What Are the Best Exercises for the Golfer? By Sean Cochran

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour With all the talk about the players on tour getting stronger and more flexible, we hear a lot about exercising for golf from television commentators and read about it in the golf publications. But what exactly are the best exercises for the amateur golfer? A great question that has a good answer, but before we give you the answer let us provide some background so the answer makes a little more sense to you. First of all, discussing the golf swing for the time being will get us rolling.What exactly is the golf swing? The golf swing is an athletic movement that requires using of the entire body from “feet to fingertips” in order to complete the swing. Realize that the golf swing is not about the club, not just about your grip, or where your head is during the swing. The golf swing is a movement that requires your entire body to move through a sequence of movements with the correct timing. To perform the “athletic movement” of the golf swing requires the body to begin at address, move through the actual phases of the golf swing and complete it with the follow through. In order to perform this activity with efficiency and repetitively, the body must have certain physical parameters.These parameters, as I call them, are actual physical categories of the body that need to be developed to a certain level. These categories of the body are the platform from which the body is able to perform the athletic movement of a golf swing efficiently. The categories are probably familiar to many of you, but for the purpose of this article let us briefly run through them.The body is required to have certain levels of flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power to complete a golf swing. If the body lacks in any of the above categories, then the results will be seen in the golf swing. The results are usually in the form of poor mechanics, bad shots, or poor scores on the course. So, now that we know what the connection is between the “body” and the “swing” let us address the question about the best exercises for golf.The Best Exercises for GolfLet’s say you walk into your local health club and see all the fancy machines and aerobic machines at the facility to get you shape. What ones would choose? Would you choose running on the treadmill for 30 minutes, or would it be better to push out a couple sets of bench presses? Well, the answer to our question really lies within the connection between your swing and your body.I will tell you that exercises meant to “pump you up!” or give you that “six pack” are not necessarily the correct exercises for your golf game. Neither is that weight training program you used back in high school. So, with those thoughts in mind what do you think the best exercises for golf are?Right now we know, in general terms about the golf swing, what is required of the body for the golf swing and what exercises are not good for the swing. Armed with that knowledge we can decipher what the best exercises for golf are for you. Beginning with flexibility, we know that the entire body must move through certain ranges of motion to perform an effective golf swing. And what happens if your body is not able to move through the required ranges of motion of the golf swing? The answer: the golf swing will mechanically suffer resulting in shots that are less than optimal. So part of the exercises that are good for golfers are flexibility exercises and, even more so, flexibility exercises that work the muscles used in the golf swing through the movements involved in the golf swing. So first and foremost flexibility exercises should be on the top of your list.The second category of exercises that would be conducive to the golf swing would have to do with balance. We hear about balance in reference to the golf swing all the time. “Stay balanced through the swing; transfer your weight to maintain balance during the swing…” But what does balance exactly mean? Balance is the ability to control your body through a specific movement pattern. The movement pattern we are discussing just happens to be the golf swing. We know the importance of balance in relation to the golf swing, so how do we train our body for better balance in the golf swing? Before we answer that question we need to know a little more about balance. Balance in relation to the body has to do with the connection between your nerves and muscles. Essentially your nervous system, as a result of messages sent from your brain, tells your muscles how to move to maintain the body’s balance. The more efficient your nerves and muscles are to these messages the greater balance abilities the body develops. So balance exercises train both the nervous system and muscular system to become more efficient at this function. Summing it all up, balance is the second category of exercises that will assist your golf game. The third category of exercises that are beneficial to golf have to do with your muscles. The golf swing requires the muscles of your body to move through a specific range of motion (flexibility) and help with your balance capacities. In order to perform these actions and others, your body needs certain levels of strength and endurance. The definition of strength is the ability of the muscles to exert force for the given “athletic action” (simplified definition but a good working definition for us). Endurance is the ability of your muscles to do the same activity over and over again for a specific amount of time. First off, let us discuss strength. The golf swing has one intention of developing club head speed while maintaining balance through the swing. The muscles in your body must have enough strength in them to do both. Now, when we discuss building strength for the golf swing it is NOT the type of strength needed to bench press 250 lbs. Or squat 500! It is strength geared towards the improvement of your swing. I refer to this type of strength as “golf strength.” So when you get to the gym, performing strength exercises like bench press will not help your swing. Exercises that train the body in the positions and through the movements of the golf swing will help your swing.In addition to strength, we need to develop endurance in your muscles. Think of how many swings you may take over the course of 18 holes. In order for you to be able to swing the club the same way on the 18th hole as you did on the 1st hole. Your body has to have high levels of endurance. This will allow your body to perform the golf swing without getting tired. You develop endurance similar to how you develop “golf strength.” Utilize exercises that train the body in the positions and through the movements of the golf swing. Lighter loads with higher repetitions will be used for these exercises. The end result will be the development of “golf endurance.”The final segment of exercises beneficial to your golf swing is power training. Power training is geared towards the ability of your body to generate high levels of club head speed. Power development by the body is what allows for greater distance on your shots. Clubs help, golf balls help, but it really comes down to the piece of machinery, your body, swinging those club and hitting those golf balls. Development of power for the golf swing is very similar to the development of “golf strength and endurance.” It is the utilization of exercises that place your body in the positions and move you through movements similar to the golf swing.SummarySo there you have it, the answer to the types of exercises best for the improvement of your golf swing. I think you now realize it is not one exercise, but a group of exercises that incorporate flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power. A combination of these exercises is what will enhance your golf swing.
Author Info: 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

