Golf is perhaps most famously a game of focus and precision. But if you’re a regular on the green, then you know that great golfing also requires a great deal of physical strength and stability.
Stability, strength, and mobility are the three pillars of pilates — and they can do wonders for your golf game. Plus, some of the world’s top golfers credit pilates with upping their mental and physical game. Ready to join them? Here are three ways pilates can help take your golf game to the next level:
- Improved posture: Looking to improve your swing? It all starts with your alignment. Pilates works to strengthen the deep core muscles, which can help reduce pressure on the lower spine and help you naturally develop better posture. As an added bonus, improved spinal alignment can promote better alignment between the shoulder and wrist. The end result? A more powerful, precise swing.
- Develop shoulder flexibility and strength: All that swinging can create a lot of shoulder stress — it’s no surprise that rotator cuff and shoulder strain are some of the most common golf injuries. Pilates can help in two primary ways. First, pilates can help develop shoulder strength and stability. Second, pilates promotes greater shoulder mobility. With increased flexibility and stability in the shoulders, you can rest assured that you’re engaging the proper muscles while swinging — putting you at reduced risk of pain or injury.
- Lower body toning: Believe it or not, golf gives the glutes a serious workout. Weak, underdeveloped glutes aren’t just holding you back in your forward swing, though — they could be leading to undue stress on surrounding muscles in the lower back and hamstrings, and could lead to knee instability. By toning and strengthening the lower body muscles with pilates, you may notice a marked improvement in your stance, swing, and overall stability.
- Better focus: Golf is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. With a strong emphasis on alignment, breath, and mindful movement, pilates help foster a sense of inner calm, reduce stress, and promote better focus. See for yourself how reducing the ‘noise’ improves your golf game!
Natural Pilates 