Here is a 8 -10 minute routine to perform 2 or 3 times per week to help you develop balance like a tour player!   The following exercises will help build better balance in your golf swing.

Perform each exercise without looking at your feet.  Don’t let your eyes tell your brain where you are in space, let your nerves and joints do the work.  Make sure you have plenty of space and go slowly.  

Single Leg Balance – Perform for 60 seconds on each leg.  Once mastered, try it with your eyes closed.

Torso Turns One Leg- Try 15 torso turns each direction, in golf posture on each leg.

Lateral Bounding-Try 15 jumps in each direction, bounding from 1 foot to the other with a stick.

Stork Turns- Try 15 rotations on each leg, rotating the pelvis/hips while stabilizing the upper torso.

Have Fun!

There are many great articles, books and even expensive sports psychologists that can help you with the mental side of the game.    But if you are looking for a  great tool that provides an accurate and comprehensive report without having to spend hours and investing lots of money, check out the Mental Golf Workshop Profile.

I have been using this vital tool with my students and it has proved to be very valuable in building relationships.  It is easy to use, provides extensive detail on how to best approach your game on and off the course.  Every golfer benefits from their specific profile because the recommendations are based on their own personal tendencies.   I learned about  the profile through my training with the Titleist Performance Institute.  This is the same profile that TPI uses with the best players on the planet.

Reach your full golfing potential.  Take the on-line Mental Golf Workshop Profile, take 10 minutes to answer the questionaire and the profile is processed shortly after submitted.    It is designed for players to coach themselves and/or for instructors and coaches to collaborate with you on your customized strategies.

More about the Mental Golf Workshop Profile.

Coming in second on that list is Cathedral. Another strong golf program. Indianapolis has some outstanding young golfers. It’s my privilege to work with a few of them in our high school golf training program.

It’s important for golfers in this age bracket to address the physical component of their game as well as the golf specific skills and strategies, maybe even more so. Proper conditioning and fitness lay the best foundation for long term athletic development. This is nothing new for most sports but it is new territory for junior golf.

It will take FUNdamental phase juniors time to develop golf skill to play on the course.  Until skill is developed, we teach our juniors the basic principals without using golf clubs.  Factors such as length, accuracy, distance control, going over, under and around obstacles, green reading and strategy can be incorporated.

When to introduce golf clubs?  This will depend on the structure of the junior program and where emphasis is placed.  All most FUNdamental juniors will really need in their bag to get started- Four Clubs.

Driver:   Lightweight kids hybrid, preferably with 25 degree loft or more.

Irons:     Lightweight 6 or 7 iron, lightweight pitching or sand wedge with plenty of loft.

Putter:   Lightweight.

All clubs should be tailored for length and no cut downs.  Cute little bags are optional.   I would recommend checking out US Kids Clubs and SNAG Clubs. 

“It’s a 10,000 hour voyage so don’t hurry into specialization” – Dr. Ernst Zwick

Way to go Zack!

Zack Niceley Hole In One

Here’s a review of the Cyclone from last summer.

We started with a 6 week program for Fundamental Phase Juniors ages 6 – 9 years old. This phase is all about learning and mastering the fundamental movement skills before learning sports specific skills, including golf.

Fundamental movement skills addressed:

1. Locomotion skills – running, jumping, dodging, skipping, hopping, bounding, sprinting

2. Stability skills – (ABC’s of athleticism) agility, balance, coordination, speed, change of direction, disassociation

3. Manipulative/Object Control skills – ABC’s of athletics) throw, kick, strike, catch, dribble, dodge

4. Awareness – spatial awareness, kinesthetic awareness, body awareness, rules

Program Objectives

1. Make sure FMS are mastered, skill acquisition makes up 90% of the program.
2. Perform fundamental pre and post screen to monitor progress in FMS development.
3. Utilize games to capitalize on the first speed window by encouraging agility, quickness, and change in direction activities.
4. Physical fitness should be 10% of the program and focus on body weight exercises for stability and overall mobility.
5. Two 60 minute sessions going through the FUNdamental Cyclone per week.
6. One to nine holes a week of on course activities that simulate golf, keep it FUN.
7. Appropriate weight and length of golf clubs is paramount in this phase.  Only need 4 clubs.
8. Concepts of grip, posture, alignment, ball position, balance and weight shift may be introduced.
9. Intro to rules of the game, safety issues on the course and golf etiquette.

