Many people say that Golf is just a walk in the park and can’t really see why it is considered to have the benefits it does. After all, who wants to chase a little white ball around the grass for 4 or 5 hours?
However, if you analyze a golf swing, you will find that it is not just your leg muscles that are used. That walk in the part makes sure that your arm, back and your core muscles are also given a good workout. And as those of us who are still learning the game know, it is a great exercise to improve your hand eye coordination.
There are a number of things that you can do to stay in shape for golf. Some of these include going to a driving range during the off season. With luck, you’ll be able to find a range that also has a putting facility to enable you to practice all phases of your game. If, however, you don’t live near a driving range there are a still ways to stay in shape without breaking either your own or your neighbors windows, or ruining the carpet in your living room by using it as a home grown putting green.
One of the best exercise programs for the game of golf is Pilates. You can practice this on a mat at home or at a gym. Pilates has been shown to improve not only your flexibility, but it greatly improves your range of movement and your core strength. These are two very important aspects essential to a smooth and more powerful golf swing.
Quite a few of the professional golfers have all realized how Pilates can improve their game, like Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam and David Duval.
How Pilates can Benefit Your Golf Game
Concentration
Pilates teaches you how to concentrate on how your muscles are working, which in turn causes you to concentrate on your swing.
Control
You will learn to control your movements, which will give you a smoother stronger golf swing.
Breathing
In Pilates, you never hold your breath. Transferring this to your golf game will help you to develop smoothness and strength.
Core Strength
By strengthening your core muscles, you have a much bigger range of controlled motion. This will enable you to not only swing your club better, it will give you a more powerful drive.
Why is Pilates Good for Your Golf Game?
Pilates will benefit your golf game because all the muscles you use in golf are trained during a Pilates workout. In a Pilates workout you will be doing exercises that will work four factors at the same time: Balance, Coordination, Strength and Flexibility.
Pilates is beneficial to everyone regardless of their current age, physical level or gender because the exercises can be modified to each individual golfers needs. Although most gyms now offer Pilates in their programs, there are quite a few good videos for those that would prefer to exercise at home.
