Give Dad the Best Father’s Day Gift: A Better Golf Swing

Featured Article, Fitness, Outdoor Activity, Workout Plans
on June 11, 2013
Pliates workout to help your golf game.
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Husband and wife team Jack Coble and Alisa Wyatt of Pilatesology share their five-move Pilates workout for golfers.

Pilates is the perfect workout before golfing because it builds power and control in the hips where the weight transfer that moves the ball begins. When your hips are balanced, the result is a stronger, more accurate swing.

Double Leg Stretch

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If you only have time for one Pilates exercise before a golf game, this is it! You’ll instantly strengthen and tone your core muscles for control, stretch your spine for efficient weight transfer, and flush your joints with synovial fluid–the lubricant that allows for full range of motion.

  1. Lie on your back with knees bent to your chest, holding your ankles.
  2. Lift your head to your knees and exhale every last bit of stale air from your lungs.
  3. Inhale deeply and anchor your torso to the mat as you stretch your arms and legs to the ceiling. Keep your eyes on your stomach and stretch longer as you flatten your back deeply into the floor.
  4. Exhale as you circle your arms wide to the side to hug your ankles back to the starting position. Repeat 8 times.

Saw

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This deep twist builds control as well as power for swings that hit the mark.

  1. Sit up tall and spread legs about 3 feet apart, feet flexed, arms strongly outstretched to sides.
  2. Inhale slowly and twist trunk to the right as far as possible.
  3. Bend forward diagonally to reach left hand toward outside of right foot.
  4. Exhale slowly while stretching in 3 saw-like motions toward foot. Repeat 3-5 sets.

Swimming

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Your swing finishes with a slightly arched back, and this move builds underused muscles to give you more power and accuracy.

  1. Lie on stomach, arms stretched forward, chest lifted so that you can see the horizon, legs straight, abdomen pulled in.
  2. Inhale as you stretch the right arm and left leg up off the mat, exhale and switch so that the other arm and leg are lifted.
  3. Keeping the arms and legs outstretched and as straight as possible, begin to briskly alternate in a swimming motion, breathing normally for a count of 20.

One-Leg Teaser

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Tone your abs as you stretch your back and improve balance all at the same time.

  1. Lie on floor, knees bent, right leg stretched out at a 45-degree angle with knees together.
  2. Inhale, and as you exhale, pull your stomach in deeply to slowly roll up, reaching toward the extended leg. Your legs should remain firmly together.
  3. Inhale; then exhale to roll down with maximum control. Repeat 8 times with each leg.

Pilates Push Up

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A Pilates Push Up is different than a military-style push up because it keeps the arms close to the body to engage the back and chest muscles as much as the shoulders and biceps. This type of push up is more effective at moving power through your limbs.

  1. From a standing position, pull your stomach in as you bend forward to place your palms down in front of your toes.
  2. In 4 steps, walk your hands out to a push up position, hands are no wider than your shoulders, your body is firm and straight.
  3. Inhale to bend the arms, keeping them hugged close to the body. Bend only as far as you can keep your chest open, body straight, butt tight, abs in. Exhale to push up. Repeat 8 times.
  4. In 4 steps, walk your hands back to your toes and roll up. Repeat sequence 3x total. (Bonus for more intensity: On the second and third sets, lift one leg up and keep it lifted throughout the exercise. Switch legs on the next set.)

About Pilatesology: Created by husband and wife team, professional photographer Jack Coble and Pilates expert, Alisa Wyatt, Pilatesology preserves and shares classical Pilates by offering a dynamic library of streaming class videos of pure Pilates, true to the way Joseph Pilates himself taught. It is an online resource where anyone, at any level, can have an in-home Pilates workout, and instructors can find a wealth of information to understand the authentic teaching of Pilates.  For more information visit www.Pilatesology.com.