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Two Powerful Tips
Distance, distance, and more distance is a common goal of many of the students who attend our schools, and the bottom line to achieving it is club head speed! The topic this month is not the swing mechanics required to increase club head speed but rather two important areas of the body that must be stretched and strengthened in order to handle the physical demand required to obtain distance. If the body is not ready to handle the load, injury is right around the corner.
Because tight hips and a weak belly are a bad combination for a golfer, this month we will work on increasing power by improving mobility (flexibility) of the hip flexors and stability (strength) of the external obliques.
Hip flexibility, which allows for smooth and efficient rotation through the golf swing, can be improved using the exercise demonstrated by Stefany, our Junior Golf Camp Director. In Picture # 1 she has nudged her glutes to the edge of the stool. With her arms crossed in front of her chest and her knees together, Stefany's feet are away from the stool so her core is engaged. Next simply butterfly your feet away from one another while keeping your knees together (Picture # 2). Try to do 20 to 30 reps daily. This exercise is specifically for the internal and external hip flexors. Over time, your range of motion will dramatically improve thereby enhancing the ability for your body to rotate through the hitting area in golf. Mobility of the hips is a power source!
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Walking down the beach with six pack abs may look good but that part of the belly has nothing to do with power in golf. The sides of the stomach known as the external obliques are the prime movers for the core, and this is the area to keep strong. In Picture # 3, Stefany has the upper part of her back resting on a 65 cm physio ball. Her feet are on the ground, back is flat, and arms are fully extended supporting a medicine ball weighing 4 - 8 pounds. In a slow and deliberate motion, move the medicine ball side to side with your arms. Breathe steadily while keeping your body balanced. Try to do 30 alternating reps (15 in each direction). This exercise can be done daily just like the seated butterflies mentioned in the previous paragraph.
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Almost everybody wants to hit the ball further, yet the body needs to be conditioned to meet the demand. How important is achieving greater distance to you? These two exercises combined take all of ten minutes to perform. Flexible hips and strong obliques are major contributors to power; taking a few minutes a day to get them...powerful!
 Ted Frick
Owner/Director of Instruction
Classic Swing Golf School
2005 Carolinas PGA Section Teacher of the Year
TPI Level 1 Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
G.S.E.D., The Golfing Machine
tfrick@classicswing.com
For more of Ted's classic tips,
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