Dynamic Golf Flexibility Training For A Better Golf Game
An In-Depth Feature Article Looking At Dynamic Flexibility And How It Can Improve Your Golf Game
You know that flexibility is an important part of the physical component of your golf game. You know that you must do flexibility training in order to prevent injuries and play better golf. You do your flexibility training routine and realize minimal, if any, results in your golf game. What gives? If flexibility is so important, why doesn’t your regular stretching routine improve your game and body?
This feature article will explain the different types of flexibility, outline what kind of flexibility you need to improve your power levels/swing and will give you some sample exercise with explanations.
Static vs. Dynamic Flexibility Programs
There are two main types of identifiable flexibility: active, also referred to as dynamic, and passive, or static, flexibility. Static stretching usually refers to the typical stretching maneuvers everyone did in gym class, such as the sit and reach. They usually involve loading the soft tissues with either the weight of the body or its limbs.
To most golfers flexibility training is synonymous with static stretching. There have been books, videos and all sorts of contraptions developed to promote static stretching routines. Unfortunately, static stretching is perhaps the least efficient strategy for improving golf-specific flexibility
For the serious golfer, static stretching is insufficient to develop the full range of movement, power, strength, stability and mobility required by golf. Part of the reason for this is because static stretching elongates the muscle over a gradual time frame, but the golf swing is completed in under a second. If a muscle is trained to gradually stretch over 30 seconds (static stretching), but really needs to stretch in a half second (golf swing) then it is easy to see why static stretching does very little for golf specific flexibility.
Dynamic Strength and Flexibility Must Be Developed Concurrently
You must make sure when you are developing flexibility that you are also concurrently developing dynamic strength so that your muscles are strong enough to keep your joint(s) in control and safe from dangerous ranges of motion (3). When you watch a powerful golf swing in slow motion, you can see that there is a significant amount of stress and torque on the body (1,2).
This stress and torque represent opportunities for your joints to be moved into positions that they do not regularly go into. During functional flexibility training you are typically contracting the muscles while you are stretching them. Doing this develops your ability to stabilize and protect joints in increased ranges of motion through active joint mobility. By having the dynamic strength over increased ranges of motion to protect your joints and muscles, your body can better manage the forces of the golf swing and be more efficient and effective at developing power.
Complete And Efficient Flexibility Training Should Be Your Goal
Stretching must be combined with high intensity dynamic activities, full range resistance activities, and low intensity cardiovascular activity to develop complete and stable ranges of motion. It should also be noted that heavy resistance training used over a full range of motion constitutes a very efficient and effective means of active stretching.
It is unnecessary to perform a wide variety of specific flexibility movements in order to enhance the flexibility of the entire body, as this would be extremely inefficient and time-consuming. You can develop tremendous golf-specific flexibility by doing a few simple functional movements that closely simulate the golf swing.
A few dynamic stretches in which you gradually increase the range and duration of the multi-joint motions found in the golf swing will serve you much better than a single extended session of many single-jointed stretches. Again, we want to stretch various muscles together since they operate together in the golf swing.
Your Get What You Train For
The ultimate point is that you get what you train for. If you stretch in a static state, you get static flexibility. If you stretch in a dynamic state, you get dynamic flexibility. Static stretching does little to improve active joint mobility, which is by far the most important flexibility quality needed in golf. Since golf is a dynamic movement, you want to spend most of your time focusing on dynamic stretches to optimize your golf specific flexibility. Some examples of dynamic stretches/flexibility exercises include:
- Weight Training
- Medicine Ball Training
- Cable/Pulley Training
Dynamic Flexibility Exercises
I’m going to show you 5 basic exercises that are not only excellent movements for functional flexibility, but are also excellent at training core strength, stabilizers and balance.
As a note, these exercises are not going to hammer you like a regular weight lifting movement would. You will still get tired, but it will be a different kind of tired. You will know what I mean when you try them out. Point being, just because you are not exhausted after doing these exercises does not mean that they are not effective.
Click on an exercise for a video demonstration and a detailed description on exercise technique and benefits for your golf game/body.
Final Note
I think I should note that this article does not intend to suggest that static stretching does not have some merit in a balanced golf specific training program. The intention is to show you that perhaps the traditional method of flexibility training is not the most efficient or effective strategy for improving functional flexibility.
I have mentioned in previous articles that I do no static stretching in my training program and still have great ranges of motion in my swing that allow me to generate the power to hit 350+ yard shots. By implementing the techniques mentioned above you will rapidly improve your overall dynamic flexibility levels, decrease your chance of injury and improve your golf swing power.
Hopefully this article has shown you how dynamic flexibility can improve your golf game and also given you some ideas on how to train for increased dynamic flexibility. There are more advanced exercises and techniques that we outline in the members section of the site. We also give you dynamic warm-ups designed to have you ready to play your best golf right off the first tee.
If you would like your own custom dynamic flexibility and performance enhancement program sign up for the Pure Power Program.
References
1. Reed EdD, ATC. 2005: Strength and Conditioning Strategies to Reduce the Risk of Lower Back Injuries Associated With the Golf Swing. Strength and Conditioning Journal: Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 10–13.
2. G.F. John Maddalozzo. 1987: SPORTS PERFORMANCE SERIES: An anatomical and biomechanical analysis of the full golf swing. National Strength & Conditioning Association Journal: Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 6–9.
3. Gambetta, V. Building the Complete Athlete. Sarasota, FL: Gambetta Sports Training Systems, Inc. 1996
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