pilates and yoga for golf
I didn’t watch the Masters a few weeks ago, but my golf-loving husband did, so I was able to listen in and watch a few holes when I normally would have preferred Real Housewives. Several times, I heard the announcers comment on the importance of physical fitness and how it directly impacts success in the PGA. To me, those statements seemed obvious. The two should go hand in hand: professional athlete and physical fitness, right? But, as my husband explained, golfers used to “work out” by, well, playing golf of course. The true golfer mindset was: “If I have time to ‘work out’ then I have time to be out on the course.” Playing golf was always preferred over the gym.
In modern golf times, however, we are seeing more pro athletes “prehabilitate” with strength and flexibility training off the greens. Prehabilitate means to perform specific exercises that prevent sport-related injuries. Many famous and successful golfers use Pilates to tone and strengthen key muscle groups and yoga to gain more flexibility. The resulting gains in core control help to improve the power of one’s golf swing, while improved flexibility results in more trunk and hip rotation for a more efficient and balanced swing. Essentially, practicing Pilates and yoga improves your golf performance while simultaneously preventing injury. Brilliant!
But, like in any sport, injuries do happen. Low back injuries are the most common in golf due to the immense workload placed on the spine and its supporting structures. These injuries often result from the high velocity trunk rotation combined with extension (arching the back) in the follow through. We have seen some of the most successful pros like Fred Couples and Tiger Woods suffer from debilitating back injuries taking them off the course for months and even years. Their rehabilitation goals are centered around improving spinal stability and mobility through core work and increasing overall flexibility. These goals are the bread and butter of Pilates and yoga.
In addition to the benefits of physical fitness, mental fitness is key to success in any sport. Recent scientific studies have proven the positive changes in the brain as a result of practicing mediation and mindfulness. Consistent mediation improves concentration and thus enhances focus during golf. The premise of mediation is to notice when your mind wanders and to guide it back to the task at hand via breath work. So instead of thinking of that project that went awry at work or whether or not you are going to hit a slice into the sand trap, you are able to focus on the here and now, the approach to the ball, the backswing, connecting with the ball, and finally the follow through. The mind-body connection gained through a Pilates practice also improves your concentration on the mechanics of the golf swing and the mental focus in putting.
This post is merely scratching the surface on the benefits of Pilates and Yoga for golf. Stay tuned for specific golf centered moves this week on Stylebook. If you are a golfer or you know one, and you are interested in starting a Pilates or yoga program, let us know how we can help. As a PT, I suggest one of our Hot Pilates or Hot Yoga classes here in Del Ray. The heat makes the connective tissues more pliable so you can perform the work more effectively. If you are rehabilitating a current injury, try one of our Therapeutic Yoga or Pilates series to improve mechanics. If you have questions about how Pilates and yoga can improve your golf game, please email me: megan@mindthemat.com.
- About the studio
Mind the Mat Pilates & Yoga was founded in 2008 by Megan Brown, Doctor of Physical Therapy and Polestar Certified Practitioner of Pilates for Rehabilitation and Sara VanderGoot, Nationally Certified Massage Therapist and Registered Yoga Teacher (e-RYT 200, RYT 500). In their private practices as physical therapist and massage therapist respectively Megan and Sara observed that many of their clients were coming in with similar needs: relief for neck and shoulder tension and low back pain as well as a desire for more flexibility in hips and legs, stability in joints, and core strength.
Together Megan and Sara carefully crafted a curriculum of Pilates and yoga classes to address needs for clients who are pregnant, postpartum, have injuries or limitations, who are new to Pilates and yoga, and for those who are advanced students and are looking for an extra challenge.
2214 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
703.683.2228
