Safe and Easy Golf Stretches For an Injury-free Golf
Even though golf is not considered a physical sport, injuries are still quite common. The most common injuries are caused by straining muscles in the middle of a golf swing. This usually happens because the golfer did not properly limber up his body before teeing off. General physical fitness and proper health can prepare a golfer’s body for the unique but difficult motion that is the golf swing. Another alternative is a good stretching routine. There are three main body parts that you will want to warm up with golf stretching before swinging that golf club: the back, the arms, and the legs.
Lower Back
The most common injury among avid golfers relate to the lower back. If you examine the golf swing carefully, you will notice that almost all the torque in the back swing is absorbed by the lower back. So most of the injuries are from pulled or strained muscles in the back. Some golfers even get injured by just doing a practice swing. That’s how much tension there is in the It is important to find stretching exercises to loosen up the back muscles. You can try stretching your back by doing a swiveling motion with your hips, then carefully bending backwards with your hands behind you back then bending forward, trying to touch your toes.
Arms
Most of the power and control from a good golf swing will depend on the arms. Most golfers have injuries to their shoulders and wrist because of stiff joints due to strain. To loosen the shoulders, take your left hand and lift it over and behind your left shoulder. Take your right hand, place it behind your back, and interlock your hands together. This exercise loosens up your shoulder muscles and prevents stiffness. To loosen the hands and wrists, take two clubs in your hands, and waggle the cubs from side to side. This rotates your wrist joints and loosens them up.
Legs
The hips are very important in the golf swing, so you should make sure they are loose before you swing. Leg muscles are also important for stability and balance. To stretch your leg and hip muscles, simply lie on the ground, lock your hands behind one of your knees, and pull that knee toward your chest. Then do the same exercise for the other knee. While you are on the ground, sit up, spread your legs apart, and reach out in front of you with your hands. This should stretch your hamstrings and loosen up your leg muscles.