Golf Swing Tips - Learn How to Have a Repeating Swing and Be More Consistent By Jamie Zimmerman

If you have ever played the game of golf you know how difficult it can be. For the weekend golfer to be able to cut a few strokes off their game would be the best Christmas present they could give themselves. With all the tips and videos that flood the market that promise to help you cure your slice or hook, you very rarely see one that claims to give you a consistent swing.
The key to golf is being able to repeat the same motion consistently over and over again. Of course this is easier said than done but that is why you see so many offering tips. If you are able to build a repeating golf swing you will be able to score 10 times better than you do right now.
Having a swing that you can rely on time after time is what makes golf fun. There is nothing better than standing on the t-box starring down a tight par four and know that your going to stripe it down the fairway. Once you have built yourself a solid swing that you know is going to get you around the course and in good position you can spend the rest of your time concentrating on fixing your short game.
Your short game is really where you take your game to the next level. The problem is that if you do not have a consistent swing to keep your ball out of the woods or water, you can have the best short game in the world and still shoot a horrible score.
From years of teaching the game as a professional and time spent playing on various golf tours the most important golf tip you can get it to build a repeating swing. Golf is a game that can be enjoyed for a life time if you have a swing you can rely on.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Zimmerman

Golf Swing Instruction: Proper Posture is the Key to a Sound Repeating Golf Swing by Wayne Hudler

Learn to break 80 with this often overlooked golf swing fundamental. Once you learn to start every swing with the proper posture your scores will fall like nobody's business!
My friend, Dooley Duffer, struggled with proper golf swing posture. He didn't even know he had the problem for the longest time. He worked on his takeaway and downswing. He changed his ball position. Next he bought a couple of new drivers and later still changed his grip. Still he had the dreaded golf slice with the occasional pull hook! Poor Dooley just kept trying different solutions without success.
Dooley is a devoted golfer. He loves the game. He enjoys the way golf challenges him to improve, the competition amongst his playing partners and the entire experience of being on the course. Like many of us he is hooked on the game by the occasional spurts of good play which keep him coming back and seeking help to lower his handicap.
Golf can be a challenging game to conquer. While it appears to the casual observer to be a seemingly simple thing, a good golf swing soon becomes an elusive experience for the average golfer. More times than not the ball fails to find the intended line or flight. Why is that?
For those seeking golf swing improvement the source of their problems may be any combination of things such as swing mechanics, ball position or grip pressure. Many times we seek to improve those areas when we really need to start as they say "at the beginning".
Proper golf swing posture is one of the most overlooked fundamentals of the golf swing. Your posture has a significant influence on the direction and path your golf club will travel during the golf swing.
Posture is the key element to the golf set-up. An improper posture will cause everything else you try to do with your swing to go awry. Even a perfect swing executed from an improper golf swing posture will yield undesirable results.
So how did ole Dooley Duffer overcome his swing faults? I can't say that he has completely. But he did find some help that made a real noticeable difference in his game. At first I didn't put a whole lot of stock in the improvement I was seeing. I thought the golf gods were being temporarily generous, something I know all too well. However his golf swing improvement continued far too long to be a passing fancy.
So I had to ask. He shared with me that he had discovered an eBook that helped him work on his swing fundamentals. He told me what the book taught was not some quick fix or a single swing key. He said the eBook has helped him with every part of his swing, especially proper posture. The author takes the holistic approach to teaching the golf swing. Dooley was telling me that he may never be a scratch golfer but that he felt like his game would continue to improve over time as he applied what the book had to offer.
Well between what my eyes had seen and the confidence in Dooley's voice I was convinced to check this eBook out for myself and I was not disappointed.
How to Break 80 by Jack Moorehouse is a great resource for guys like Dooley and I. He is here to help you improve your golf swing, lower your handicap and play better golf. Thousands of golfers, many like you and I, have found his teachings to be right on target.
If you are ready to begin seriously working on your game, beginning with your swing posture, then please allow me to recommend "How to Break 80..." for your consideration. Save yourself the hundreds of dollars golf professionals charge for lessons while gaining valuable golf swing knowledge. You can spend your savings on extra rounds with lower scores!
Maybe you will see ole Dooley out there with you. Learn to use correct posture and other swing fundamentals by clicking here - How to Break 80.

