By now, most people have heard that Pilates can help you get in great shape. But did you know that Pilates for golf can help you to improve your game and reduce injuries?
Excellent golfers need a combination of strength, good posture, balance, flexibility and coordination. Pilates for golf helps you to improve each of these qualities by working on proper body alignment and strengthening the appropriate muscle groups. Working with a professional can help to correct common faults in your swing such as:
- backswing sway
- chicken winging
- reverse spine angle or dipping
- lower-body lunge
- casting
- poor swing rotation
USA TODAY’s Jill Lieber, notes that golf pros like David Duval, Annika Sorenstam, Kelli Kuehne, Andrew McGee, Carin Koch, Grace Park and Betsy King use Pilates to get their game on. Although these high level professionals are using Pilates to refine their game, Pilates for golf is equally useful for the weekend warrior and the desk jockey that plays weekly for their company’s golf league.
Since Pilates works on general good health, amateurs can benefit from the overall workout. According to pgatour.com, “Golfers of all levels find that consistent Pilates practice improves their games and reduces pain and injuries. However, golfers practicing golf specific Pilates experience superior results in less time.”
Pilates can help you prevent injuries too. According to IdealFit.com’s fitness journal, “approximately 60% of all amateur golfers experience injuries and half of all professional golfers are forced to retire because of golf-related injuries. Golf injuries in amateurs are the result of overuse, poor swing mechanics and/or striking the ground with the club.”
Pilates, like all training regimes, take time. Strengthening muscles you haven’t used since last season require consistency and dedication. But the benefit to your game and overall health will be well worth it.
Although there are web sites that show you some of the exercises, nothing replaces working with a professional. For more information, contact us.
