More Flexible – Better Golfer?
Have you ever taught a kid to hit a baseball? What do you keep repeating? Keep your eye on the ball, follow through, stay relaxed, etc. These are the same basic concepts for a great swing. However, your body could be holding you back.
How flexible are you? Do you think that improving your flexibility would improve your golf game? OF COURSE IT WILL. Here is why. When you are more flexible, you improve multiple things that improve your game.
You will hit longer. When you are more flexible, you are able to achieve a loaded position at the top of your backswing. What that means is that the muscles that produce your clubhead speed are stretched. And by stretching, your body is able to transfer more power to your clubhead.
You will give your arms some relief. Many golfers lack the flexibility and core strength to control their swing so they compensate by overusing their arms. Have you looked at the guys on the PGA tour?? I was at East Lake in November and I had a good hard look at the pros on practice day and game day (in case you have never been, go on both, since you can get very close and even get tips from the pros on the practice days). My point here is that these guys don’t look like bodybuilders.
Your swing will become more consistent when you are more flexible. When you aren’t flexible, you compensate your swing. And that makes your swing more erratic.
Your teacher will find you a better student. A golf pro can teach you the proper mechanics when your body is not holding you back. My father-in-law would not agree with this analysis because he believes retraining can ruin your game. However, he ISN’T flexible. So whatever the pro tries to show him will need to be modified (and that modification may be worse than what he is currently doing). If you have the flexibility, you are more able to properly apply the teachings to your game.
