A golf swing puts a lot of stress on the core area of your body. With each swing, your low back and abdominals are twisted at a high rate of speed, and over time problems may develop if you don’t keep the area well conditioned. Performing regular abdominal work will help you reduce injury and improve your game.
Significance
Performance and injury prevention are the main two reasons to strengthen your abdominals for golf. If you have a weak core, you will often begin to tire as you get closer to the end of your round. When you’re tired, your swing technique suffers, and your scores will, too. You’ll also start to compensate for the lack of core strength by using other muscles, which could lead to strains and other injuries. Your upper and lower body is vitally important to your swing, but it is your core that connects the two and helps them work in unison.
Exercises to Do
Because the lower back is so heavily involved in the golf swing, it makes sense to do ab exercises in which the trunk is stable. Exercises like planks and bridges, in which you hold your body straight on your elbows and toes, work well. You can even extend one arm out at a time for more abdominal tension, or do the bridge on one elbow and one foot on your side and raise your hip up and down. Reverse crunches, in which you lie on your back and bring your knees in toward your chest, flex the abs in a stable position. For an advanced move, lie in a bridge position with your shoulders on a stability ball and feet flat on the floor. Hold your arms straight above your body with your hands together, and slowly twist from side to side, keeping your feet in place. Focus on your abdominals with each motion.
Exercises to Avoid
Any ab exercises that may put strain on your low back should be avoided when doing a golf workout. Full situps and basic crunches can pull on the low back, as can any exercise where you are holding weight and are bent at the waist without lower back stability. Let your comfort level be your guide if you’re unsure. If you feel any tension or pain in your lower back when doing an abdominal exercise, stop it and try something else.
Considerations
No matter what type of abdominal work you do to help your golf game, it is important to use slow, controlled movements to minimize your likelihood of injury. If it’s been awhile since you’ve worked out, visit your doctor before you start just to be sure you’re okay to start. Take at least one day off in between your abdominal workouts to give your ab muscles a chance to recuperate.
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