Fit for Play
Hip Hip Hooray
Bill Meyer ’ s secrets to a stronger swing by DAVE POND
Ready to get the most out of your golf swing ?
There ’ s no wonder gadget , diet , or a new brand of ball that ’ s up to the task . Instead , says Bayville Golf Club ( Virginia Beach ) director of golf fitness Bill Meyer , the secret lies in your hips .
See , two of the main pillars of power training for golf are vertical thrust and rotary power , which heavily include having mobile hips that can produce power . Having a solid understanding of your own capabilities is an absolute must for training for better golf .
“ Hip rotation and extension equate to what we call the ‘ Pelvic Powerhouse ’ in a rotary-based sport like golf ,” said Meyer , a TPI Certified Level 2 Fitness , Power , and Medical instructor who also owns Meyer Fitness with his wife , Lauren . “ Combining those two movements will help golfers maximize their potential to be as powerful as possible while maintaining a certain level of stability .”
Here ’ s where that energy comes from : Your glutes — commonly known as the most powerful muscles in sports — are controlled by different hip movement patterns such as extension , internal rotation , and external rotation . So , using them to the maximum potential is extremely important to get the most out of your swing .
“ This is incredibly important on full swing shots , as well as those awkward stance shots where you face an uneven lie or have your lead foot elevated ,” Meyer said . “ Having hips that rotate helps you maximize power output and minimize energy leaks and swing mistakes such as swaying and / or sliding .”
But how do you know if you need improvement ? As the singer Shakira once famously sang , hips don ’ t lie . Meyer said that standard swing faults like sway , sliding , a loss of posture , and early extension are red flags .
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WALL-SUPPORTED STEP OUTS
This exercise — which Meyer recommends for improved hip mobility , core stability , and motor control , is one of his favorites , as it allows golfers to truly “ feel the hips ” ( as most of the time , exercises for hip rotation are not very intuitive .)
1 . Kneel on a soft pad about an arm ’ s length from a wall , with your knees and feet together .
2 . While keeping a tall posture in mind , press your arms straight against the wall with moderate pressure .
3 . With your arms straight and your core braced , slowly raise one leg and step forward , gently tapping the wall as high as you can .
4 . Return your foot to the start without scraping the floor with your foot . 5 . Alternate legs slowly until you ’ ve reached 10 reps on each leg .
But poor on-course performance isn ’ t the only true outcome — poor hip rotation and extension can easily lead to injury that can keep you in the clubhouse indefinitely .
“ Having mobile hips is paramount to staving off a potential unnecessary injury of other joints / muscles surrounding them ,” Meyer said . “ When a joint cannot perform the way it ’ s supposed to ,
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the pressure it can ’ t manage just moves to a region just above or below , thus potentially over-stressing other muscles . For the hips , that ’ s the lumbar spine or the knees .”
If you ’ re looking for more power and stability in your game , Meyer stresses starting by getting screened by a swing instructor and a Titleist Performance Institute ( TPI ) instructor in your area .
36 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ULY / A UGUST 2022
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