Hope you are all enjoying this great spring weather.  With the grass turning green and the PGA Masters Tournament on TV over the weekend, I thought I would share with you one of my favourite exercises to use with golfers.  I love this exercise because it is so simple and I find that many of my clients, regardless of their sport, are stiff in their thoracic spine.  This exercise quickly improves t-spine mobility which will allow you to put more energy into your shot without making you any stronger or more powerful.

First a bit of background on the spine.  The spine is divided into three main portions – the cervical spine (neck), the thoracic spine (portion between your shoulder blades) and the lumbar spine (low back).  You also have a sacrum and the coccyx, but we are not really worried about them right now.  Now let’s consider a golfer with a stiff thoracic spine.  You need to get rotation to golf, correct?  Well, if you body is not getting it from all segments along the chain of the spine, then it will look for more range in other segments – like the lumbar spine.  Can you see how this creates a compensation pattern where the golfer is trying to steal extra mobility from the lumbar spine, can you also see how this can set up an overload which overtime will lead to back pain?  If you complete this exercise once every other day, you will see improved mobility in two weeks.  When you first do the exercise ask someone to watch you and give you feedback regarding how far you get on one side compared to the other side.  You will probably find one side is more flexible than the other – look for this exercise to reduce that side to side difference. 

So not only will this quick exercise improve your distance, it will also reduce your risk of injury.  Here is how it works:

• Begin in a hands and knees position with a neutral back (slight arch in the lower back)
• Keep your hips level and your neutral lower back position but slowly reach around toward the ceiling with one arm as you turn your shoulders
• The movement should be generated from a turn of the shoulders (or an attempt to rotate your chest to point toward the wall), the movement is not a reach through the arm.  In other words, your arm should stay aligned with your two shoulders as you rotate.
• Turn your head to follow your arm as you reach.
• Pause for 2 seconds and return to the starting position.
• Repeat 10 repetitions on each side – counting to 2 as you move into the stretch – holding for 2 at the top – counting to 2 as you return to the starting position
• Do not force the stretch at all - only go as far as you comfortably can 

Happy golfing gang!
Cheers,
Maria

Disclaimer:  I said you would hit the ball 10 yards further, but I take no credit for the direction.  I tell the golfers who I train that I take all of the credit for the extra distance, but no responsibility for the direction -  you have been warned!