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Stretch Out Your Drives
Do the Figure 4 Stretch before your round By AARON BADDELEY WITH DAVE ALLEN
Senior Associate Editor, GOLF MAGAZINE Exercise: Figure 4 Stretch
How to do it: Grab a pole, a golf cart or a long club and cross your right leg over your left so your right ankle is just above the left knee--forming a number 4. Next, sit down into your left hip, pushing your pelvis backward until you feel a deep stretch in your right butt cheek. To assist you, pretend there's a string attached to your left glute and someone is pulling it backward. Hold for two seconds and then return to the figure 4 position. If time allows, do two sets of 10 repetitions on each side. If you're in a hurry (i.e, on the first tee), do five reps on each leg and then repeat on the next tee.
Try the Figure 4 Stretch before your next round. Darryl Estrine
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Why it works: This is my favorite pre-round stretch because it really targets my bum--or glutes--freeing my hips to make a powerful move through the ball. If your glutes are tight, you will have a hard time achieving a full range of motion in your hips. The tendency will be to force the hips through or come over the top with your upper body, causing weak contact. You'll also put more stress on your lower back, which can cause injury.
Aaron Baddeley ranks fifth on the PGA Tour in eagles through May 1, 2005. Corey Degenstein, a certified strength and conditioning specialist with Gainey Village Health & Spa in Scottsdale, AZ, contributed to this story.
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