Virginia Golfer July / August 2014 | Page 8

Fit For Play

Coordinated Effort

Synch up the moving parts of your swing by incorporating complementary exercises
by RYAN ANDERSON, NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SPORTS MEDICINE CERTIFIED TRAINER with TOM CUNNEFF
Illustrations by BARRY ROSS
3 UPPER BODY
DISASSOCIATION
THE GOLF SWING entails a complicated coordination of the muscles
While in your golf posture, place
in the body. They fire in a specific sequence to accomplish a task. Some swing
the exercise ball between your
faults are the result of bad habits that can be corrected with the help of a PGA
knees and cross your arms in
professional. Other errors, however, can creep up because of a physical limitation
front of your chest. Squeeze the
that requires exercises to retrain the body on a more fundamental level.
ball with your knees to activate
These three exercises will help you develop better sequencing in your swing to
your lower body stabilizers and
hit it straighter and farther.
rotate your upper body around as
far as you can, on the same plane
as your golf swing. Maintain your
1 SUPPORTED STORK TURNS
2 LOWER BODY DISASSOCIATION
golf posture and try not to allow
While facing a wall with your fingertips
Get in your golf posture and squeeze a 45
your hips to rotate as you turn
lightly touching for support, stand on one
centimeter exercise ball together with your
back and through. Perform three
leg and quickly drive the free knee across
hands to engage your core muscles. Rotate
sets of 12 to 15 reps.
your body, rotating your pelvis around
your pelvis around as far as you can, while
your standing hip. Keep the standing foot
keeping your upper body steady and pointing
Ryan Anderson has been a performance
flat throughout the movement; don’t let
forward. Make sure you’re slightly transferring
specialist at Ben Shear Golf at Athletic
your big toe come up and roll your ankle.
your weight to the leg you’re turning into for
Edge for four years. Tom Cunneff is
The initial motion should be fast. Avoid
the most effective stretch. Remember this is
a senior editor with Links magazine
the temptation of simply swinging your
a rotary exercise, not a lateral, side-to-side
in Hilton Head, S.C., and a regular
free knee side to side. Perform three sets
movement. Perform three sets of 12 to 15
of 12 to 15 reps, then switch legs.
reps, going in both directions.
contributor to Virginia Golfer.

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