Fit for Play
Offseason Fitness
How to stay in great golf shape this winter by DAVE POND
BANDED KNEE SQUATS
“ The squat is one of the best exercises to improve your overall core stability and lower body strength ,” Griffiths said .
This exercise can be modified to make it more or less challenging in a few ways . Deconditioned beginners should focus on simply standing up from a seated position , while those looking for more of a challenge can hold dumbbells or stand on an unstable surface like a BOSU ball or a foam pad .
In either case , do as many reps as you can with good form , while working up to three or four sets two to three times per week .
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1 . Stand in front of a sturdy chair with a band just above your knees and your feet slightly wider than your hips .
2 . Keep your chest up and sit with your butt back towards a chair .
3 . Tap your hips gently on the chair , then rise back to starting position .
4 . Make sure you keep your knees pointing in the same direction as your middle toes without letting your knees move ahead of your toes . s we get deeper into our Virginia winter and new year ’ s resolutions abound , it ’ s time to talk fitness . We gave you a strong start last issue ( pun intended ), by looking at ways to stay strong away from the links , but as 2023 begins , it ’ s essential to focus on overall , year-round fitness and all that it entails .
“ Golf is a sport that requires good cardiovascular endurance , joint mobility , stability , strength , and power ,” said Fredericksburg Country Club fitness director Chrissy Griffiths . “ To golf your best and feel your best , you need all of those . It ’ s true that you don ’ t need to be super strong to golf well , but you do need a great amount of stability and optimum joint mobility .”
STABILITY Whether you ’ re starting from scratch or looking to improve your overall fitness to kick off the new year , Griffiths ( who ’ s also a Titleist Performance Institute Level 3 Golf Fitness instructor and an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist ) recommends starting with mobility and stability first . The reasoning is simple .
“ You can buy as many new golf clubs as you like , but your body does the swinging and you only get one of those ,” she said . “ A powerful golf swing comes from being able to stabilize some segments of your body while moving others to create a powerful rotational force . Deficits in either mobility or stability will rob you of your power .”
Look at it this way : Imagine that you ’ re launching a cannon from a canoe . It doesn ’ t matter how powerful your cannon is if your foundation isn ’ t stable enough to support the forces it generates , right ?
“ Good stability for golf requires strength , balance , and endurance ,” Griffiths said . “ Stability is the body ’ s ability to maintain and control posture in the presence of external forces . This is essential for a powerful and consistent golf swing .”
FLEXIBILITY When it comes to flexibility training , Griffiths recommends avoiding someone else ’ s flexibility program . After all , their tightness , aches , and pains are different than yours . Rather , make your resolution to connect with a golf fitness professional and develop an individualized program that pinpoints personal limitations that have a negative impact on your golf swing . Here ’ s why :
“ Golfers need more rotational mobility than the average person ,” Griffiths said . “ Rotation should come from joints that were designed to rotate , like your hips , thoracic spine , and shoulders . That being said , it ’ s just as important to look out
40 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2023
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