Designing and implementing a fitness program for today’s junior golfers is similar to designing and directing a symphony. There are many parts to consider and coordinate. Each part may seem insignificant when isolated, but is of equal importance to the whole program. When considering a fitness program for the junior athlete, you must coordinate your flexibility, strength, and power. Ignoring one of these in an effort to move to another can lead to injury and poor performance within your program. In today’s article, we will be focusing on flexibility.
“Juniors are all flexible because they are young” is a common misconception when training juniors. There are factors that determine the flexibility of a junior that include heredity, lifestyle, growth/development, and body frame. Muscles attach to bones by way of the tendon. Muscle tension contributes to the overall stability and mobility of a joint. If you have great muscle strength but are lacking flexibility, you are putting your joints at risk for injury due to unnecessary forces being generated during your golf swing. The details and specifics of all the possible injuries and joints involved is not within the scope of this article. This article’s purpose is to provide you, the junior golfer, with a few of the premium stretches that will target the most problematic areas affecting the average junior golfer.
The goal of the following stretches is to provide symmetry to the hips and lower back to allow for a more mobile base of support for your golf swing.
Hip Rotators Stretch: Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Cross one leg over the other and then actively bring them to your chest. Reach behind your knee to assist in pulling the legs to your chest. You should feel a stretch in the buttock of the leg that is crossed. Hold this for five seconds and repeat up to ten times on each side.
Lower Trunk Rotation: Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees together. Slowly rotate your knees in one direction without allowing them to separate while simultaneously rotating your neck in the opposite direction. Continue this motion in each direction for two to three minutes.
Split Stance Side to Side: Standing with your feet placed outside your shoulders, shift your weight to one side while allowing the opposite side leg to straighten. You should feel a strong stretch on the inside of the straightened leg. Hold this for five seconds and then alternate to the other side. Repeat ten times each direction.
Half Kneel: On a firm surface, place one knee down and have the other knee bent and place in front of you for balance. Keep your upper body in the upright position and shift your weight forward by bending the lead knee. As you move forward, you will begin to feel a stretch in the front of the hip on the down leg. When you feel a stretch, hold for five seconds. Repeat this up to ten times each side.
Stork Turns: Stand on one foot and place the other foot next to your knee. Keeping your upper body facing forward, rotate the bent knee around the body to the stance side. You can use a wall for balance if necessary. Repeat this up to ten times and then switch legs.
Toes Up Foam Roll: Using a half foam roll or telephone book, place the balls of your feet up on the object. Working to keep your legs straight, reach over as far as you can and hold for two seconds. Repeat this exercise ten times.
Your power in the golf swing comes from a stable base of support. This allows you to generate power from your lower body. The inability to load in the backswing is a common cause of poor sequencing and poor power. Effective loading is created, in part, by having flexible musculature around the hips and pelvis. This flexibility allows you to lengthen your muscles, similar to pulling back a rubber band. When this tension is released, you will generate power based on how far back you were able to pull the rubberband and the strength (thickness) of the rubber band. The correlation is obvious, the more flexibility you have coupled with strong muscles will allow you to generate more power in your golf swing.
There are thousands of stretches and any number of them are helpful if used appropriately. These six stretches are a simple method to focus on some common restricted areas that may be limiting your golf performance. Remember, without fitness it is impossible to play at your highest performance levels. Play fit!
