Laterally Extravagant

With the golf season lurking right around the corner it is time to start thinking about how, when the time comes, to get the ball in the air and in the hole again. We’ve just spent the last six months couch surfing and the thought of wielding a long iron to a tucked pin is as attractive as gum surgery. But, it is not too late to try to minimize the amount of embarrassment that we will undoubtedly subject ourselves to on that first round in late April or early May. Here are some tips to help you get loose for the 2008 golf season:

1. Start stretching now! Whenever you get the chance start stretching the important golf muscles- hamstrings, shoulders, quadriceps and lower back stretches will all help your flexibility and strength for your first round. To learn of some useful stretches and exercises for golf visit www.mytpi.com.

2. Work on your core. Buy a swiss ball and work on that spare tire that has inflated over the winter. Crunches, side ups and back exercises will help you get back in shape to swing the club. Try to 20 reps working all around your core four times a week. Again, visit www.mytpi.com.

3. Practice trunk rotation. Sitting on a bench or a chair take a golf club and place it behind your head, resting on you shoulders and holding onto the shaft with both hands. Rotate your trunk back and through while trying to keep your feet flat on the floor. This will compliment the core exercises and increase your rotation which is paramount to distance and control.

4. Work on your short game early in the season. Early in the season spend most of your practice time working on your short game. Concentrate on your chipping and putting as this will save you strokes until you find your swing. Working on bunker shots will also help build up the muscles in your forearms which will help quicken the road to hitting the ball solidly with the full swing.
I hope these tips help you chip the rust from your game in the upcoming weeks as the snow continues to melt. If you have any questions regarding your game please feel free to contact me directly at the Lora Bay Golf Academy.

We’ll see you on the links!

Jeffrey Palmer Director of Instruction CPGA Class ‘A’ ProfessionalJeffrey Palmer is the Director of Instruction at The Raven at Lora Bay Golf Academy. For more information please visit www.ravenatlorabay.com
Note: The teaching methodology solely reflects the views of the author and may not reflect the views or opinions of the Ontario PGA or GolfScene About the Ontario PGA Established in 1927, the Ontario Professional Golfers’ Association is a non-profit association comprised of approximately 1,300 golf professionals from Belleville to Windsor with a mandate to promote and advance the game of golf, serving the needs of both its membership and the golf public through professional and junior golf development programs and high-calibre competitive events. For more info, visit www.ontariopga.com

May Also be of Interest:

• Keeping Sharp in the Cold and the Dark
• Square the Face at the Top
• Turn the Practice Range into the Real World
• Playing in Tournaments
• It is a Game of Fundamentals