Virginia Golfer September / October 2023 | Page 41

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BIRD DOG
This core stabilization exercise fires in your glutes , all the way down to your heel , helping strengthen and stabilize those core muscles as a foundation of your swing .
1 . Set up in a table-top position on the floor . 2 . Raise your arm straight out in front of your shoulder and ( leading with your heel ) kick your opposite foot toward the back wall . 3 . Squeeze your core muscles for balance while holding this position for a second or two before returning to table-top position and switching sides .
When performing this exercise , be sure to kick your back leg straight from your hips , and that it ’ s only a few inches off the floor ( instead of pointing toward the ceiling ). If you feel it in your glutes and hamstrings , you ’ ve got it !
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WORLD ’ S GREATEST STRETCH
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Although Narkevic didn ’ t name this particular stretch , she does like it as it targets your glutes , hip flexors , and t-spine rotation — all of which are better utilized in a golf swing when they ’ re more flexible .
Start in a high plank , then :
1 . Pick one foot up and bring it to the outside of your corresponding hand . You can drop your back knee down into a long lunge position to feel the stretch in your hips and glutes .
2 . Pick up the hand next to your foot , put your other elbow on the floor , and twist your spine while raising your hand to the sky . Then , switch sides , with your opposite elbow down and the opposite hand in the air .
ILLUSTRATIONS BY MELANIE SCHUMACHER
produce power and speed . During your backswing ( if you have good flexibility ) you can create a large separation between your hip and shoulder that acts like a rubber band on the downswing , letting you launch the ball down the fairway .
The latter is most often the area where nagging low back pain is felt because it can get inflamed or strained when trying to compensate for lack of strength or mobility ( or simply from moving in uncomfortable ways ). Back pain can also be an indicator of issues you may not feel away from the course .
“ Golf can help bring awareness to incapability that could be causing back pain ,” Narkevic said . “ Tight hamstrings , tight hip flexors , bad posture , inflexibility , weak core muscles , and more
can all make for an ugly golf swing and pesky back pain . Being more motivated to strengthen and stretch your muscles could definitely help your overall movement habits and could make for a happier body .” So how to make that happen ? “ A warmup is super important for everyone headed out for a round of golf — not just those who are experiencing pain ,” Narkevic said .
• Use a heating pad , or turn on your car ’ s seat warmer on the drive to the course ( yes , even during the summer !) to help you get loose .
• Next , before you even touch a club , go through a simple dynamic warmup to move your joints and muscles through full ranges of motion , like a hamstring
stretch , a hip flexor stretch , a lower back twist , and a shoulder stretch .
“ Back pain can commonly be relieved by stretching since it ’ s sometimes caused by overcompensation ,” Narvekic said . “ In those moments , it ’ s very important to figure out where in your swing you ’ re feeling pain , then try to use your other muscles to take the burden off an aching one .”
Although Narvekic cautions about asking your golfing buddies to pause play while you step off the green to perform a full dynamic warmup ( and you ’ ll probably have other groups staring at you , too ), there are drills and stretches she does recommend , giving you the best shot at reducing low back pain where possible .
vsga . org S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2023 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 39