ILLUSTRATIONS BY MELANIE SCHUMACHER |
JUSTIN THOMAS ’ SINGLE-LEG AIRPLANE Thomas uses vertical force in his downswing to generate power . You can watch and see his lead foot lift off the ground when he swings because of the power he generates . None of this happens without strong hips to help direct that power Thomas is generating through his body and a great sense of balance to not leak any of the power . He specifically does this exercise by pulling a band apart with his arms , which engages his core more and prevents any compensation from his upper body during the movement .
“ Improved balance is one of the easiest and most direct ways you can improve your golf game ,” Ingalls said . “ Your body ’ s ability to process unstable terrain and adjust for it will significantly improve all the undulating lies ( including most fairways ) on which we find ourselves during a round . Not only are we swinging a golf club around our bodies , but we are doing so on the sides of hills , bunkers , and downhill or uphill lies which require our body ’ s internal GPS system ( proprioception ) to do loads of work . The stronger your lower body is , the better you can stabilize when facing these differing situations .”
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1 . Begin with one foot on the ground , with one leg extended ( but not fully locked .) Extend your other leg behind you while controlling your balance . You may begin with your arms close to your chest and extend them as you get comfortable .
2 . Extend the rear leg as far and as straight as you can . Think about pressing your heel back instead of pointing your toes towards the back wall . This engages
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the posterior muscles of the leg and glutes . If this is too difficult , begin with your rear foot on the ground but touching somewhere behind you . Gradually increase this distance and begin to lift your leg off the ground .
3 . As you progress in the exercise , extend your arms to the sides , eventually learning to rotate so that one hand is towards the ground while your other is pressing to the ceiling .
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