Control your swing with Pilates

Rest is very necessary between workouts, so that your body can recover and repair itself. It’s definitely a great idea to eat a little better and more importantly to constantly re-hydrate your body. To understand how much water you need to drink on an average day, follow the formula below: Body weight in Kg’s x 0.033 = (average amount of daily water intake). Example - A woman at 60kg’s x 0.033 = 1.98 litres of water intake per day.

Exercise 1 – SUPERMAN

Get to the ground on your hands and knees, making sure that the hands are placed directly below the shoulders and the hips directly above the knees.

Take a full breath in, drawing up on the pelvic floor muscles and as you exhale, draw in the belly button towards the spine and maintain a 25% pressure throughout.

From here, inhale, then lift and lengthen the right arm and left leg on the exhale, so that they align with the torso. Hold at full length as you take another in-breath, before returning to the start position on the exhale. Alternate sides.

Exercise 2 – SCISSORS

Lie on your back, with hands by your sides and the soles of the feet on the ground, drawn in towards your seat.

Take a full breath in, drawing up on the pelvic floor muscles and as you exhale, draw in the belly button towards the spine and maintain a 25% pressure throughout.

Take an in-breath and bring your feet off the ground so that the knees are directly above the hips and your feet align horizontally with the knees.

Then, as you exhale curl your head forward, raising the shoulders off the ground and straightening both legs at a 45 degree angle. Use both hands to hold the right leg just above the knee.

Inhale once again and then under control, lower the right leg to the ground on the exhale, changing hands over to the left leg.

Inhale as you bring the right leg up again and exhale as the left leg is lowered.

Move with the breathing pattern, alternating legs.

Exercise 3 – OBLIQUES ROLL BACK

Sit down with the soles of the feet on the ground, drawn halfway in towards your seat. Have your arms fully extended out in front at shoulder height.

Inhale, then roll the body halfway back to approximately 45 degrees, twisting to the right and briefly touching the hand to the ground behind, inhaling back towards the start position.

Move with the breathing pattern, alternating movement to opposite sides.

Exercise 4 – SIDE LEG LIFT

Lie on your side with your body fully aligned, placing the upper hand on the ground in front to aid in balance. Fold the lower arm below the head to support the neck.

Take a full breath in, drawing up on the pelvic floor muscles and as you exhale, draw in the belly button towards the spine and maintain a 25% pressure throughout.

Inhale, then exhale as the upper leg is fully raised, inhaling on the controlled downward motion and then repeating the motion.

Work on one side fully, then change to the other.

Complete 4-12 Reps for each of the exercises above for four weeks and feel the newly discovered strength, stability and balance in your swing.

Michael Langford

Golf Performance Ireland

Roe Park Resort.