Simple Golf Warm Up Exercise

Golf warm up you say? Aren't you supposed to rush to the course, pull out the BIG DOG, take a few hacks at it and start your round? Is that what you do? Come on be honest with yourself. If so, what was the result on the first tee? I'll bet it wasn't even a par! Am I wrong?

I don't mean to add too much sarcasm in there, but I want to get your attention to the importance of doing golf warm up exercises to avoid those big numbers the first few holes.

Are you with me? Good.

Now let me talk to you like you're an athlete for a minute. Time to re-live the glory days one more time.

Now remember back in the day when you had a game, meet or competition. Did you run out on the field or court and start playing your sport?

I'll bet not!

You did a sport-specific warm up didn't you?

Well why wouldn't you do one before golf then? Ah?gotcha didn't I!

You would most definitely do a warm up. Not just pounding balls either. That's the worst thing you could do. You need to do golf warm up exercises to prepare for optimal performance on the course.

Now picture the golf swing and all it's moving parts. The shoulders are very active, if not the most active in the golf swing. So better do a couple of exercises for that area.

What about your golf posture? Well?your bent at the waist with tension on your lower back, hamstrings and glutes. So you better do one or two golf warm up exercises for those areas also.

Have I convinced you yet? If not, then keep your same routine and expect the same results. I hate to sound too negative, but I strongly believe you need to do your golf warm up exercises.

Here's one golf warm up exercise of eight, that I have put together to get you started on the right track.

I call it the squat with an arm raise:

*Feet shoulder width apart.

*Place club in front of you and hold with both hands for balance.

*Lower body by bending at the knees not hips.

*At the same time raise the club horizontaly up in front of you.

*Raise back up, lower the arms and repeat 15 times.

*Keep upper body very erect.

This is a great combination exercise that warms up the legs, lower back and shoulders all at the same time.

So next time you get to the course, at least do the above golf warm up exercise.

A Valuable Golf Swing Tip

No serious golfer will fail to be eager and maybe even desperate for a golf swing tip that actually works. This is because of the simple reason that a golf swing is the most important single aspect of a good golf game and yet for most golfers, it ends up being the most frustrating, causing many to swear never to set foot on a course again.

Many golfers suffer from back pains, which greatly affect the quality of their golf swing. For others getting a relatively consistent swing is virtually impossible.

All would greatly benefit from the following golf swing tip.

You will be delighted to know that this golf swing tip does not involve your having to spending any time away from work or your current schedule.

The golf swing tip I am talking about involves a golf stretch exercise that you can do without leaving your office or workstation.

Simple golf stretch exercises are the sort of golf swing tips that have revolutionized many a game. Some of our clients who have greatly benefited from this particular golf swing tip have even written nice comments thanking me for the extra advantage of helping ease their back pain problems.

A word of caution here is in order. There are almost as many different types of back pains as there are people suffering from them. So although these golf exercises have had very positive effect on many, this golf swing tip is no guarantee to heal any back pain.

Still there is no denying that the golf stretch exercise done from the comfort of any office has helped a great deal.

While still seated upright and erect on your chair, reach behind you with one arm. Twist as far back as you can go. Twist the other way and repeat. You can then go both ways two to three times. Each time hold for 10 seconds.

This golf swing tip in the form of a stretch exercise usually has the effect of dramatically improving the back swing and the follow through motions. The result is better club head speed and more distance.

There are a number of other golf swing tips in the form of simple exercises that you can do, but you can try this one for starters and observe what it does for you and your game.

Getting The Golf Ball In The Air With Physics

Sir Issac Newton was one of the world's most influential thinkers. He tackled what most people would consider to be complicated topics. But most things when explained in layman's terms become a slot simpler.

For example one of Sir Issac Newton's Laws of Physics states, 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction'. In simpler terms, if you run at a brick wall at full speed, what do you think the equal and opposite reaction will be?

In golf we can apply this theory very easily in regards to your golf swing. If you are having difficulty in getting the ball in the air, or you hit "worm burners", or low shots you may be using his theory backwards without knowing it.

