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Golf Stretching Routine
 | | Simple stretching exercises can greatly improve your flexibility. |
Stretching techniques can range from ballistic or dynamic range of
motion to static stretching, active isolated stretching, or proprioceptive
neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques, just to name a few. Don't
let the long names intimidate you, because we recommend beginning
with some simple static stretches and gradually progressing to more
golf-specific flexibility exercises.
Let's begin with some basic recommendations for safely improving
your joint flexibility:
- Know your anatomy and its limitations.
- Learn proper stretching techniques (as provided in this chapter).
- Warm up to increase your body's temperature before stretching.
Stretching after activity is more effective because the muscles are
warm. Stretching also enhances the relaxing effect of the cool-down.
- A simple way to stretch is do an easy stretch for 10 seconds and an
additional developmental stretch for 10 seconds.
- If possible, stretch with a partner to avoid boredom. This permits
both encouragement and supervision of your technique.
- Stretch when you feel that you have to stretch. This can be done in
between strengthening exercises or during your golf game.
Before playing or stretching, do an adequate warm-up activity to raise
your body temperature. Preceding your stretches with a brisk walk or
other appropriate aerobic exercise, such as stationary cycling or stepping,
makes your muscles more responsive and resistant to injury. Five
to 15 minutes of warm-up exercise increases muscle extensibility and
lets you stretch more safely and effectively.
To achieve the best stretch possible, make certain either the near or far
body segment is in a fixed position. If this does not occur, the result will
be two moving parts and a stretch possibly occurring where it should
not occur. When you perform your flexibility exercises, be sure to
stretch only one muscle group at a time.
KNEE TO CHEST
Focus: Lower back and gluteal muscles
Procedure:
- Lie on your back with your neck supported and body extended.
- Flex one knee and slide your foot toward your buttocks.
- Grasp with both hands behind the flexed knee.
- Pull your knee toward your chest.
- Hold the stretch and relax.
- Exhale and re-extend your leg slowly to prevent possible pain or
spasm; repeat with other leg.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
DOUBLE KNEES TO CHEST
Focus: Lower back
Procedure:
- Lie on your back with your neck supported and body extended.
- Flex your knees and slide your feet toward your buttocks.
- Grasp behind your thighs to prevent hyperflexion (too much
bending) of the knees.
- Exhale, pull your knees toward your chest and shoulders, and
elevate your hips off the floor.
- Hold the stretch and relax.
- Exhale and re-extend your legs slowly one at a time to prevent
possible pain or spasm.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
CAT AND CAMEL
Focus: Upper back
Procedure:
- Kneel on all fours.
- Extend your arms forward and lower your chest toward the floor.
- Exhale, extend your shoulders, and press down on the floor with
your arms to produce an arch in your back.
- Hold the stretch and relax.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
HAMSTRING
Focus: Hamstrings
Procedure:
- Lie flat on your back with legs extended.
- Raise one leg and grasp your thigh with both hands, while keeping
the knee extended and your other leg flat. To increase the stretch,
pull the leg toward your chest.
- Hold the stretch and relax.
- Exhale while you slowly release the stretch and repeat with the
other leg.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
Tips:
You can also position yourself in a doorway and use the door frame
to hold your elevated leg. The closer you move your buttocks
toward the door frame, the more intense the stretch.
To intensify the stretch, use a folded towel wrapped around the foot
of the raised leg. By pulling on the towel, the leg can be pulled away
from the doorframe and closer to your chest.
FIGURE FOUR
Focus: Hips and gluteal muscles
Procedure:
- Lie on your back with both feet resting on the wall or a door. Use
a towel or neck rest to support your neck.
- Bend your knees and hips to a 90-degree angle.
- Cross your left foot and rest it on your right knee.
- Use your left hand and push your left knee away from your chest
until you feel a gentle stretch in your hips or buttocks region.
- Return to starting position. Repeat with the other leg.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
Tip: If you do not feel the stretch, place both hands under your right
knee and slowly pull your right leg toward your chest until you feel
a stretch in your buttocks.
CROSSOVER
Focus: Hips and gluteal muscles
Procedure:
- Lie on your back with your head supported by a rolled-up
towel.
- Place both feet flat on a wall, with your hips and knees bent to 90
degrees.
- Cross your left leg over your right thigh.
- Place your right hand on your left thigh and pull it slowly
toward the floor, until you feel a stretch on the outside of your
left hip.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds each leg.
Tip: Stop if you feel pinching in the groin region.
KNEELING HIP FLEXOR
Focus: Hip flexors and upper thigh
Procedure:
- Stand upright with the legs straddled (spread sideways) about
two feet apart.
- Flex one knee, lower your body, and place the opposite knee on the
surface.
- Roll the back foot under so that the top of the instep rests on the
surface.
- Place your hands on your hips (some people may prefer placing
one hand on the forward knee and one hand at your side) and keep
the front knee bent at 90 degrees as much as possible.
- Exhale and slowly push the front of the hip of the back leg toward
the floor.
- Hold the stretch and relax.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
QUAD STRETCH
Focus: Middle and upper quadriceps
Procedure:
- Stand holding onto a bar or table for support with your right hand.
- Exhale as you slowly lift your left leg off the ground and grasp the
left foot with your left hand.
- Inhale, and slowly pull your heel toward your buttocks.
- Hold the stretch and relax. Repeat with the other leg.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
Tip: This exercise can be an intense stretc11. To protect your lower back,
stand straight and contract the abdominal muscles.
PEC STRETCH
Focus: Upper chest (pectoralis muscles)
Procedure:
- Stand upright facing a comer or open doorway.
- Raise your elbows to shoulder height at your sides, bend your
elbows so that your forearms point straight up, and place your
palms against the walls or doorframe to stretch the sternal section
of the pectoralis muscles on both sides.
- Exhale and lean your entire body forward.
- Hold the stretch and relax.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
INVERTED HURDLER'S STRETCH
Focus: Hamstrings
Procedure:
- Sit upright on the floor with both legs straight and about 90
degrees apart.
- Flex one knee and slide the heel until it touches the inner side of the
opposite thigh.
- Lower the outer side of the thigh and calf of the bent leg onto the floor.
- Exhale and, while keeping the extended leg straight, bend at the
hip and lower your extended upper torso onto the extended thigh.
- Hold the stretch and relax.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
CALF STRETCH
Focus: Gastrocnemius muscle and Achilles tendon
Procedure:
- Stand upright facing a wall; stand slightly more than arm's length
from the wall.
- Bend your right leg forward while keeping your left leg straight.
- Lean into the wall keeping back straight and bending elbows.
- Exhale and hold stretch; repeat with other leg.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
Tip: To feel the stretch closer to the heel, bend the rear leg (at the knee)
while keeping the foot on the ground.
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