Part 1

Most people forget, or choose to ignore, that there is this thing going on called the aging process. The body doesn’t respond very well when you sit around all winter, then make a few light swings and think you’re ready to go. You’re not. You need to make your muscles stronger and more flexible. Strength training and golf-specific flexibility work complement each other. I certainly want you to get stronger, but when you make muscles stronger, they tend to get tighter, so you need flexibility exercises to stretch them and increase your range of motion.

I’m not going to get into strength training in this article. I’m not an expert in that area. But there are plenty of experts available, and I urge you to seek one out.

Most golfers come to me with back problems, usually in the area of the L4 and LS vertebrae. That aging process causes muscle fibers to become tighter and less elastic. So when you try to hit a ball hard, making a bigger turn to get more clubhead speed, the body says, “No, I’m not going to do that for you.” Something’s got to give. Often it’s the discs between the vertebrae and then comes the pain.

If you can elongate all the muscle groups around the pelvic area, you take a lot of pressure off your vertebrae. If you can elongate and build more flexibility into the quadriceps, hamstrings and hip flexors, it’s going to be of benefit, both in preventing injuries and in increasing the range of motion in your golf swing. Not only are you helping your golf game, you’re helping your life.

I’ve had students come to me in the spring, after going through a winter-long exercise program, who had picked up 30 or 40 percent in terms of lower-body rotation. I could do things with them that I’d never been able to before. I could get them to release the golf club. So instead of blocking or slicing the ball to the right, they could turn the club over through impact. Their bodies could rotate 15 or 20 degrees more to the left so the golf club could release and extend. They just couldn’t do it before. You can take all the lessons in the world, but if your body is not going to go there, the information is useless.

Don’t Forget Aerobics

The exercises I describe will help get your golf muscles in shape, but don’t forget your legs and heart. Some form of aerobic exercise is always important. I recommend using a stair master, treadmill or stationary bike indoors. Outdoors, brisk walking and bicycling are wonderful. They will build up your stamina and strengthen your legs, which in turn will improve your golf.

I do not recommend jogging or running on hard pavement or asphalt. That can cause all kinds of problems, especially in the knees, hips and feet.