by Andre Sanchez

There are many strength and flexibility exercises for golf to be found online, though most of them seem to involve some pretty complex apparatus such as those swing plane trainers that take up your whole garage.  However, there are many that can be carried out without any specialized apparatus at all.

What you must do is to determine exactly what you are trying to achieve, what muscles you are exercising and what type of stretches you need. If your game has been a bit below par lately and you seem to be getting a few more niggling injuries after a round these days, perhaps you should build up a bit more strength and improve on your rotational flexibility.

If you have also been finding it difficult to finish a whole round without getting out of breath, then your stamina is probably dropping off a bit.  None of these problems is serious and you can easily get fit again with a few simple exercises that do not need expenditure on expensive equipment or hours spent in a gym.

Your swing is not a natural movement for a human being, which is probably why most people find it difficult, if not impossible, to swing a golf club when they first take up the game.  You have to develop strength in a number of the muscles used in your swing that you are not used to using, and also need stretching exercises to avoid injury and to develop the flexibility required to wind your backswing up round your back like a coiled spring, just ready to unleash all that potential energy with a powerful drive straight through the ball.

When you read about the exercises whereby you sit on a chair holding a dumbbell or medicine ball in front of you and then swinging from side to side, why should you have to purchase these pieces of equipment?  All you need is something with a bit of weight to provide a resistance.  As you swing and twist from side to side you should be stretching your back and shoulder muscles, and building strength, not only in them, but also in your arm muscles.

You don’t need a dumbbell if you have a heavy rock or anything else with some weight.  Hold your rock or can of beans straight out in front of you then twist to the left as far as you can.  Hold it for a few seconds, and then do the same to the right.  Repeat about six times and eventually you will find that you can pull that backswing round a lot farther than before and unleash a lot more power into your drive and through the golf ball.

It’s amazing what you can do with some simple exercise tubing to improve your golf game.  Tie it to a door handle, and swing with it as you would swing a golf club.  The tubing provides the resistance that will build up strength in your arm and back muscles. It’s an ideal exercise for strength and flexibility, and you can use it at home, in the office or outdoors.  Another great exercise for the office is simply to stand up and then carry out toe touches, but with the left fingers to the right foot and vice versa.  Don’t strain to keep your legs straight – that will come as you practice and your flexibility improves.

You can also get exercise while out on the course – in fact before you even get to it. You should have a quick stretching exercise when you get of the car.  A simple twist with your arms out straight and twisting to the left, holding it for four seconds, than to left.  Four or five repetitions will warm up your muscles.  You can do the same thing with a club held over your shoulders in your arms.  When on the tee, try one or two toe bends again and you should be warmed up.  Never try to drive off with cold muscles:  that is one reason for many of the injuries that ordinary golfers get as they get older and begin to stiffen up.

If you keep carrying out these simple stretching and strength exercises, it won’t be long until you notice that you are finding it easier to get round the course, and are able to hold a full backswing once again.  Your length will improve and you will find that these odd aches and pains, and the occasional niggle in your back muscles, seem to have disappeared.

Not all golf exercises need expensive equipment since all you need is a weight and something to provide resistance while you swing:  although exercise tubing is good, any strong elastic will do. The important thing is to stretch those muscles, and try the golf swing motion with a weight in your hands. Simple strength and flexibility exercises for golf can be carried out with simple equipment.

Simple Strength and Flexibility Exercises for Golf was originally published at http://www.golfplayernow.com