The CSGA Links Volume 6 Issue 4 August 2018 | Page 32

FITNESS
HOW’S YOUR GOLF MOBILIT Y ?
By Ron Kaspriske Illustrations by Brown Bird Design
I
f you’re off to a bad start this golf season, struggling to hit the ball
the way you want, it’s natural to think the cause is a fault in your
swing. “But sometimes the fault isn’t the cause, it’s a symptom,”
says Golf Digest fitness advisor Ben Shear. Sometimes poor shots
are the result of a physical dysfunction that causes poor swing me-
chanics. The symptoms: poor contact with the ball even when you’re
consciously trying to hit it solid; struggling to swing the club through
the impact zone without straightening up; and routinely pulling shots
left of your target or slicing them right of it—or both. If any of these
describe the state of your game, stand with your back to a wall and
take these three physical screening tests to see if you lack the muscle
function necessary to hit great shots.
TEST NO. 1
Stand with your upper body against a wall
and your feet angled about 12 inches from it.
Make sure your pelvis is tucked under your
torso. Extend one arm so it’s perpendicular to
the wall, and raise it over your head without
bending it. The goal is to touch the wall while
maintaining the body’s other contact points.
Repeat the test with the other arm.
Reprinted with permission of Golf Digest
32 | CSGA Links // August 2018
IF YOU FAILED
The inverted triangular-shaped muscle of
your upper back, known as the latissimus dor-
si or “lat,” is too tight. This causes your swing
to be short and narrow, resulting in thin and
fat shots and/or slices. To improve mobility,
lie on your side, leaning back slightly on a
foam roller. Roll from hips to armpits for three
minutes a few times a week. Also, stretch your
upper-back muscles before you play.
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