What some people may think about how to get a golf ball off the ground, by swinging up on the ball, or trying to lift it off the ground, actually produces the opposite result desired. Remember the law, an equal and opposite reaction. Swinging up produces an opposite reaction, a downward reaction of the ball. In contrast, swinging down on a ball, or hitting the ball on the downswing, produces the opposite reaction, the upward reaction of the ball.

The other factor that comes into play here is the golf club. The clubs are designed to achieve a degree of lift according to the loft of the club. The loft on a four iron is less than the loft of a nine iron. The four iron will get the ball in the air enough to allow it to go longer where the nine iron will get the ball a lot higher for closer shots you want to land softer.

Why A Golf Ball Actually Flies Through The Air

Not accounting for weather conditions there are a few things that influence how high and far a golf ball will fly.

The first thing is the spin of the ball.

A ball must spin to be able to fly through the air. The spin rate is measured in "rpm" or revolutions per minute.

A driver, because of it's lower degree of angle on it's face will produce less spin than a wedge which has a a higher lofted face. A driver may have a 10 degree loft while a wedge may have a 60 degree loft. The wedge will produce much more spin on a ball than a driver will. This is why the ball gets in the air much quicker with a wedge than with a driver.

As the balls spins faster it creates less pressure on top of the ball than under it. This creates lift. As the balls slows down the lift is decreased until the ball eventuallly looses lift and height and gravity takes over. Just like an airplane wing.

The spin of the ball has to be clockwise. If struck properly, the ball actually spins towards you as it flies through the air. If you top the ball, and produce a counter clockwsie spin, or the ball spins away from you, the normal result is that the ball falls to the ground much quicker.

Another factor are the dimples on the ball.

The dimples on a golf ball have everything to do with the areodynamics of the ball. The dimples create a restless boundry of air around the ball, technically called lift. Larger dimples creates more turbulance which produces less lift. Flatter dimples create a smoother flow of air over the ball and thus more lift.

For example the Maxfli 432 dimple pattern is made up of 12 pentagons and 20 triangles based on a icosidodecahedron. Six circles define the pattern and generally this pattern stands for distance and control in a ball.

The Maxfli 408 dimple pattern consists of 6 squares and 8 hexagons based on a octahedron. This is a "crossover" dimple pattern and some of the patterns have the contour of a ball while others have the contour of a saucer. This dimple size, contours and allocation on the ball, contribute to a good distance ball.

The Maxfli 402 dimple pattern (Noodle), has 20 triangles, 30 squares, and 12 pentagons based on a rhombicosidodecahedron. This pattern provides excellent flight qualities. Many weekend golfers use the Noodle because it gives them a better trajectory, better lift!

Taking The Confusion Out Of Golf Ball Compression

Compression, in terms of a golf ball, is probably the most understood aspect of golf ball technology. At one time compression was used to describe the quality of a golf ball according to the tightness of the windings around a three piece ball core. The tighter the windings the better the ball's performance.

Because of the advancement in materials used to produce golf balls the compression ratings of golf balls now only indicate how much a ball will "deform" under a compressive force.

For example if you watch some professional golf tournaments, from time to time they will will show how certain players are driving the ball. In super slow motion they show the driver as it meets the ball. If you see this you will see the ball actually flatten out quit a bit on impact. Simply, the ball is deformed out of it's round shape, compressed, and then returned to it's round shape, all in a split second.

So what does this mean to you?

Most people will buy balls with a compression rating of between 80 and 110. The lower the compression rating, 80 for example, the more the ball will compress. A 110 compression rated ball will compress or deform less than an 80 compression rated ball.

Although most ratings are not standard from maufacturer to maufacturer, most people with a slower swing or slower club head speed would be better of with a lower compression rating, and a player with a higher club head speed would use a higher compression rated ball.

The compression of a ball will not make it fly farther. Some players think that a higher compression rated ball will fly farther. Club head speed rather than compression will determine the distance. In some cases some players should be playing a ball with a lower compression to increase distance.

