Golf Fitness Exercises to Alleviate Lower Back Tightness During a Round of Gol

[Nathan Garcia]

Golf fitness exercises can be very beneficial in the alleviation of
lower back tightness during a round of golf. We are turning our
attention to the time spent playing golf. Yes, the actual round of
golf in which your mind is probably not focused on core strength or
flexibility exercises, but rather on how to get up and down to save
par. Unfortunately certain situations, such as lower back tightness,
which can derail your round. often arise. Today we are going to
discuss some solutions to such a problem.
Overall the goal of golf fitness training is to prepare the body to
play better golf. This will provide you the opportunity to get up and
down from that green side bunker where you have an awkward stance,
requiring more strength from the lower body and better balance. So, it
does not come as a surprise that a question mark may arise 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
tightness.
It is not a common occurrence but there are certain situations where
golf fitness exercises can be beneficial during a round. One such
situation is lower back tightness: It is not a common occurrence
during a round of golf to have your lower back "tighten up", but if it
does, it will play havoc on your golf swing. And we really want to
alleviate such a situation and get you back to going after pins rather
than thinking about a twinge in the lower back.
Before discussing how to utilize golf fitness exercises in such a
situation, lets discuss what is happening to your lower back when it
"tightens up" or becomes strained during a round. The biomechanics of
the golf swing place large amounts of shear force on the lower back
each and every swing. These shear forces stress the musculature of the
lower back.
Over time if the muscles of the lower back are not strong and
flexible. The stresses placed upon it by the golf swing will cause
fatigue. Once the lower back is fatigued, the muscles of lower back
will not function properly, and to protect themselves from injury they
will shorten (i.e. "tighten up"). This can easily occur during a
practice session or even round of golf.
This results in feelings of discomfort, possible spasms, and a
decreased range of motion. All of which will take away from the
execution of your swing. The long-term solution to this situation
would be the implementation of a core program to increase the strength
levels of the lower back. Unfortunately, during a round of golf we
need immediate relief from the lower back tightness to get you through
the round.
The short term fix or "band aide" 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 the "tight" muscles of the lower back. These types of
flexibility exercises in the short term will alleviate the tightness
in the lower back. Remember this is not a long-term solution, but
rather a way to keep you in the game so to speak.
One such golf flexibility exercise 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 execute. Begin by bending over, allow the knees to bend, place
hands on the ground, feet shoulder width apart, and your heels flat.
Slowly extend the knees straight until a stretch is felt in the lower
back and hamstrings. Hold this position for 30-45 seconds.
This exercise should provide some immediate relief to lower back
tightness during a round. Repeat as often as needed, but keep in mind
this is only a "band aide" or short term fix. To prevent such
situations in the long term is probably best to implement a golf
fitness program entailing flexibility and strengthening exercises for
the lower back. Remember, golf fitness exercises can be beneficial
during a round of golf, but even better is to adhere to a structured
golf training program.