Spring Golf Tips – MINUTE FIT TIP

By Jodi Duffe, Personal Trainer

Longer days and warmer weather brings the obvious excitement of getting outside. As with every arrival of spring, many of us are getting the itch to start playing golf again. If you’re like me, you haven’t had a club in your hand since last fall. I’d like to say our golf swing is like riding a bike, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. Pulling a club from our bag and letting it rip out on the range is not wise for our bodies, nor for our swing.

So you’ve been working out all winter to stay in shape. Of course, you’re already off to a great start, but it’s not going to prevent your muscles from being stiff and sore once you start swinging away. In fact, you are more likely to sustain an injury early on due to trying to get yourself on the course as soon as possible.

Think of your body and your swing like your lawn mower. You can’t just pull it out of winter storage and start it up. Most of us take it in to get a tune-up to make sure everything is properly oiled and gassed up; our bodies deserve the same care.

Rather than going to the range and grabbing the largest bucket of balls on day one, I challenge you to do the following:

Start by stretching out your arms and back (you’ve seen the professionals do it, so why don’t we?). Then hit a only a small bucket of balls using your lower irons (7-wedges).  By doing this, you will be swinging easier and a little slower, all with less impact. This allows you to loosen up your body and really find your “groove” without killing the ball. The next time you go out, grab a medium bucket and hit with the rest of your irons. Go ahead– let yourself take a longer swing and add a little more speed and power. Again, however, still wait to go all out. Try and wait three to four visits before you go for you driver and the big bucket. Your driver is the one club the demands the most power. Thus, it generates and causes the most force on your body.

As I mentioned, professionals spend hours on the range stretching and warming up before they actually start playing. So let’s take this pro tip: go ahead and get those stretches in– your body (and your lengthy golf season!) will thank you.

Feeling ready to get back on the green? Check out Jodi’s Spring Golf Workshop on Friday, May 3. She’ll help to identify faulty swing mechanics and offer corrective exercises that can be performed using equipment here at Innovative, such as the TRX and medicine balls. Sign up at the Front Desk.

Need some extra help still? Contact us for a free personal training consult.

(414) 529-9900, ext. 730 or fitness@myinnovativehealth.com

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