TOP TEN GOLF TIPS

1. Use a comprehensive warm-up program. A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that 46% of golfers don’t warm up. Warming up properly helps avoid injury and improve performance.

2. Take the violence out of your golf swing. Statistically 75% of golfers will get at least one debilitating injury from swinging a golf club. Practice swing drills that force the body to power the golf swing with rotation and counter fall, as opposed to using upper body muscles.

3. Condition your body for golf. Golfers under fifty have a 58% injury rate; over fifty it escalates to 65%. Golf conditioning can produce the most significant results in terms of prevention of injury.

4. Develop key fitness factors for golf: flexibility, stability, balance, strength, and coordination. These qualities are enhanced by performing exercises such as yoga, Pilates, and/or functional training exercises.

5. Practice an endurance program. Many people overexert themselves to get a heart oriented aerobic workout. A Russian study showed that moderate exercise is better than extreme exercise in building endurance levels. Every golfer needs endurance to perform at their best for all 18 holes.

6. Pay attention to your body. Golfers use certain muscles to swing the club. If those muscles get fatigued, the body compensates by recruiting other muscles. These recruited muscles were not designed or trained in proper swing mechanics, so the body is compromised.

7. Develop good posture. Stable dynamic posture is critical to an effortless, effective swing. Learn to analyze your posture and do specific posture correction exercises.

8. Give your body proper nutrients for dynamic play. Learn how to eat healthy, take proper supplements, and drink enough water to keep your body operating at its best during a round of golf.

9. Practice breathing deeply through your nose using your diaphragm. Breathing through the mouth was designed for emergency work, eliciting a fight or flight response, which overworks the adrenals. Learn to breathe in a way that maximizes your physical potential.

10. Heal your golf injuries. The most common injuries in golf are lower back pain, elbow, wrist, shoulder and knee injuries. Learn how different doctors treat these injuries and what you can do to support the healing process.