The key to controlling low back pain in golfers should focus on controlling the stresses that occur at the lumbar spine during the swing. Golf specific exercises are developed to improve the golfers ability to control or stabilize the trunk. This golf fitness exercise shown below is one of the beginning de-rotation exercises I teach. It is important to learn how to control the rotational forces in the low back during the swing and you do it with this exercise. You can build neuromuscular strength and control, as well as endurance in the deep stabilizing muscle of the spine. Make sure to start with light weight and progress slowly.

Posted under Exercise Tips, Exercise Videos, Golf Injuries

The side plank is an excellent exercise that helps build trunk stability and core strength. Recently I have been utilizing a new technique that comes from the research of Stuart McGill and is also utilized by the Kettlebell expert Pavel Tsatsouline.
I also actually used the technique back in my martial arts days through the practice of breath control and the use of Chi.

Stuart McGill calls it “super stiffness” and Pavel describes it in his book The Naked Warrior (which I highly recommend) as “Zipping Up”. Essentially you develop the ability of isometrically tensing all your muscles while in a certain posture or during a certain exercise. McGill explains that this actually happens unconsciously at impact in the golf swing. Please don’t try to consciously do it, or you may have bad results. However I believe you can train this concept as you perform certain exercises such as the side plank.

As you watch the video below and then perform the exercise, I want you to try tensing your entire body when in the side plank position. From your fist, elbow, shoulder, trunk, hips and legs as you hold the position. This may take some practice, but it will give you great results. To start off, only hold the side plank for 10 seconds, and then switch to the other side. You can start with a few reps and progress up to 8-10 reps of 10 second hods.

Have fun adding super stability to your side plank!

Posted under Exercise Tips

Core training for golfers is topic that is discussed quite frequently. I believe it is essential to have a good understanding of the core and how you should approach exercise selection and training. The core is the muscular area that makes up the pelvic and abdominal region of the body. There are essentially hundreds of different exercises that focus in on the core area. You can do anything from muscle specific training we taught back pain patients, to medicine ball training, to Pilates. The bottom line is, we all need a core that functions correctly and has strength, and endurance.

The importance of a correctly functioning core is, that we need it for all other movements our body goes through. It helps direct functional movement patterns by controlling and transferring forces through the body.

Now when it comes to the golf swing this is the key point. A golfer needs to have control of their core and the ability to stabilize in the correct sequence of the swing. What this does, is allow the energy develop in the backswing (coil) to be transferred through the body during the downswing and follow-through (uncoil). The golf swing is essentially the loading and unloading of energy to be imparted to the golf ball.

Here are 2 exercises that first must be mastered before you do more complex or dynamic core training. good luck!

Posted under Exercise Tips, Exercise Videos