No matter what time of year it is, it is never too late to try and perfect my golf swing. The one big thing, at least for me, is how to perfect my golf swing and get it ready for the next round. OK, maybe it’s true for a lot of us. Getting our golf swing in high gear is paramount in all of our games at all times during the year. As we hit the links, however, there are some things we can do to get better prepared.
Fitness in general is important no matter what type of physical activity you jump into. I used to play a lot of slow pitch softball. Although the stereotype of this sport is beer guzzling guys hitting home runs, to play in some competitive leagues you need to play defense, too. That said I tried to do a lot of aerobic and foot work training to help. Unfortunately, I could barely hit it over the infield so I tried to work on playing some decent defense. I play hockey now, along with golf and both still require a fitness level to help with your game.
It is best to be prepared as possible before getting out on the driving range, let alone the course. Two areas to try and concentrate on are strength training and flexibility training. Strengthening the muscles you will be using will help not only in improving your game but also in lowering the risk of injury. How many times has your game suffered because of a tweaked back, sore legs or an injured shoulder or wrist? Even minor pains can affect your golf game and sometimes even worsen the injury itself or create another problem for a different area of your body.
If I want to perfect my golf swing I want to work on strengthening my legs, back, abdominal muscles as well as my shoulder, wrists and forearms. There are many different types of exercises you can do to work on these areas. Simple squats can be great exercises for the legs. Wrist curls (both ways) can be great to strengthen the wrist and forearms. There are a number of weight machines at any gym that will help strengthen upper and lower back as well as the shoulders.
If you are not into the weights, the one routine you do want to focus on is some form of yoga or Pilates. Both of these forms of exercise can strengthen your core and help tremendously with flexibility. I can barely bend over to tie my shoes. However, once I started working a simple Pilate’s routine with my wife, I saw an increase in flexibility which helped tremendously on the golf course.
So, if I’m getting ready to perfect my golf swing, I’m trying to get physically ready first before getting out on the driving range and golf course. This should be true throughout the season to help with overall fitness and hopefully to shave a few strokes off of my game. Best of luck and hit ‘em straight!
