How Pilates Can Help The Weekend Golfer Hit Longer Golf Drives Before They Reach The First Tee

Improve Your Golf Swing, Prevent Golf Injuries, And How Your Friends Will Be Buying You A Round At The 19th Hole

Golfers looking for longer golf drives and more speed may turn to better clubs, but what about less injuries? Pro golfers and recreational golfers will see an improve golf swing by strengthening their powerhouse with core exercises.

In a good golf swing, the arms and torso work and move together both on the back swing and the follow through. To improve rotational strength and speed for longer golf drives, pay attention to the muscles involved in moving the trunk.

The function of the oblique muscles are to rotate and turn the trunk and to bend it side to side. Abdominal muscles, especially the obliques, are the basis for powerhouse strength.

What is your powerhouse? Joseph Pilates referred to abs, back, pelvic floor, inner thighs and glutes as the powerhouse, the area where all movement stems from. Pilates exercises help to improve powerhouse, or core, strength. This is why you see more and more golfers choosing Pilates as a way to get longer golf drives.

Some benefits of Pilates:

• increased core strength
• targets core stabilizers
• increases balance
• better coordination and body awareness
• increases flexibility

These benefits have a great impact on a Golfer's game, but Pilates exercises are just part of the many exercises used to improve a golf swing. Any core exercises that work the powerhouse, such as stability ball or medicine ball workouts, will be just as effective to improve a golf swing.

Choose exercises that work your body in rotation like the criss-cross from Pilates or oblique crunches on the stability ball. Try doing lunges holding an alternative medicine ball in your hands and rotating the arms first to the right and then to the left.

Keeping your shoulders and more specifically, your rotator cuff muscles, strong is also needed to ensure fewer golf injuries. Try doing a plank on your elbows. This not only works your core, but also scapular stability and balance. Unsure of what to do? It's always a good idea to check in with a Pilates instructor or physical trainer to get the best tips on what exercises to do and to ensure proper form.

Common causes of golf related injuries stem from over-use or poor swing mechanics, but building strength around your spine, as you do in any of these powerhouse exercises, will help to fend off injuries. Another important issue to lessen injuries is flexibility. Having the looseness at the joints in your spine, hips, shoulders and knees, will help to improve a golf swing and bring an ease to your game.

The best way to improve a golf swing is to strengthen the muscles that work during your swing. Get those strong and flexible and you'll not only have a longer more powerful drive, but your body will feel better for it.

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