Yoga benefits for golf player

Flexibility
Many muscles, tendons and ligaments play an important part when performing the complete golf swing movement. If the muscles required for the swing are not flexible enough, it will be utterly impossible to achieve a technically correct shot and still worse, our body will be subject to such stress that it will become prone to injuries and pains derived from this particular physical limitation.

Flexibility is also very closely related to the range of movements of the joints. In order to be able to manage a fluid swing, golfers need to reach certain articulating angles with their shoulders, hips or spine –just to name a few of the joints involved. Only those players with no shortened muscles will succeed in doing so.

Yoga provides us with great tools to improve our flexibility by allowing our joints to move more and more easily until they can achieve an optimal range of movement.

Strength
The swing is a movement that requires not only flexible but also sufficiently strong muscles which must alter the position of the body both quickly and powerfully so as to confer speed to the ball. It is also a muscular function to absorb the repeated impact of shots, especially of the wrong ones that hit the ground.

The upper part of the trunk is essential for an effective swing. Increasing the muscular tone around joints, shoulders, elbows and wrists reduces the risk of lesions in them. It is particularly important to strengthen the shoulder muscles. Tough abdominals and a strong back can prevent the pain that appears in the lumbar region as the result of adopting a bad position during the swing. The hips and the pelvis need to be reinforced as well, as they are responsible for initiating the swing rotation.

The practice of yoga improves our strength and endurance by working on all the muscular groups in the body. In fact, the dynamic phase of some asanas (postures) enhances our cardiovascular capacity. The conscious movement of only those parts of the body that are needed at each moment allow for better strength management.

Body postures
A good bodily posture in the practice of golf is as crucial as in many other sports. An incorrect position of the body while playing invariable leads to a certain degree of muscle imbalance that might end up as a lesion. Thus, it is indispensable to pay attention to body posture in all the phases of the game.

In yoga we work on proprioception, an essential concept for the golf player. This results in better control and awareness of one’s bodily posture as well as in an enhanced coordination of both sides of the body. Self awareness also helps to maintain the central nervous system alert level and positively affects the golfer’s emotional development and behaviour.

Breathing
Inadvertent as it often is, the act of breathing plays a major role during the golf game. Practicing correct breathing by making good use of our diaphragm improves circulation and the cardiovascular system. It also lessens the fatigue and tiredness that affect the players in the game.
A slow and deep breathing is also our most powerful ally to deal with stress. If we do not breathe correctly, tension will settle in our body.

Breathing is essential to the practice of yoga and it is the key element to recognize and alleviate tensions. Yoga also focuses on the synchronization of breathing and movement with the intention of gaining body awareness and of 
optimizing the functioning of muscles and joints.

Balance
Another challenge for golfers is to achieve balance in the movements required by the swing. The nature of swing causes imbalance and asymmetry in the body. The muscles of one side tend to become stronger and more limber and flexible than the muscles of the other side; those that play a minor role in the movement end up debilitated. Balance is important because a swing which is symmetrical in force will also be more precise and powerful. 

Yoga includes a series of positions and techniques aimed at improving balance. Once more, proprioception plays a crucial role in this issue by helping us recognize where each body part is placed in relation to the others and to space. Yoga also treats the muscular imbalance produced by the asymmetrical nature of the swing. It focuses on both sides of the body and reinforces those muscles that hardly are used in the swing.

Concentration and mental game
An adequate physical preparation and a correct use of the technique are not enough to ensure the golfer’s success. This is because the mental challenge is as important as the physical one. Golf players are perfectly aware of how difficult it is to hit the ball under pressure. Relaxation and mental focus are not always related to practice and experience.

The most common mental traps include anxiety and nervousness, lack of concentration and the inability to become emotionally detached from the development of the game. When golfers show anger and disappointment, when they worry too much and become easily affected by their rivals’ game or even when are too proud of themselves, they fail to optimize their performance.

The players’ mental preparation is at least as important as their technical training Yoga embraces both the physical and mental aspects of the game. Its positions not only involve physical activity but also include mental and psychological training. All the asanas require attention to the body’s response and to the act of breathing. The practice of yoga helps golf players to become more and more aware of their own body and of its movements. They learn to be in the present, to leave aside projections and expectations, thus avoiding the stress and frustration that are so often associated to the game.