Fit For play
Loose and Limber at
the Last minute
No time to waist at the tee? These stretches will get your golf muscles
engaged just in time for your first swing | Illustrations by BarrY roSS
by ToM CUnneff
with ToMMY Miller, Pga, Titleist Performance Institute-certified
instructor and general manager, Virginia Oaks Golf Club, Gainesville, Va.
CONDITION THE CORE
The golf swing is a rotary motion, so you want to make
sure you wake up both sides of your core. Bend your arms
at 90-degree angles and raise them to shoulder height
with your fists pointing skyward like a goalpost. Then tilt
to one side or the other and stay in this stretch for eight
to 12 seconds before repeating it on the other side.
W
e all lead such busy lives these
days that sometimes we can’t
make it to the course as early
as we’d like.
In fact, circumstances mean that some
of us show up five or 10 minutes before
our starting time. If that’s the case, it’s best
not to rush through a range session where
hurried swings could adversely affect your
tempo on the course.
If you’re pressed for time, it’s better to
perform the exercises below, according to
Tommy Miller, the general manager and
Titleist Performance Institute-certified
PGA professional at Virginia Oaks Golf
Club in Gainesville.
“Showing up at the last minute happens
a lot more than you think,” Miller says.
“Even if you have time for the range, it’s a
good idea to do these stretches before you
start hitting balls.”
ARMS MOVEMENT, SUPPLE SHOULDERS
Extend your right
arm across your chest
and pull on your
right elbow with your
left hand so that you
feel a stretch in your
shoulder. Hold the
position for eight
to 12 seconds, then
switch arms.
FINGERS TO TOES
Begin with a simple toe touch by placing your feet
together and legs straight as you reach down as far as you
can toward your toes. Let your arms hang down naturally
and hold it for eight to 12 seconds.
Author Tom Cunneff is a writer from Hilton Head, S.C., and
a regular contributor to Virginia Golfer.
More Green. Less Fee.
A golfer’s dream. Unlimited play on our green and lush 6,400 yard
Shenandoah Valley course nestled amid Virginia’s equally beautiful
Blue Ridge Mountains. Package includes meals and lodging, greens
fees and cart for 18 holes daily and extra round for cart fees only!
For more details check out www.LurayCaverns.com or
call (888) 443-6551.
3 Day / 2 Night
Packages from
$255
Per person, double
occupancy, includes tax
Another effective
technique is point your
right arm skyward so
that your bicep is close
to your ear. Next, place
your bent left arm
behind your head in a
triangle formation and
pull on your right elbow
with your left hand to
feel a stretch in your right tricep. After
maintaining good form for eight to 12
seconds, switch arms.
w w w. v s g a . o r g
Master_VSGA_Sept13_MASTER2.indd 7
September/OctOber 2013 | Virginia golfer
7
8/30/13 8:35 AM