A Good
Stretch
By MIKE
MALASKA
GOLF
Magazine's Top 100 Teachers
| CORRECT
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INCORRECT |
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| A
full 90-degree shoulder turn (two
views, above) may be a benchmark
for power, but most aren't
flexible enough to get there. |
Forcing
a full turn causes golfers to
either lift up out of their
posture(left) or lock the right
leg(right).Both are deadly
faults. |
|
This the
season of wish lists and resolutions, and many of
you no doubt are considering what you want from
your game this year. Having a plan and setting
goals are great ideas, but be realistic about
what you can achieve.
When it comes to the shoulder turn,
most golfers overestimate their capabilities.
Everybody wants the same powerful windup as Tiger
Woods, but precious few have the body for it. Not
many can make a full 90-degree shoulder rotation
on the backswing without cheating somewhere else.
The resulting "compensations" often do
more harm than a full shoulder turn does good. In
other words, the trade-off doesn't pay.
When a golfer who lacks flexibility
forces a full turn, one of two things usually
happens: Either he pulls up out of his address
posture -- turning is easier from a more upright
position -- or he straightens the right leg,
which facilitates hip turn and consequently
shoulder turn. Problem is, these manuevers have
deadly consequences. Changing your posture means
changing the fulcrum of the swing, which makes it
difficult to return the clubhead with any
precision. And when the right leg straightens,
the upper body tilts toward the target, a reverse
pivot position that typically leads to a weak
slice.
If you're dead set on increasing
your shoulder turn, there are a couple of
compensations that aren't as risky. Closing your
stance slightly, keeping your shoulders square,
allows the right hip and then the shoulders to
rotate farther back without affecting the
posture. Likewise, toeing out the right foot a
few inches promotes hip rotation on the
backswing. Furthermore, it's alright to allow the
momentum of the swing to pull the left heel
slightly off the ground. These compensations
promote a fuller turn without sacrificing any
critical angles in the swing.
However, the best plan for
maximizing shoulder turn is working on your
flexibility. Try the exercises on the following
page to test your turning capacity and then use
them in a regular stretching regimen to increase
the flexibility in your turning muscles.
STRETCHING YOUR WAY
TO A BIGGER TURN
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People rarely stick with physical
fitness routines -- they claim to be "too
busy" or quit before they start seeing
results. I'd like you to consider a routine
starting with just three stretching exercises.
It's a commitment of about five minutes a day,
and you can do them just about anywhere.
Try the stretches below to see how
flexible you currently are. Then perform them
faithfully for 21 days. I'll bet by then you see
a significant increase in your range of motion.
By the time spring rolls around, you'll be making
a bigger turn without compensating anything in
your swing.
Before doing these exercises stretch
your hamstring muscles. Sit on the ground with
your legs extended and your back against a wall
-- push the hips back as close to the wall as
possible. Then stretch your toes back towards
your knees, holding that position for 10-15
seconds. Repeat five times or until you feel
minimal tension in your hamstrings. Now you're
ready for the exercises.
STRETCH
1: SITTING FLOOR TWIST
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| STEP
1 |
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| STEP
2 |
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This
stretch demonstrates the turning capacity of your
upper body. Sit on the ground with your legs
straight out in front of you. Then put your right
foot outside your left knee and brace your left
arm against the outside your right knee. Reach
your right arm behind you as far as you can and
look over your right shoulder. Don't cheat: Keep
your spine perpendicular to the ground throughout
the exercise.
Now here's the test: Where are your
shoulders in relation to your left leg? If your
shoulder line is parallel to your left leg,
you're capable of a full 90-degree shoulder turn
on your backswing.
Reverse the positions and turn the
opposite way to stretch your follow-through turn
-- always work both sides of the body. Perform
two to three repetitions for each side, holding
the stretch for 20 seconds. You'll be surprised
how quickly you see an increase in your turning
capacity.
STRETCH
2: CROCODILE TWIST
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1 |
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| STEP
2 |
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Practice
this stretch to increase the differential between
your hip turn and your shoulder turn. Lay on your
back, arms extended and palms down, and put your
right foot on top of your left, heel to toe. Then
look to the right and try to tilt your feet over
to the ground, keeping your feet stacked and your
right leg straight. Be sure to keep your
shoulders flat on the ground.
As above, reverse the positions and
work the opposite side, stretching both sides two
to three times and holding each stretch for 20
seconds. Track your progress with these exercises
and add others as you desire.
Mike Malaska, one of GOLF
Magazine's 100 Top Teachers, is a lead instructor
with the Nicklaus/Flick Golf Schools. Although he
has taught extensively overseas, particularly in
Japan, Mike presently works mostly at school
locations throughout the U.S.
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