fitness friday
You want a better golf swing? This cheap yoga product is your secret training aid
A sad but true fact is that most golfers 40 or older have some, if not significant, overpronation of the feet. That's a fancy way of saying they are somewhat flat-footed, having a downward/inward collapse of the arch. The National Institute of Health says up to 37 percent of the entire population in the U.S. has some degree of pes planus (flat feet), but Golf Digest 50 Best Fitness Trainer Paul Gozbekian says the vast majority of his golfing clients suffer from overpronation.
"This is not necessarily a problem unless this foot position limits the golfer's capacity to supinate and pronate the foot," Gozbekian says. "Just because someone is overpronated does not make them good at prontation. Supination and pronation as well as inversion and eversion of the foot are required for a full range of motion in the golf swing. Limitations to dynamically moving into and out of these foot shapes can limit motions of the hips and spine. This can also create issues with the knees and back."
In other words, if your feet can't move properly, you're not only hurting your golf swing, you might eventually hurt your body.
"We are talking about limited hip flexion and extension and internal-external rotation, as well as mobility of the spine," says Gozbekian, a Golf Digest Certified Fitness Trainer in the Boston area. "The foot is the platform as both a mobile adaptor and force transmitter."
It's no secret that a good golf swing starts from the ground up. Being able to utilize ground force properly provides a golfer with balance, mobility, power, coordination, etc. Knowing this, it's probably smart to consider exercises that can counter the effects of overpronation and Gozbekian will demonstrate a few here.
Surprisingly, you can make a dramatic difference in foot function with a couple of yoga wedges, he says.
"The idea would be to use the wedges as temporary aid to encourage better mechanics of the foot/body, as well as provide easier contact for areas like the head of the first metatarsal (big toe)," he says. "Do a number of reps, then take the wedge(s) away, and see if the movement sticks."
One recommendation is to record your driver-swing data on a launch monitor before and after using these exercises for a period of time.
"First, I would recommend doing each exercise without the wedges. This will allow you to get a sense of things like overall balance and movement, contact and stability of the foot," he says. "Then you can introduce the wedges to encourage better foot mechanics. I bet your swing feels better and certainly more stable after."
SINGLE-LEG CABLE HIP HINGES WITH KNEE DRIVES AND CONTRALATERAL ROWS
(In these photos, the wedges are placed to encourage pronation of the left foot during this exercise.)
1. Start in a standing position with the cable angled low and the handle in the opposite hand to the stance leg.
2. Hinge at the hips on one leg as the free leg reaches behind.
3. At the same time, reach the cable handle forward.
4. During the forward hinge, you want to feel the heel rolling inward and the arch flattening out (pronating).
5. Pause briefly at the bottom.
6. Then begin the upward motion by pressing the ball of the big toe into the front black wedge (start of supination).
7. Finish the motion driving the free leg knee up and rowing the cable handle back as you fully extend the hip.
8. Return to start position and repeat (2 to 3 sets per exercise; 5 to 6 reps per side; 6 to 7 effort/resistance level on a scale of 1 to 10).
CABLE STEP-BACK LUNGES WITH KNEE DRIVES AND CONTRALATERAL ROWS
(In these photos, the wedges are placed to encourage pronation of the left foot during this exercise.)
1. Start in a standing position with the cable angled low and the handle in the opposite hand to the stance leg.
2. Begin the movement by stepping back with the same leg on the side you are holding the cable.
3. At the same time reach the cable handle slightly forward.
4. During the step back, you want to feel the heel rolling inward and the arch flattening out (pronating).
5. Pause briefly at the bottom.
6. Begin the upward motion by pressing the ball of the big toe into the front black wedge (start of supination).
7. Finish the motion driving the free leg knee up and rowing the cable handle back as you fully extend the hip.
8. Return to start position and repeat (2 to 3 sets per exercise, 5 to 6 reps per side, 6 to 7 effort/resistance level on a scale of 1 to 10).
STEP UPS WITH MED-BALL IPSILATERAL CHOPS
(In these photos, the wedges are placed to encourage supination of the right foot during this exercise.)
1. Start with one foot on the ground and the opposite foot on the box.
2. Begin the movement by pressing the top foot into the box.
3. During the upward motion, you want to feel the heel rolling outward and the arch rising as you drive the ball of the big toe down into the front black wedge.
4. At the same time drive the opposite knee up and chop the med-ball down at an angle toward the stance leg side.
5. Finish the motion by extending fully at the hip.
6. Lower down to the start position and repeat (2 to 3 sets per exercise, 5 to 6 reps per side, 6 to 7 effort/resistance level on a scale of 1 to 10).