Breathe Like Tiger Woods – The Secret to A Fluid Golf Swing by Stephen Ladd

Tiger Woods and other top pro golfers use a specific breathing method to relax their bodies for a fluid golf swing.You can easily do the same thing. But first, let's do a quick test to see where you currently stand.In just a moment, I want you to take a big, deep breath.And I want you to pay attention to what happens to your chest and to your stomach as you do it.OK...do that now.If you're like 95% of all golfers, then your chest probably expanded outward right away, while your stomach went inward toward your spine.If that's the case, then you actually took a very shallow breath, not a deep one.You would be classified as a "chest breather"!Note: Tiger Woods is NOT a chest breather.Try not to panic. I am trained to alleviate you from this chronic condition.Okay, but why should you care?Less than optimal breathing (chest breathing) can cause:• An increased rate of breathing• Increased tension in your neck muscles• Headaches• Feelings of anxiety• Increased stress• Increased sensation of pain• Fatigued, stiff muscles• Restricted and stiff joints• Poor sleep patterns• Poor circulation• Poor posture• Inefficient movement patternsExperiencing any of the above side effects means your golf game will suck! Or at least it will not be up to its full potential.On the other hand, proper breathing:• Elicits a relaxation response• Provides an optimal amount of oxygen to your body• Improves circulation• Helps maintain a healthy musculature (including your back)Let me be very clear about this -The manner in which you breathe will literally determine the physiology of your body - for better or for worse.Do you still think this breathing thing is a no-brainer?The good news is that with a little practice and awareness, you can reprogram your breathing techniques and reap the corresponding benefits.Optimal Breathing ExercisePhase 1:1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.2. Place one hand on your abdomen and one on your chest.3. Slowly inhale through your nose. Try to imagine the air going all the way down into your lower lungs (abdominal area). It may help to imagine your abdomen as a balloon, and as you inhale, the balloon inflates. Do not try to force your abdomen outward; rather simply allow the air from your inhalation to expand it.4. Stop the inhalation before the hand on your chest begins to move.5. Hold your breath for 5 seconds.6. Exhale slowly through your nose or mouth. Use your hand to feel your "abdominal balloon" slowly deflate, as your navel moves towards your spine.Perform 10 or more repetitions. I recommend starting with this "abdomen only" phase, and sticking with it until it feels relatively natural and easy.Phase 2:In actuality, the Phase 1 exercise was only a 2/3rds breath. This is an improvement over the chest breathing, but still not quite optimal. Now we will integrate the upper 1/3rd of your breath capacity - the upper chest area.1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.2. Place one hand on your abdomen and one on your chest.3. Slowly inhale through your nose. Try to imagine the air going all the way down into your lower lungs (abdominal area). It may help to imagine your abdomen as a balloon, and as you inhale, the balloon inflates. Do not try to force your abdomen outward; rather simply allow the air from your inhalation to expand it.4. Instead of stopping the "inflation" at the upper abdomen area, allow the breath to continue into the upper lungs and cause the chest to rise.5. Hold your breath for 5 seconds.6. Exhale slowly through your nose or mouth. The order of "deflation" should be the opposite of the "inflation" pattern. I.e. your chest hand should fall first, and then your abdomen hand.Now that is a full, optimal breath.This may take a bit of practice, but it is well worth the time and effort.I would suggest spending five minutes in the morning, and again in the evening just prior to bed, mastering this technique. Once this technique feels quite natural lying on the ground, integrate it into your standing posture, for use on the course.Now go get em, Tiger!
Author Info:
Stephen Ladd is a Golf Performance Coach pioneering breakthrough energy psychology techniques, and the creator of Renegade Mindset Techniques for Golf.