What are the Best Golf Fitness Flexibility Programs and Golf Exercises for Your Golf Swing

Golf fitness flexibility programs and golf exercises can be very beneficial to the golf swing. We must keep in mind the golf requires you to draw the club through a long range of motion. In order to complete this athletic requirement of the golf swing correctly, one must have a certain levels of flexibility within certain muscles and joints of the body. If you are lacking flexibility in these critical muscles and joints of the body as it pertains to the golf swing, compensations will occur. To prevent such a situation a golf fitness program with the correct golf flexibility exercises for the golf swing can be of great benefit.

What areas of the body require flexibility for golf? Golf is a sport that is classified as a "Functional Athletic Activity". A Functional Athletic Activity can be defined as any athletic movement that requires the entire body to be integrated to perform the athletic activity.

What does that mean? Generally speaking, golf requires the entire body from "feet to fingertips" to execute the swing. Further more golf requires the entire body to have the proper flexibility to swing the club efficiently for accuracy and distance.

All to often the majority of golfers have limited flexibility in the shoulder capsule, lower back, pelvis, and hips. All of which hinder the ability to executing the swing.

Knowing the areas of the body requiring attention the next question to ask is; What types of flexibility exercises are best for this sport?

Different types of flexibility exercises exist. Most of you are probably familiar with static stretching; however, it is only one fraction of the exercises in the category of flexibility.

Many of us correlate flexibility to the stretching of muscles. Remember the definition of flexibility is related to joint(s) range(s) of motion. The stretching (lengthening) of muscles is only a portion of flexibility training. Two other types of flexibility training are beneficial as well for this sport.

The three types of flexibility utilized for golf are; responsive, operational, and dynamic. Each category has a benefit to the golfer and utilized together they will provide you the best benefit for your swing.

Responsive Flexibility Exercises: utilize movements that lengthen tissues to their normal resting length from a shorten position. Two types of exercise categories will be utilized: static stretching and myofascial release. Both of these exercise types assist in returning tissue to their normal length.

As an example, when your hamstrings feel "tight" they are in a shortened position. Static stretching and myofascial release techniques will assist in returning the hamstrings to a lengthened position in which they do not feel "tight".

Operational Flexibility Exercises: incorporate exercises that move your joints through controlled ranges of motion. Operational flexibility exercises utilize your muscle's ability to move the joints in a controlled manner at a specified rate.

For example, an operational flexibility exercise specific to golf is "hip rotations". This flexibility exercise actively rotates your hips in a circular manner to prepare your body for the torque created in the golf swing.

Dynamic Flexibility Exercises: utilize the ability of your body to move your joints through full ranges of motion, integrating your entire body into the exercise.

A lunge with trunk rotation is a dynamic exercise that integrates (i.e. incorporates the entire body) the entire body in a golf specific flexibility exercise.

To summarize, a golf fitness flexibility program in addition to other golf exercises can be very beneficial to your golf swing. During the development of a golf fitness program keep in mind the importance of flexibility as it pertains to the golf swing, how the golf swing is a "feet to fingertips" athletic activity, and the different flexibility exercise classifications that encompass a comprehensive flexibility program for golf. Adding the correct golf exercises into your golf training program can make or break your golf swing and the benefits received from your golf training program.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with professional golfers, most notable PGA and Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran and his golf fitness exercises and training programs go to http://www.seancochran.com