Playing well and being in a good rhythm is one of the best feelings on the golf course. Having that momentum brought to a sudden halt by a slow group in front of you is one of the worst. If you’re like a lot of players, you’ve come out of a pause on the golf course feeling stale. It’s not uncommon for that first swing after the wait to be one of your worst of the day. Golf Digest Certified Fitness Trainer Jennifer Fleischer has a way to make sure that doesn’t happen. If perform these three moves while you wait, you won’t get stiff.
“These three drills are ideal because they mobilise and activate the key muscles we use in the swing,” says Fleischer, one of the 50 Best Golf-Fitness Trainers in America. “All you need is a golf club to do them.”
Club raises
Set up like you’re addressing a ball and hold your club with one hand on the grip and the other at the hosel. Hold the club out in front of you and feel like you’re pulling the club apart as you raise the club above your head.
“This exercise improves mobility in the shoulder joints and stability in the shoulder blades, both of which can help improve swing speed and control over the clubface through impact,” Fleischer says. “Because this move challenges you to stay in golf posture as you lift the club over your head, it also helps with maintaining posture throughout the swing.”
W turns
Get in your address position and hold the club with one hand on the grip and one on the hosel again. This time, bring the club up and over your head, resting the shaft along your upper back. Your arms will make a W shape. Keep your lower body still while you turn your torso back and forth. After 30 seconds, let your hips turn with your torso.
“This dynamic movement is all about creating better rotation through the thoracic spine (or mid-back) and the hips,” Fleischer says. “Then transition into rotating your lower body with your upper body to improve your sequencing and enhance the fluidity of your swing.”
Clock taps
Stand in an athletic position and pick your right foot up off the ground. Use a golf club to stabilise yourself as you reach your right leg behind you to 6 o’clock. Return your foot to the centre, but don’t let it touch the ground. Then move your foot out to the side, to 3 o’clock, back to centre, then forward to 12 o’clock, back to centre, then across your body to 9 o’clock. Switch legs.
“When we start to fatigue, balance is one of the first areas to suffer,” Fleischer says. “These clock taps boost that single leg balance and at the same time, they improve mobility through your ankles and hips, helping to prevent common golf injuries in the feet, knees and low back over time. It won’t take long before you feel your glutes burning in this move, and we all know the glutes are one of the most important muscles in the swing when it comes to power.”