Using a golf ball that has a compression rating for you will in fact help your golf game. For example most women have slower club head speeds than most men. In this case those players should be using a lower compression golf ball. If you have a slower swing speed and you are using a high compression golf ball, you are loosing yardage. Vise versa for those with high club head speeds, they should be using a high compression ball for maximum yardage.

The Size and Weight Of A Golf Ball

Golf ball manufacturers pay attention to how most weekend golfers play and address those issues in accordance with the minimum and maximum tolernaces for golf balls.

Most golf ball manufacturers are looking for the same thing, sales. They achieve this by customer staisfaction for their product. Keeping these in mind, along with adhering to the rules set out by the United States Golf Association, manufacturers for the most part will produce golf balls with the minimum and maximum requirements.

The size of the golf ball, according to the rules of golf is as follows. The diameter of the golf ball must be at least 1.680 inches or 42.67 millimeters. A smaller ball has a tendency to fly further than a larger ball due to less air resistance on a smaller object in flight, or in other words the smaller ball does not need to displace as much air as a larger ball. Keeping this in mind, most manufacturers will produce golf balls to the minimum size.

On the other hand, the weight of a golf ball, according to the rules of golf, must not exceed 1.620 ounces or 45.93 grams. The heavier the ball the less it is slowed by air resistance, and thus the furhter it will fly. For this reason most manufacturers produce balls to the maximum weight allowance.

Using this information you can check the size and weight of golf balls you purchase. If you are a higher handicap player looking for a few more yards, use the smallest and heaviest ball.

In further articles I will discuss golf ball compression, what is meant by spin, and why golf balls have dimples.

How to Unleash Your True Golf Potential - Part 2

In (Part 1) of this article I discussed how muscle imbalance can often keep a golfer from achieving his or her true playing potential. Even though these imbalances are quite common they often go untreated due to the fact that the golfer is focusing on the symptom and not the cause. The symptom in this case is the inaccuracy and loss of power in their swing. The cause is the muscle imbalance.

Postural deficiencies (imbalances) consist of tight (shortened) muscles and weak (lengthened) muscles. Common golf posture consists of a forward head and rounded shoulders. Proper program design will call for the tight muscles to be stretched and the weak muscles to be strengthened.

In addition, the average person also has a weak core and lack of neuromuscular joint stabilization making it even more difficult to control their body during a functional movement such as golf.

Common muscle imbalances of a golfer:

Forward Head Position
Anterior (front) neck muscles (tight/shortened) - Stretch
Posterior (rear) neck muscles (weak/lengthened) - Strengthen

Rounded Forward Shoulders
Pectoral (chest) muscles (tight/shortened) - Stretch
Rhomboid (upper middle back) muscles (weak/lengthened) - Strengthen

Lack of Core Stability
Transverse abdominals / Internal Oblique (weakness) - Strengthen
Pelvic floor muscles (weakness) - Strengthen

The "Core" is where all movement begins. It is also the controlling force behind an individual's center of gravity. The core muscles support the spine and pelvis and are an essential part of driving the ball with power and accuracy.

Stabilization training increases communication between the nervous system and the muscular system which will result in increased joint stabilization during functional movements such as golf. Performing exercises that require balance such as single leg exercises, stability ball exercises or using unstable surface's will increase neuromuscular efficiency (communication between the nervous system and muscular system).

The combination of corrective exercise, core training and stabilization training will greatly improve your ability to unleash the true potential of your golf game. A balanced posture, strong core and efficient joint stabilization will decrease any pain or discomfort in your swing and significantly improve the power and accuracy of your game.

Craig LePage, CSCS, NASM-CPT, is a well-known Fitness Professional in the Charlotte, North Carolina area and is the Director of Precision Fitness Mooresville. He has been helping people reach their fitness and wellness goals for more than 10 years. His credentials include a Bachelors of Science Degree from the University of Bridgeport Connecticut, CSCS credentials from the NSCA and a Personal Training Certification from the NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). Craig has written for Charlotte, NC area Newspapers, authored his own fitness & nutrition program and is a frequent guest on a Charlotte area radio show that focus' on health and wellness. He is currently co-authoring a golf specific exercise book (Play Better, Longer - Golf) and is also working on a book of his own that should be available sometime next year.