Like many sports professionals these days, PGA golfers like Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam and Rich Beam have been using Pilates to improve their game for years.
Here are 5 ways Pilates helps golfers
1.Hip Disassociation:
This is the ability to move the pelvis without moving the legs or vice versa. This will decrease the chance of injury and increase your ability to use the power in your legs as a solid base of support.
2. Rotation:
Golf is all about rotation. The area of the spine that creates the largest amount of rotation is the thoracic spine. Due to our largely sedentary lifestyles, the thoracic spine is often very stiff, Pilates focuses on thoracic spine mobility, which includes rotation and hence will have a significant effect on your mobility in your swing.
3. Balance:
There is a large amount of weight transfer in a golf swing. Being able to shift your weight from one leg to the other while swing a club requires balance. Pilates exercises focus on weight shift and gluteal strength improving your balance and hence your swing
4. Core Control:
If your core stability and strength through the abdominal and pelvic muscles aren’t good enough, then you will have no chance of being able to control the pelvic rotation or leading with the pelvis. The abdominal and pelvic muscles are the key to the power behind the swing as well. Studies have also found that poor core strength leads to common golfing injuries such as lower back pain, shoulder pain and elbow and even wrist pain so Pilates can not only help to improve your golf, it can also help prevent injuries too.
5. Flexibility:
If your spine, hips and shoulders are not flexible enough, no matter how hard you try, you simply will not be able to rotate the shoulders away from the hips enough to generate the force required to hit the ball. Pilates focuses on dynamic flexibility so not only will your golf game be better your day to day life will be easier.
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