The CSGA Links Volume 2 Issue 3 May, 2014 | Page 12

Get Golf Fit!

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- By Jane Kircaldie, PT, Certified Golf Fitness
Instructor Medical Professional
Titleist Performance Institute

H

aving put the long winter months behind us, Connecticut
golfers couldn’t be more excited to hit the links!
Unfortunately, however, those opening rounds of the
season are also when most low back injuries occur. Why might this
be?
First, in Connecticut, we all love the change of seasons, but late autumn and winter also lead
to the golf clubs, and “golf muscles”, being packed away into hibernation. Second, with the
help of 21st century technology and most working longer hours than ever, it is common to be
forced into a sedentary posture for ten or 12 hours a day, be it using a computer, driving to
clients, sitting on a commuter train, or flying on a plane to the next meeting.
And finally, if the golf muscles were not engaged in a winter golf fitness program, we now have
the perfect set up for an unfortunate low back injury to occur. The common theme is the golf
muscles have now been shut down, or disengaged, like turning off a “switch,” for a long period
of time. Then, the power, rotation, stability and torque required to achieve that perfect ball
strike, demands the low back muscles to stretch, twist and turn with significant force. If those
same muscles had not been prepared and conditioned to meet the demand, and the golfer is
asking them to “turn on” instantaneously after being “turned off” for many months, low back
sprains and strains are the result.
So, how do you avoid missing any part of our precious Connecticut golf season? I have outlined
three effective exercises you can perform at home, in the office and especially before a round,
to stretch and prepare the midback and deep back muscles as well as the hip joint, which is
also key to a healthy back.- every piece is connected!
These three exercises are effective, take no more than ten minutes a day, will start you off to
a healthy golf season, and keep you “inside the ropes” all season long!
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Connecticut State Golf Association