Pilates for Golfers
The golf pro says “try to swing like this or think about this
movement” however if your spine and body does not have the
flexibility to allow this, you will not easily be able to use the
good tips and advice on a practical level. Change this with Pilates!
Pilates can help you hit the ball further, straighter and more
accurately by strengthening your core and increasing your
flexibility.
Pilates is now used by major athletes as part of their day to day
training programme. Golf is no exception. Current Golfers who are
Pilates fans include Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam, Rich Beam, David
Duval, Andrew McGee, Carin Koch, Grace Park, …the list goes on. Even
the PGA tour website now has a focus on Pilates.
The golf swing subjects the lower back to loading patterns that are
rapid, complex and intense. The golf swing generates compression
loads of more than eight times the body weight. According to a
Congress of Golf survey, a total of 154 out of 281 golfers, (PGA,
SPGA, LPGA), complained of low back pain that was experienced
predominantly on the right side and aggravated during the impact and
follow-through phase of the golf swing.
Pilates can help to improve swing and driving distance as
biomechanics are improved.
Pilates teaches the correct muscles to do the right job, so :
- improving rotation and stability of spine – smoother more powerful swing!
- increasing power through hips and torso
- improving focus and concentration
- decreasing fatigue on the golf course as stamina is built up
- rebalancing the body
- preventing injury caused by muscle imbalance
- reducing back pain, post match stiffness and muscle ache