Entries Tagged as 'Swing'

Golf Channel – Jim McLean: The 8 Step Swing

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Learn from the best! World renowned instructor Jim McLean will show you the eight easy steps to build a better, more consistent swing and find your winning game! Learn from a master! Take your first step in improving your game with The 8 Step Swing video. World-renowned instructor Jim McLean who runs the number one golf school in the world as named by CNN and US News and Wolrd report, will show you the eight easy steps to build a better, more consistent swing. Plus, this D… More >>

Golf Channel – Jim McLean: The 8 Step Swing

Golf Fitness Stretching and Golf Exercises to Improve Your Golf Swing

Golf fitness stretching and corollary golf exercises are an easy way to improve your golf swing. The utilization of golf exercises within a golf fitness program can enhance many aspects of the golf swing and your golf game.The amateur golfer can improve their ability to execute the golf swing, complete a full shoulder turn, generate more clubhead speed, and hit more accurate shots with improved flexibility. The process an amateur golfer can improve their flexibility is through golf stretches.

Before providing information on what are the best stretches for golfer let us define flexibility. Flexibility refers to range of motion. It is defined as the optimal extensibility of all soft tissues in the body (Michael Clark, Director, National Academy of Sports Medicine). The biomechanics of the swing require the golfer to swing the club on the correct plane. In order for the biomechanics of the swing to be executed correctly every muscle, ligament, and tendon in the body must allow for optimal joint range of motion.

Increased flexibility is the benefit of stretching. These benefits occur through the elongation (i.e. stretching) of soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments). Typically certain muscles in your body are in a shortened position (i.e. “tight”), causing restrictions in the golf swing. Golf stretches (i.e. elongating) these muscles alleviates these muscles alleviates these restrictions allowing for the ranges of motion required of the golf swing to develop.

Because the golf swing requires a large range of motion from multiple joints (ankle, hip, thoracic spine, and shoulder), I suggest performing a series of flexibility exercises for the entire body. Many golfers will find “tightness” in the hamstrings, hips, lower, and upper back causing restrictions in their joint range of motions as well as golf swing. This may require additional golf stretches to assist in the restrictions caused by these muscles.

Guidelines to golf stretches are quite simple. A comprehensive series of stretches for golf should be completed a minimum of four times per week. If an individual desires these exercises can be performed daily. In addition to performing golf stretches multiple times per week each exercise should be take each target muscle passively to the point of “tension” and holding the stretch for 30 seconds. Do not attempt to “bounce” or “push” the stretch for this can result in injury. Pay strict attention to technique with each of your stretches. It also recommended to perform a warm-up prior to your golf stretches to get more out of each exercise. The following are the stretches I often recommend to the amateur player; Rotators, 90/90 Hamstrings, Cats Down, Cats Up, Piriformis, Kneeling Hip Flexor, Openers, Standing Calf, and Standing Quadricep.

Remember how golf fitness stretches and other types of golf exercises can improve many aspects of your golf swing. The placement of golf fitness stretches in a golf training program is one step to improvement in your golf swing. Keep in mind what is required from the body in regards to the golf swing, and that one of these requirements is drawing the club through a long range of motion. If your body lacks the flexibility to perform this requirement of the golf swing, the ability to execute and efficient golf swing will be compromised.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with professional golfers, most notable PGA and Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran and his golf fitness exercises and training programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Golf Fitness Programs, Golf Exercises, and Golf Fitness Training to Improve Speed in the Golf Swing

Golf fitness programs, golf exercises, and golf fitness training are all beneficial to improving speed in the golf swing. A key for improvement in terms of increasing golf swing speed is utilizing golf fitness exercises which include core exercises. These types of golf exercises will help you to drive the golf ball farther off the tee box.

Golf fitness exercises are an integral part of increasing club head speed. The creation of ball speed occurs by improvement in two areas. Number one is your swing mechanics. The more efficient at which you execute the biomechanics of the golf swing, the greater amount of energy will be translated into the golf ball at impact. So, first and foremost, increasing club head speed is directly connected to your swing mechanics.

The second part of increasing club head speed is connected to your body. In order to execute the biomechanics of the golf swing efficiently, certain levels of flexibility, strength, endurance, and power are required from your muscular system. If you are lacking in any of these physical capacities, the ability to execute the golf swing will be inhibited.

The results will be compensations and a loss of club head speed at impact. In order to ensure the body has the required levels of flexibility, strength, endurance, and power to execute a swing, golf specific exercises can be implemented into a training program.

Such a training program will focus upon the core section of your body. The core is a reference to an anatomical area of the body from just above the knees to just below the chest. The core incorporates all the muscles of the front, sides, and back of the body. Muscles groups found within the core are the glutes, abdominals, obliques, and hamstrings.

Why does a golf fitness specific training program focus upon the core?

Simply because the majority of movements of the golf swing involve the musculature of the core, and for this reason these muscles need to be flexible, strong, and power.

Knowing the importance of the core relative to the golf swing, the next question to ask is how can we increase club head speed with training the core?

Club head speed in terms of the body is measured as power. Increasing the power outputs of the core will assist in improving your club head speed. Assuming you have developed the required levels of flexibility, strength, and endurance within the core to simply execute the biomechanics of the golf swing efficiently. The addition of power training exercises will assist in improving the power outputs for the golf swing.

These types of exercises will focus on creating increased force outputs by the core in a rotational movement pattern. Exercises often found in this section of a core program for golf are medicine ball side throws, medicine ball reverse throws, jump squats, and medicine ball overhead throws. All of these exercises develop the power outputs of the core over time if performed on a consistent basis.

Remember the importance of golf fitness exercises, golf exercises, and golf training programs for increasing club head speed. Increased ball speed is contingent upon both your swing mechanics and body. Improvement in both of these areas is required if the desire is to increase the distance of your drives. Utilize golf exercises to train the aformentioned areas of the body within a golf fitness program. Secondly, work on the actual mechanics of the golf swing through proper golf instruction and practice.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with professional golfers, most notable PGA and Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran and his golf fitness exercises and training programs go to http://www.seancochran.com