Back To Golf

Back To Golf
 by: News Canada

(NC)-It's true that many golfers suffer from back pain. If you are one of them but love the game, you can have it both ways. It just takes some practice and patience.

Trunk rotation - at least the lack of it - is the most common problem for golfers who are prone to back pain. The more skilled and flexible you are, the more you can rely on your hips and trunk to rotate when you swing. This is the crux of the matter. A great golf shot requires hip and trunk rotation because that's what gives power to your shots. If you don't rotate well, your arms - and especially your back - will have to do a lot of extra work.

If you're a seasonal golfer it's normal to experience some aches and pains during the first few rounds of play. Here are some basic tips for the beginning of the season in particular... although you should keep them in mind whenever you play.

* Walk the course when possible; a golf bag which you can wear backpack style distributes the weight far better than one which you sling over your shoulder. (Bouncing around in a golf cart can make back pain a lot worse. Riding also allows your body to cool down and tighten up between holes.)
* Take extra time to stretch and warm up before you begin to play.
* Take practice swings throughout the round to keep your muscles warm and limber.
* Limit your time on the driving range - some of the most common injuries are caused by overuse of muscles.
* Talk to your golf pro. He/she can show you how to make some mechanical adjustments to your swing that will put less stress on your back.
* If your back hurts, take a few days off from the course . . . but try to maintain some level of physical activity. Check with your doctor, of course, but these days most health care professionals who deal with back pain do not recommend long term bedrest.
* Always bend your knees to tee your ball, replace divots, fix ball marks and lift a heavy golf bag because bending incorrectly dozens of times adds up.
* Strength, flexibility and endurance are the three most important things to keep in mind, especially if you are a chronic back pain sufferer.

If you suffer from back pain, a regular exercise program is a must. For more information as well as exercises designed specifically for golfers, visit www.backrelief.com.

About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Should We Walk or Ride? 
by Richard Myers

Most of us when playing golf are riding in carts. But should we consider walking rather than riding?

The PGA has written they believe "walking is the most enjoyable way to play golf and the use of carts is detrimental to the game." They claim "this negative trend needs to be stopped now before it becomes accepted that riding in a cart is the way to play golf."
There is no doubt that walking the course is a good exercise program. There have been many scientific studies to prove that walking a golf course is a great exercise. One study has shown that walking 18 holes has about the intensity of 50 percent of maxium aerobic workout. Another study shows that bad cholesterol was reduced in walking golfers.
There are many other sources that show that walking the course is very good aerobic exercise.

If you are out of shape and overweight like a large percent of us are, it is best that you start your walking program gradually rather than all at once.

Some suggestions for those of us that now ride, have been offered for us to get in shape, slowly. A few of them are; walk nine holes, then ride the other nine; walk and ride every other hole; leave your cart on the cart path, and walk to and from your ball.

It has also been suggested that it is a good idea if walking to use a pull cart for your bag, or to use double straps on your golf bag.

Though it may not be the very best form of exercise, it is surely better than none at all, and a great place to start.

Richard Myers
www.thinkandreachpar.com

How to Handle Anxiety on the Course
by Dr Aidan Moran, Professor of Psychology
www.alicesbookshop.co.uk

How to handle anxiety on the course

Here is the fourth in a series of articles by Dr Aidan
Moran, Professor of Psychology Research at University
College, Dublin. Dr Moran is adviser to many of Ireland~s
top Golfers including Padraig Harrington

All golfers get nervous from time to time, especially if
they~re playing in an important competition. For example,
Tom Watson said that "We all choke. You just try to choke
last!" But what exactly is "anxiety" and how can we learn
to cope with it on the course? Anxiety is a fear reaction,
which affects how we feel, think and play. It generates
tension and negative thinking and also makes us play at a
faster pace than usual. So, to counteract anxiety we need
to work on our feelings thoughts and behaviour.

But anxiety is not necessarily a bad experience for
golfers. All it means is that we care about the result of
what we~re doing. However, we need to make sure that we
care about the right thing ~ what lies within our control,
not what other people might think of us or whether or not
we win a golf competition. But how can we prevent ourselves
from becoming too anxious on the course?

Focus on the challenge ~ not the threat
~Anxiety~ is a fear response to a situation, which we
interpret as posing a threat to us in some way (e.g.,
losing a ball, losing to an opponent). But instead of
focusing on what might go wrong in the feared situation, we
should focus on the challenge it poses for us ~ in other
words, what we have to do (e.g., "pitch the ball high over
the bunker").

When you feel yourself getting nervous, slow down, lower
your shoulders and breath out gently. Tell yourself
to "stay loose".

Deepen your pre-shot routine
A good way to overcome anxiety is to focus on each step of
your pre-shot routine. Remember ~ you can only think of one
thing at a time, so make sure to focus on positive actions
rather than negative thoughts.

Well, this is the last article in the series. I hope you
found them useful. Enjoy your golf!

"I've used Aidan's programme to enhance my golf in all
situations. I've also used it to help general areas of my
everyday life. The audio presentation, The Pressure Putt,
by Dr Aidan Moran is, mental toughness put in simple
terms."

Padraig Harrington, Ireland's leading Golf Professional
CLICK HERE TO ORDER The Pressure Putt ~ Audio tape by Dr
Aidan Moran
http://alicesbookshop.seekbooks.co.uk/booklist.asp?
StoreURL=alicesbookshop&cat=326

Visit us at www.alicesbookshop.co.uk Ireland's On-line
Bookstore

This article courtesy of http://www.iprogolf.com.


Some more Golf Blogs containing Golf articles you might find of some interest...

How To Build Your Golf Swing
Golf Draw
The Most Important Golf Shot
Golf - how to get started?
Back To Golf
Are You Addicated to Golf?
Get your slice of Golf!
Building a Repeatable Golf Swing
Building a Better Golfer
Strength Your "Core" for Longer Drives
Developing the Right Attitude to Golf

Are You Addicated to Golf?

Fitness For Older Golfers
by Dr. Richard Myers
http://www.thinkandreachpar.com

Only 30 percent of Americans aged 45-64 exercise
regularly, while 32 percent of adults 65 and older follow
a regular plan of exercise. Our scientific knowledge
regarding exercise and nutrition is being added so rapid
That unless you have the latest facts, you can be using
outmoded recommendations.

All golfers need to be in shape while playing golf to
prevent injury on the course and also to play their best
game.

When we do not exercise fat displaces muscle, and muscles
become weaker and smaller and we can gain weight more
easily. The added weight can put stress on our heart and
lungs, and our joints. However when we exercise it helps
reduce fat tissue and build muscle and bone. Our bones
rebuild and repair themselves as they should. Lack of
exercise can contribute to osteoporosis.

There are three types of exercises we should be concerned
with; calisthenics for flexibility, aerobic exercise for
strength and endurance, and weight training for strength.
Always see your physician before starting any type of
exercise program and always start off slow.

Walking at a pace which makes you breathe a little harder
and increase your heart rate for a half hour to one hour
three days will keep your heart, lungs, and vascular
system in good order and will help strengthen your bones.
Walking not only strengthens your bones and muscles and
helps prevent osteoporosis, it also strengthens your hear
and helps to maintain your lung capacity.

Watch for sign of over overexertion which include;
inability to talk, dizziness, nausea, or pains in your
chest, upper back, or left should or arm. If you have any
of these symptoms, check with you physician as soon as
possible.

In the winter is the best time to start your exercise
program. When the weather warms in the spring, you will
be ready to go out on the course; therefore you should
have your body ready for the strain and punishment

This article courtesy of http://www.iprogolf.com.

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