Unfortunately for you, Wie's athletic prowess that creates all that power doesn't translate well to most golfers. Her level of flexibility, strength and balance—as well as given talent—is rarely found.
Learning to relax your body while at the same time generating speed and power is a daunting task for any golfer given the considerable bio-mechanical stresses put on the body and mind. For that reason, breathing is a critical component to keeping the body and mind free from tension. When we are under pressure, your body experiences a fight or flight response. Your heart rate is accelerated and the breathing becomes shallow and rapid. Learning to control your breathing will keep your body relaxed.
1. Breathing
On your back, place your hands on your rib cage and begin to take deep breaths in and out through the nose. Begin by inhaling and exhaling for a slow count of four. Focus on the expansion and contraction of your ribcage and on the tension releasing from your body and mind. Repeat ten times. |
Breathing
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2. Hands, Wrists and Forearms
Begin on all fours, spreading the fingers and press the entire palm towards the floor. Pull up on the wrists and forearms with the muscles of the arms as you press down on the palms. Repeat five times and flip the hands over placing the back of the hands on the floor. |
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3. Shoulder/torso rotation
Dynamic Downward Dog with the club Place the feet wider than hip width apart and the hands on the club. Draw the navel towards the spine and bring the upper body to a ninety degree angle to the legs, parallel to the floor. Relax the head and neck. Hold for two breaths, bring the body back to the starting position and repeat five times. Focus on the stretch in the shoulders and hamstrings. |
Dynamic Down Dog
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| Standing shoulder/torso rotation Place the body in an athletic address position. Grab the left wrist with the right hand. Inhale and "pull" the torso and shoulders to the top of your backswing. Exhale bringing the body back to the address position. Repeat five times. Now hold the top of your backswing for three seconds, focusing on the core. Repeat five times.
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Standing Shoulder Rotation
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| Dolphin pose and shoulder rotation on ball Place the hands together, arms bent and elbows on the ball. Inhale as you draw the navel towards the spine, engaging the lower abdominals and stabilizing the spine. Exhale as you lower the upper body until you feel a stretch in the shoulders. Inhale and roll on the shoulders to the right. Note: Roll completely onto the back of the shoulder. Switch sides and repeat five to ten times.
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Dolphin Pose
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| Supine rotation: Place the feet close to the gluts and allow the knees to fall to the right. Focus on using your oblique abdominals to bring the legs back to the starting position. Switch sides and repeat ten times. |
Supine Rotation
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| Seated rotation Extend the right leg and bring the left leg over the right knee. Maintain full contact of the left foot with the floor and flex the right foot, engaging the right quad. Use the left arm to stabilize and lift the ribcage off the waist, lengthening the spine. Bring the right arm to the outside of the left knee. Twist on the exhalation. Note: focus on originating the twist from the base of the spine and do not strain the cervical spine. |
Seated Rotation
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4. Core stability
Level One: (Par Level): Place the legs around the ball and slightly squeeze the ball with the adductors. Inhale deeply and on the exhalation press the navel towards the spine and spine to the floor. Repeat ten times.
Level Two: (Birdie Level): Continue to press the navel towards the spine and the core abdominals remain engaged. Lift the legs off the floor, bringing the knees to a ninety-degree angle. Note: If you feel any discomfort in the lumbar spine or neck, return to the Par level. On the exhalation, slightly pull the legs towards the upper body. Do not use momentum to work the abdominals. The key to this exercise is the focus on alignment and breathing.
Level Three: (Eagle Level): Place the hands behind the neck, supporting the head and neck. Do not pull on the neck but rather lift the face and sternum towards the ceiling. Your elbows remain in your peripheral vision. On the exhalation lift the shoulders off the floor and bring the legs towards the upper body. Repeat until muscle fatigue.
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Core Stability Abduction
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5. Hip flexibility:
Dynamic supine pigeon pose with the ball Place the right foot on the ball and place the left foot on the outside of the right knee. Inhale as you press the navel towards the spine, exhale and roll the ball towards your body. Focus on the stretch in the hips and gluts. Repeat five times and switch sides. |
Dynamic Supine Pigeon Pose
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| Bound angle pose at the wall
Sit against the wall, bringing the soles of the feet together and as close to the groin as possible. Close the eyes, focus on your breathing and letting go of any tension in the hips. Hold for one minute. |
Bound Angle
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