Strengthen Your Golf Swing

The Absolute Best Way to Strengthen

Your Core for the Golf Swing





Different types of core exercises exist. Many of you are probably familiar with an

exercise such as the sit-up, which is a great exercise that can be utilized to train the core.

If you have read any of our other articles, you are well aware of what the word core

means, and its relation to the golf swing. Let us do a quick review for your benefit, and

introduce the types of core exercises to perform for your golf swing.

The core is an anatomical region of the body. It can generally be defined as the part of

your body between the hips and chest. It in encompasses many muscles groups on the

front, side, and backside of the body. In general the core consists of the muscles that

make up your; abdominals, lower back, obliques, and hips.

The core region is important to the golf swing for many reasons. The core is essentially

called the "engine" of the body. It is the area that "drives" the body for most any human

movement, including your golf swing. It is primarily responsible for the capacities of:

balance, stability, and power development within the body. For these capacities to occur

efficiently it is necessary to train the core for improved performances.

Core Training Concepts

Many of us correlate core training to only the abdominal section of the body. In order to

develop the core correctly for the golf swing, we must train all areas of the core equally.

This means to address the obliques, hips, and lower back with the same number of

exercises and repetitions as you do for the commonly trained abdominal region.

A quick note from experience: More times than none, the majority of individuals have

what are termed "imbalances" in the core region. This statement means that certain

muscles or muscle groups are weaker than others. The key for optimal performance in

golf is to have a balanced core when it comes to the strength, endurance, and power

levels in the muscles within this area of the body. Keeping this thought in mind, many

times the lower back region is "weaker" than the abdominals (imbalanced core or not

balance core as we like to say). If this is the case, additional attention/exercises are

needed for the lower back, to bring it "up to speed" so to speak, in level with the

abdominals.

Moving forward, knowing that we must train the entire core and create balance between

all the muscles. It is time to discuss what type of exercises to utilize in training the core

region. To develop the core region for golf you will want to perform exercises in the

following categories: stability (balance), strength, endurance, and power. All four of

these categories are necessary for an optimal swing. Leaving one of the categories listed

above out of your training program is like building a boat with a hole in it. It won't work!

Let us define the differing training categories of a "golf specific core program" to help

you better understand the purpose behind each category. The categories of core training

are incorporated in golf training are: 1) Stability (balance) training, 2) strength training,

3) endurance training, and 4) power training.

Stabilization exercises are exercises that develop the balance capabilities of the body. A

large portion of your balance capability is directly related to the core region of the body.

We know that if you are unable to maintain your balance through out the golf swing. The

efficiency of the swing, contact with the ball, and club head speed, will be

compromised. For example, when you swing your driver and are not able to maintain

that perfect "finished position", the problem may be related to you ability to balance.

Balance training develops the integration of your neural and muscular systems.

Improvement in the functioning of these two systems of the body and integration of these

two systems will result in a better swing. Follow the logic and it will all make sense. If

you improve the ability of your body to balance, then the ability to maintain balance

within your golf swing will become easier. Implementation of exercises into your core

program that improve your balance (stabilization) capacities then a direct transfer into

your golf swing will result.

The golf swing requires that certain body parts remain in a stable position, while other

body parts are moving. These actions occur simultaneously. To perform a powerful golf

swing, the body must have the capacities to perform this action.

In order to perform the above activity it is required to develop the strength parameters of

the core. If you have a weak core then the ability to maintain a posture, keep a posture,

and perform this over a period of time will be compromised. To repeat, the core region

of the body is involved in the stabilization process of the body. To improve this

capacity, we must train the body to be more efficient at stabilizing itself during the golf

swing. Strength exercises develop and improve this capacity within your body for the

purpose of improving your golf swing.

The golf swing is a repetitive movement performed by the body. You are doing the same

activity over and over. An efficient golf swing and good scores require that you perform

the same swing on the 18th hole as you do on the 1st hole. If you are unable to repeat

your swing mechanics of your swing will suffer, as will your scores. To eliminate this

situation it is necessary to develop the endurance capacities of the core region.

Endurance exercises allow the body to perform the same activity over and over without

getting fatigued. As a result of the golf swing being a repetitive athletic movement,

endurance training will enhance the ability to maintain your optimal swing mechanics

over an extended period of time.

Power Exercises are geared towards improving the power outputs of the body. The core

region of the body is directly related to torque development in the golf swing. Power can

also be defined as torque (rotational power) when discussing the golf swing. In order to

create high amounts of club head, it is required of the body to create large amounts of

torque. Creating greater power in the golf swing is the result of inputting power

exercises into a comprehensive core training program.

Summary

In this article we have describe the core and how to train the core specifically for the

improvement of your golf game. A few points to keep in mind from this article: 1) the

core is a region of the body that includes all muscles from your hips to your chest, 2) you

must develop the capacities of stability, strength, endurance, and power within the core

for a benefit in your game, and 3) the development of the core must be balanced in terms

of all muscles involved, and in all the training components (equal amounts of stability,

strength, endurance, and power) within the core. For more information of golf specific

training please look at our website www.BioForceGolf.com



About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today.

He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has

made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques

available to amateur golfers on the website www.bioforcegolf.com. Check out his

manual and DVD, Your Body & Your Swing, at www.BioForceGolf.com.