Golf physical exercises can be very beneficial in relieving lower back strain during a round of golf. We are turning our attention to time spent playing golf. Yeah, the actual round of golf where your mind probably isn’t focused on core strength or flexibility exercises, but on how to get up and down to save par. Unfortunately, certain situations, such as lower back strain, can derail your round. they come up often. Today we are going to discuss some solutions to such a problem.
In general, the goal of golf fitness training is to prepare the body to play golf better. This will give you the opportunity to get up and down from that greenside bunker where you have an awkward stance, requiring more lower body strength and better balance. So it’s no surprise that a question mark pops up in your head when we discuss golf fitness training during a round of golf. Or even more so, how golf fitness training can help with lower back stiffness.
It’s not a common occurrence, but there are certain situations where golf physical exercises can be beneficial during a round. One such situation is lower back strain – it’s not common during a round of golf for your lower back to “tighten up”, but if it does, it will wreak havoc on your golf swing. And we really want to alleviate that situation and get you back to reaching for pins instead of thinking about a lower back pain.
Before we discuss how to use golf fitness exercises in such a situation, let’s talk about what happens to your lower back when it “clenches” or strains during a round. The biomechanics of the golf swing places large amounts of shear force on the lower back with each and every swing. These shearing forces stress the lower back muscles.
Over time, if the lower back muscles are not strong and flexible. The stresses placed on it by the golf swing will cause fatigue. Once the lower back is fatigued, the muscles in the lower back will not work properly and, to protect themselves from injury, will shorten (ie “tighten”). This can easily happen during a practice session or even a round of golf.
This results in feelings of discomfort, possible spasms, and decreased range of motion. All of which will detract from the execution of your swing. The long-term solution to this situation would be the implementation of a core program to increase lower back strength levels. Unfortunately, during a round of golf we need immediate relief from lower back strain to get you through the round.
The short-term solution or “Band-Aid” to use in this situation is the implementation of a few simple golf fitness exercises. These golf fitness exercises will be in the form of flexibility exercises to stretch out the “tight” muscles of the lower back. These types of short-term flexibility exercises will relieve tightness in the lower back. Remember that this is not a long-term solution, but rather a way to stay in the game, so to speak.
One such golf flexibility exercise that I have found beneficial in such a situation is the Dog Down. The flexibility exercise is simple to perform, stretches the lower back, hamstrings, and takes little time to perform. Begin by bending over, allow your knees to bend, place your hands on the floor, feet shoulder-width apart, and heels flat. Slowly extend your knees until a stretch is felt in your lower back and hamstrings. Hold this position for 30-45 seconds.
This exercise should provide immediate relief from lower back tightness during one round. Repeat as many times as necessary, but keep in mind that this is only a “band-aid” or short-term fix. To avoid this type of situation in the long term, it is probably best to implement a golf exercise program that includes flexibility and strengthening exercises for the lower back. Remember, golf physical exercises can be beneficial during a round of golf, but even better is to adhere to a structured golf training program.