.
Need a visual? This team is world class:
Here’s the most powerful piece: practice what your body has just learned during your actual swing. Start slow and through partial swing range, and with each attempt, pick up the speed and increase the range of motion, while maintaining that core tension. Practice makes perfect. Actually, perfect practice makes perfect.
Let me be clear: you will likely still suck at golf after this. But at least we can blame it on something other than core stability!
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