Pilates FORE Golfers
Pilates FORE Golfers
Golf season is in full swing, and when it comes to flexing your skills on the green, you don’t want to be out of bounds. To give you the edge, read on to see how Pilates can keep you in the zone on the apron.
The main elements of the golf swing are the set-up, the backswing, the downswing, and the follow-through. Each element possesses intricacies that could be the difference between your name on the leader board and being the last pick for the next fundraising scramble. Let’s go through each element and why Pilates is the ideal way for you to develop your skills.
The set-up
This is another name for the stance, or the way you set your body and club in alignment with the ball. This part of the swing requires a great deal of static balance. Pilates stabilizes the muscles around the joints and increases the muscle strength in your trunk. These improvements have a direct effect on your balance, which is key for the setup and subsequent quick-burst movements of the swing. Since golf is about precision, any drop-off in balance could ruin the whole movement, adding more strokes to your scorecard than necessary.
The backswing & downswing
These are the circular movements of the golf swing, and they require a great amount of core strength and body awareness. Pilates is king when it comes to improving trunk strength and control, as it strengthens and stabilizes the small, deep muscles of the back and core. These muscle groups stabilize the position of your spine, which will engage in a great amount of twisting and turning during the back and downswings. Additionally, Pilates classes will take your body awareness to a whole new level, given that you must engage your mental faculties when performing the movements. Body awareness is knowing what your body is doing and listening to it in order to control and adjust what happens next. Having the ability to make quick adjustments during sports is a skill that will give you a leg up on the competition. When your body awareness is on point, you don’t have to surrender to whatever happens next—you determine what happens next, even in a split second.
The follow-through
The follow-through utilizes the same skills as the backswing and downswing—balance and body awareness. Additionally, being that this is the back end of the movement, it’s easy to slack off on the technicalities of your form. This is where mindfulness comes in. Pilates increases the level of mindfulness within you, forcing you into presence and feeling what your mind and body are doing in each moment. And since golf is one of the few sports with an environment geared towards mindfulness (consider the silent audience), the skill of presence crosses over here from Pilates, beautifully.
Convinced yet? Sign up for a private lesson today, and you’ll be playing lights out in no time.