Pilates is for Golfers

We are now entering the 2012 golf season. This is a great time to introduce Pilates to your golf training program.  Remember the feeling that came from that moment when you made a “perfect shot?” That moment when everything is working properly - the body and the mind are synchronized and all muscles are efficiently working together to deliver that “perfect shot”. That is what keeps you going back to the course, the hopes for the “perfect shot”. Pilates and golf are a perfect combination because both require focus on individual development. Pilates is more than just exercise it is a progressive neuro-muscular re-programming. The majority of professional athletes understand this and most participate in some type of conditioning that integrates mind and body, professionals understand the difference between conditioning for the sport and playing the sport. Pilates is a favorite among professional athletes who depend on their main tools to perform their job, their body and mind.

Adding Pilates to your golf program will help to increase consistency, accuracy and reduce injury - the purpose of the Pilates Method is to build better bodies and minds. Pro golfers like Tiger Woods, Charles Nardiello and Rocco Mediate understand and appreciate the use of Pilates.

This link is an article in USA Today: athletes and Pilates 

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2003-08-17-pilates_x.htm

Since I've done Pilates, I'm much better looking and 4 feet taller," says Rich Beem, winner of the 2002 PGA Championship. "Seriously, I'm now so stretched out and have such great posture that I look and feel like a different person.” 

In golf all movement is regulated by the breath; when there are improper breathing patterns muscles tighten and muscular performance is impaired. When proper breathing is taking place the core muscles activate for better control.  Pilates teaches the student how to fully inhale and exhale and how to use the breath to gain power and control with each movement.

In golf movement comes from the core. The swing is through the center then the movement of the extremities - this is also how Pilates works, all movement comes from the core first. In Pilates we build eccentric strength which allows for strength during motion and concentric strength allowing for the use of stored energy and awareness of proprioception. In golf this translates to the swing - you swing backward (eccentric), coming forward through the center is the release of energy (concentric) to meet the ball. Golfers need to train all the systems in order to develop a powerful and efficient swing.

Every golfer wants to find their perfect rhythm, tempo and the grace for their perfect swing. With golf, just as in Pilates, there is fluidity with the movement of each exercise. Golf is not a game of force; it is about, fluid accurate movement through balance and strength. The Pilates method is the perfect recipe for strong muscles that are flexible. Without concentration a golfer loses sight of the rhythm of the swing. With the use of Pilates, concentration and focus are increased.

Regular practice of the Pilates method creates a strong, well-balanced body that is injury resistant and with increased endurance. In golf this translates into a more accurate swing motion, reduced stress on joints and a flexible body that resists injury. 

There are hundreds of exercises that allow your Pilates instructor to develop a program for you to correct “swing faults” and enjoy the feeling of “The Perfect Shot” with a strong, balanced, flexible, injury-resistant body.

Pilate Your Body

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Reference: USA Today, Golf and Pilates for Pilates Professionals, the Golfers Guide to Pilates