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Exercise for Golf: Balance (3)

This is the third and final balance golf exercise post for the time being. For the first and second blogs click here and here.

Figure 4 Walk

Purpose: Increase hip movement and flexibility

Benefit: Improves balance and and pelvic mobility

Instructions: Stand on left leg and take hold of right ankle. Pull right foot up towards waist. Hold for 2 seconds and return foot to ground. Repeat 10 times.

Repeat standing on right leg.

Balance on a Beam

Purpose: Improve balance

Benefit: improve coordination in the golf swing

Instructions: Stand on a balance beam. You don't need an actual beam - a 4x2 piece of timber on the ground works just as well. Take a stance position, move arms outwards in a small circle motion. Increase the size of the circles. Perform with eyes open and eyes closed.

Attempt 10 arm circles. Repeat in reverse direction. Perform 2 sets of 10 circles in each direction.

Stork Turns

Purpose: To improve balance

Benefit: Improves separation between the upper and lower body creating pelvic turn for controlled power.

Instructions: Adopt address posture with arms across chest. Lift right leg and lock foot behind right knee. Rotate your hips back and forward while keeping shoulders stationery. Maintain balance. Repeat 10 times on each leg. Perform 2 sets.

As you can see I am not great at these exercises but I am just starting along this path. I hope you can follow along. Happy balancing.

Next time, I will introduce some flexibility exercises into my routine.

A Driving Range Outing

I have been doing a few balance exercises recently along with some stretching so I thought it was time to take to the driving range. (Still too cold for me to take to a course, I’ll admit!).

While I was preparing my old muscles with some stretching and flexing (!) I noted that several people came to the range, took the allotted balls to the bay and went straight to hitting balls with a Driver - no thought of preparing or warming up. Surely that’s not the way to practice.

Well, watching the quality of their shots it was obvious that they were not doing things properly.

Not that I am perfect, you understand, just still trying to warm up.

Getting ready to hit the 50 balls that I had purchased, I split the balls into groups of 5.

The first batch were really for warm up. The second batch was 90% for wedges while the third and fourth were for full 9 irons.

Thus far things were going ok. I had a tendency to hit the ball slightly to the toe of the club but this, I think, was due lack of muscle control in my lower legs allowing the momentum of the club to push my torso backwards. More work required here.

I then progressed to full 6 irons and hit two batches of 5 balls.

I was happy to take my time and think about ensuring some basic set up positions were adhered to: grip, posture, alignment, posture and posture.

As you might be able to tell I think that posture is quite important!! Bent knees above balls of feet, shoulders not rounded but as straight as age allows, head held up and upper arms hanging vertical.

I remember a comment from someone who was learning golf which went something like “I started off feeling comfortable but when I was in the correct address position everything felt as uncomfortable and unnatural as you can imagine”.

In order to make sure that I was adhering to some of these basics I had my phone camera on a small tripod. Post practice review is fun. Well, no, what I should say is post practice review is funny. Very funny in my case although I do like this slow mo!

The other thing that I noticed was that the balls were very cold (as cold as the weather -5ºC) so ball flight was maybe 15 to 20 yards less than normal.

The next stage of practice was to hit another 2 batches with my 17º Mizuno rescue club. I bought this to replace an old 2 iron which was becoming more difficult to hit. I was quite pleased with the results - ball hit generally out the centre with a reasonable flight.

I went back to my wedge for the final 10 balls, selecting a variety of targets at varied distances from 50 yards to 90 yards. Just trying to build a little feel although this will take thousands of balls to build back up after a winter of golfing very little.

I finished off by a visit to the putting green. After 15 minutes I was glad to get back to the car and switch on the heat to the seat.

All in all a fun afternoon out and even better that my driving range now has an upper tier. There’s something a little more manly about hitting golf balls from a second storey!!

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Exercise for Golf: Balance (2)

This is the second article I’ve done on balance exercises for golf. For the first set of exercises, click here.

Steamboats

Purpose: This exercise aims at improving your overall balance by targeting the entire lower body. In order to stay balanced you will need to utilise muscles from the hips to the bottom of the foot in conjunction with one another.

Benefit: This exercise improves stability, balance and consistency in your golf swing.

Instructions: Begin this drill by standing with feet roughly 6 inches apart (an elastic exercise band around both ankles will add some resistance). With a straight leg, begin by slowly moving your right foot straight forward for approximately 15-30 seconds. Next move your straight right leg about 12 inches across to the left of your left leg for 15-30 seconds. Third, move your right leg straight backwards approximately 12 inches, without bending the knee, for 15-30 seconds, and finally move your right leg directly out to the right side about 12 inches and maintain for 15- 30 seconds.

Repeat standing on right leg. Perform 2 sets (twice).

Trunk Rotation (with ball between knees)

Purpose: Improve balance and rotation into backswing

Benefit: Find the best turn into backswing

Instructions: Stand in address position with football between knees. Hold arms across chest. Keep knees pointing forward and turn slowly into backswing. Return to starting point and turn into follow through. Keep ball steady between knees.

Repeat 10 times.

More balance exercises soon.

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