The Importance of Core Strength & Flexibility
We have all been on the course and seen people with the elbow straps for tendonitis. Or halfway through the round someone in your group is in agonizing back pain that they say is always there when they play. You can watch people on the tee box, and they have a half or quarter swing because anything more hurts their body. Which, as a result effects their game and scorecard. Maybe this is even be you on the course. Let’s learn why and how you can fix it.
Golf is a sport that ranges from youth to the elderly. It can be a great way to get some exercise in, enjoy being outside with friends and be competitive. Whether you’re a youth player learning, a highly competitive pro trying to make it, or an amateur who just loves the game, the answer is the same. Core strength and flexibility is what allows you to be pain free and perform better. Doing the right, simple and easy things will allow you to be pain free and improve your game at the same time.
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Impact of flexibility on swing ROM and chronic pain associated to it
One of the most common complaints in golf is low back discomfort and/or pain. Your golf swing is your unique Range of Motion (ROM). Flexibility has a massive impact on swing ROM. Which means flexibility can also be the main component to relieving chronic low back pain in the golf swing.
The human body is amazing. Even though flexibility may be lacking, the body will do its best to find a way to still complete a task. Speaking specifically about the golf swing. If you lack hamstring flexibility you will not be able to complete a full turn in the golf swing. Which in return your low back will have to do much more. This is because instead of rotating you will start to extend during your back swing. Your low back will take the complete & constant load of the movement.
The low back and muscles in that area are not designed to take that constant load and as a result of poor hamstring flexibility you now have low back pain. Unfortunately, you also have a weaker swing because it is not efficient. This is the most common example of chronic pain in golfers we see, but there are several others. This example really shows why flexibility plays such a massive role in pain free golf.
By prioritizing a flexibility routine you will:
- Improve your comfort while playing your favorite sport,
- Improve your golf performance
- Increase the amount of time and length of time you can play golf.
Check out our video on flexibility for golfers here.
Read more about golf flexibility here.
Core strength and stability for proper loading and muscle firing in the golf swing
Flexibility is half the battle in pain free golf. The other half is core strength and stability to keep you healthy. Stability is turning on the appropriate muscle groups that we want involved and that should “fire” during movements. We call this a proper kinematic sequence. It is our job to teach the body which muscles to fire at the right time during the golf swing. This allows you to play pain free and dramatically increase your performance.
We always like to start from the ground up when working with stability. When you watch the PGA pros play it’s amazing to see their power that they generate from their legs. It is imperative that we give your legs the proper stability training to ensure the proper kinematic sequence for the rest of the golf swing. As we move up the body, we want proper movement and stability in the glutes and hips, and then the core. If we can initiate proper muscle firing in the legs, to the glutes/hips, and then to the core you will be able to play the game of golf pain free.
It is very important to focus on training these muscles to fire properly. Simply going through the motions of movements doesn’t fix the problem. Flawless technique, mental focus and proper repetition is how your body will learn to do things right and then continue to do them right.
Check out our video on hip stability for golfers here.
Read more about stability for golfers here.
Focusing on the flexibility, stability and core strength is the key to eliminating pain and improving golf performance. How you go about it is a massive component of how successful you will be. Follow our proven PureForged Method and find out for yourself.