Pre-Test/ Screen Results:  (Taken on July 7, 2009)

Fundamental Movements Screens:

1. Locomotion – (Some kids clearly have not developed these skills.)

• hopping (Most difficult)
• skipping (Need more separation and coordination)
• sliding (Feet were crossing, lack of coordination)

2. Object Control -

• throwing (Not much weight shift or rotation)
• striking (Good overall with different implements)
• green bowling (Lack of visualization, speed control)

Fundamental Movements & Power Screens:

• Multi-Segmental Flexion/ Toe Touch (Most kids could TT)
• Multi-Segmental Extension/ Backward Bending (Some loss of spinal curve)
• Multi-Segmental Rotation (Good)
• Single Leg Balance (Very Difficult)
• Overhead Deep Squat (Depth was good, lack stability)
• Standing Broad Jump (Difficult to land and stick)
• Vertical Jump (Good start for most)
• Seated Chest Pass w med. ball (Not much speed/strength)

Post-Test/ Screen Results & Summary:

We worked through the list 2 times a week.  Our Junior Cyclone consisted of a dynamic warm-up and 8 stations.  We cycled the juniors through each station, lasting 5 minutes.  We added a new skills to stations for progression.  The last 10 minutes were left for games or contests at the end.   Overall, each junior improved their physical capabilities and movement skills.  In just 6 weeks, we we very pleased with the results.  Most importantly, the juniors had a blast while building a stronger foundation for any sport, not just golf.

The LTAD helps to develop golfers from pre-puberty to retirement.   I share the opinions of most experts sources are saying that a child who develops a better base of FMS will develop golf skills at a faster rate and will peak at a higher level of expertise. I look forward to improving our Long Term Athlete Development program and know it will deliver superior results.

CONTACT US to get your child signed-up for one of these classes or to get more information.

A common phase you often hear while playing sports is “stay hydrated.”   I agree, this is good advice for all athletes as well as golfers.  Being hydrated can impact your golf game mentally and physically. 

Your body is made up of 75% water (solvent) and 25% solid matter.  Your brain is made up of 85% water.   Proper hydration can help blood flow to the brain which will help you focus on the golf course.  Proper hydration can be a preventation measure against joint pain, as water acts as a lubricant for joints.  Plus, proper hydration allows muscles to fire and function at an optimal rate allowing for maximum power in the golf swing.

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU DRINK?

Now that you know the importance of hydration, how much should we drink?  The optimal amount of water to drink is 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day.  Other fluids such as coffee, tea, juices, soda, sports drinks and flavored water DO NOT COUNT.   Actually, it takes more water to dilute some of these high sugar drinks resulting in dehydration. 

WHEN SHOULD YOU DRINK WATER?

Drink water first thing in the morning because during sleep and regeneration the body becomes dehydrated.    Drink 25% of your total intake in the morning.  Drink 40%-50% of your total during a golf round.  The remaining water should be consumed throughout the day.

DURING A ROUND -TIPS

Use a stainless steel unlined water bottle.  This is worth purchasing, not only are you helping the environment, but you will be able to be prepared and able to refill throughout the day.   Also, plastic water bottles can leech chemicals into your water in extreme temperatures.

Drink 2 -3 big swigs of water per hole.   That means you should be refilling every 3 to 5 holes.

For proper sodium balance, add a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt to your water bottle at the start of your round and at the turn, this will help to replace important electrolytes. 

The experts at the Titleist Performance Institute have tested the best players on the planet and have identified seven physical performance factors that are required to produce an efficient golf swing.   These factors include:  balance, posture, mobility, stability, power, coordination and endurance. It is through the combination and utilization of these factors that golfers can prevent injury, improve swing efficiency and maintain performance during the season.

If you have poor golf posture, your balance will be challenged and so will your ball striking.    Mobility is a must for proper swing mechanics and helps to prevent injury.  Mobility allows your body to move without sacrificing stability and  helps to generate elastic energy and power production.  Stability enables us to keep certain segments of the body secure while actively stretching and firing adjacent segments.  Stability allows us to create speed and maintain posture throughout the golf swing.  Power and coordination are also inter-related.  It is almost impossible to produce optimal power without great coordination.   Endurance is key to finishing well on the back nine and plays a significant role in performing consistently day after day.

Once you understand the physical requirements connected to producing an efficient golf swing, we can perform a physical screen to determine if any dysfunction exist.  Altered mobility and faulty stability patterns will place the greatest limitations on your golf performance.  The golf specific physical evaluation will help predict and explain your swing faults and attention can then be directed to improving swing mechanics.

To summarize, a golf specific physical evaluation begins the development of the training program.  If any dysfunctions are identified, corrective exercises will be performed to clear and remove these limitations.  I recommend that you focus on developing the fundamental levels of mobility and stability prior to moving on to more advanced training techniques.   Improve the physical performance factors and play better golf!

To find out more or to schedule your golf specific evaluation, contact me at tracy@indygolfcoach.com

Read full story at IndianaGolf.org.