4 Ways Pilates can help your Golf Game
Updated: Aug 2, 2022
Golf is a game that emphasizes rotation, trunk stability, flexibility in the spine. The movements can be dynamic and over time the repetitive movement patterns can cause muscle imbalances with some muscles being overused and others being under utilized. This can ultimately lead to injury. Pilates incorporates core strength and focuses on the deep stabilizer muscles that can help improve posture and decrease strain on the back. Here are five ways that Pilates can help improve your golf game.
Increased Core Strength:
Golf involves a lot of rotational movement. Emphasizing strength in the internal and external obliques is important to help increase power in your swing. The TA muscles and medial glutes are deep internal stabilizers that help to protect the low back. Exercises like Bridges, Side Leg Lifts, and Crisscross are good strengthening exercises to help improve strength in those areas.
Improved Balance and Increased Stability
The foundation of having a strong swing is being able to balance as the the body rotates. The hips and shoulders move in a coordinated rotation while the pelvis provides the stability. Balance depends on improving the stability in the deep core muscles to support the pelvis and spine as well as strengthening weak muscles and lengthening tight muscles. Pilates addresses all of these things and helps to increase body awareness and improve posture.
Increased Flexibility
Golf depends on being able to move in a full range of motion in order to complete a successful swing. The shoulders and hips must be able to move in order for this to happen. If the muscles are tight and our range of motion is limited, the body will compensate in order to get the job done. This is what causes injuries to occur. Pilates works on lengthening the muscles and correcting imbalances to improve the way we move.
Preventing Injury
Pilates focuses on the body as a whole and helps to identify and correct muscle imbalances which may have developed from compensation due to weakness or injury. The ability to focus on single sided (unilateral) movements make Pilates ideal for correct imbalances as well.
Core strengthening, spinal alignment, pelvic stability, improved posture, body awareness , and injury prevention are just a few of the benefits that Pilates can bring to your golf game. For more information about unilateral exercises, check out this video from our Video Library:
