MAKING A DIFFERENCE

When you play the game of golf, you can have good days and you can have bad, you can even see that watching the golf channel. So what can you do to have more good than bad?

Albert Einstein put it well with “The definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” I know that one of the best things that you can do is practice, practice, practice…but have you noticed that many times that can only get you so far. You hit a plateau or level spot and you cannot get any better.

So what do you do? MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

I have had the opportunity to watch golfers train outside of the golf course and the comment to me I hear is how is this going to help my slice or hook. And my response to them is what you have done so far that has worked to correct your ball flight. Has it made a difference?

I have the unique opportunity this upcoming week to combine my knowledge of the biomechanics of the swing and learn to how to efficiently use pilates to improve golf swing and decrease the chance of pain.
HIO Golf Fitness and Hole in One Pilates is combining to put on a spectacular two night event to make the introduce this concept in the bay area. As the week goes on and I learn more and more, I will be blogging and introducing this concept to you!

Directed Blog Post for the day

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Gotta go out and enjoy the sun! :)

USE YOUR TRUNK

As I was growing up playing this that and the other, I was always told the strength comes from the legs. This is mostly a true statement but in golf if your body does not know how to rotate the trunk efficiently your legs become just a pair of appendages.

Three effective ways to improve Rotation:

1. Seated rotation: sit with your feet and knees together, hold a band, tube, or cable machine. Hold the handle between your chest and your belly button and turn. Do three to six sets of 8 to 12. And do the individual sets at three speeds. Slow, Fast and Moderate!


2. Supine 90/90 rotation: This may seem counter-intuitive. Lay on your back bring your hips up to 90 degrees and bend your knees to 90 degrees. Without allowing your shoulders to lift off the groud bring both knees as far as you can to the left and then all the way to the right. The first of 3 to 6 sets should be moderate paced and the next should increase speed.


3. Standing Rotation with tempo/timing: Take a club and swing like a baseball bat in good rythm and timing. A two count is best both directions. Once you have the timing down every five full rotations swing as hard as you can in the direction you would drive the ball. This is a great exercise for both rotation and tempo.

Be sure to exercise with caution! As always consult a professional if you have questions.

Stay tuned for video footage for all exercises!

Is your Head on straight?

When you look in a mirror do you notice that one shoulder is higher than the other, that one ear is lower than the other, that one hair line is not quite level with the other...well is your head on straight?

Of course your head is on straight, but why are you able to see these variations in the mirror. That is your body trying to make you see the world on a level plain. In order for your brain to function and "enjoy" being in your head it needs to get information from your eyes and put them in a level field to tell your body what to do next. Well if you are laking motion in the upper part of your neck, your nervous system can become less than fully optimized, in turn it starts sending compromised signals to your body to adapt, which often leads to a domino effect. That adaption is what makes it appear like your head is not on straight.

Does it make a difference in your golf swing?

YES!!!!!

1. Perceiving the next shot: If your "head is not on straight" or compromised with nervous system optimization the message from your brain to your swing can be alter. Your brain says you need to swing your hybrid with this club head speed in order to land on the back end of the green to sit near today's pin placement. Your body receives the message swing the club and hope it gets off the ground...well not that extreme but you get the point.


2. Perfect angles and arcs: Your body and golf can be thought of in angles and arcs. If your eyes want to be on a level field they will get to 90/90 from the horizon. Your shoulders, hips, legs, and feet may then sit at varying angles for that to occur. When you pull your arms back for a swing it should be in a perfect arc but if the angles from your body are altered your swing must adapt. Now if you are able to optimize nervous system function and get your head on straight, it allows your body to communicate properly and restore itself.

So is your head on straight?

Is Your Hip Getting Around?

By Dr Callaway, DC ATC CSCS CGFI MP2, as seen on bigforegolf.com

When working on improving your swing good hip stability and mobility is crucial.
According to the Titleist performance institute the average touring professional has at least 45 degrees of hip internal rotation and external rotation. Inability to rotate your hips can lead to a number of swing faults as well as various biomechanical and musculature deficiencies.
How do you test to see if you hips are rotating? It is simple! Take two clubs and put them at right angles to one another, stand with one foot next to a shaft and the other rested on the toe. Have a club held along your shoulders, held with your arms crossed, turn your entire body towards the club…did the club in your arms cross the club on the floor?
If no then you need to work on your hip rotation…repeat with the other leg.
Increase your Mobility

1. Lay on your side, squeeze your knees together while lifting your foot towards the ceiling…repeat this 10 to 12 times and then switch sides.*
2. Sit on a chair with your knees together (looks like and M or W), until you feel a stretch in your hips. Hold that for 8 to 12 seconds, relax and repeat two more times.*
   

As your hips become more mobile you can add exercise to strengthen the hip musculature…

*If you have had a hip replacement or pain during these exercise contact your health care professional, prior to doing these exercises.

Golf and Health

CAN GOLF MAKE ME HEALTHY?

The short answer is YES, golf can improve your health!

This is a bold statement to make but what other activity allows you be social, active, enjoy the weather, and challenge you mentally all at once.

1. Social: Whether you are with old friends or meeting new people there is a lot of time to create a conversation on the course. Tell a joke or a story, develop and nourish relationships, HAVE FUN !
2. Active: Even if you ride the in the cart you must walk from the cart to your ball, swing the club, and walk back to the cart. That may not seem like too much activity but it is much more than sitting at home and watching golf on television.
3. Mental: I know the game can be frustrating, difficult, and spiteful ;), but most of the time we play for the pure enjoyment. Relish the fact that you are able to hit the elusive white ball, most of the time, towards its home!

Allow your self time to relax while playing the game, and again HAVE FUN, a smile or laugh at yourself can do wonders for your health.

When you are able to feel like GOLF IS MAKING YOU HEALTHY! You will be able to accept that your body may need a tune up or your nervous system may need to be checked. To have optimal health on and off the golf course it is imperative you takes steps to find the cause of what may be holding you back from OPTIMAL HEALTH!

But all in all Golf can improve your health!!!

Go out, improve your health, enjoy the weather and smile!

What is your reason?

At HIO golf fitness we believe that there are several steps of inefficiencies in the golf swing. The top three are
1) Lack of practice or experience
2) Improper Communication from the brain to the body
3) Biomechanical or muscular imbalances or weakness
The first reason is usually the most common complaint or rational for not taking additional steps to becoming a better golfer. This type of person is willing to spend hundreds of dollars on clubs year in and year out but not willing to dive deeper into a route cause of their swing inefficiencies.
The second reason is a difficult concept to grasp for many people. Some call it the mind body connection, being in the zone, or the psychological aspect of the game. It is the belief of HIO golf fitness that this part not only contains the mental portion of the game but also the brain body connections. The brain talks to ALL cells in the body. As you approach your ball the brain is constantly accumulating data to help you become successful in your next shot. Often times somewhere between seeing the lie of your ball and when you actually take your next swing there is a miscommunication. You may not even know that it is occurring . This usually has come from a trauma or stress in your body that has allowed your system to be maladapted and create inefficient communication. The best way to determine that is to have your nervous system evaluated.
The third reason for swing inefficiencies is muscular or biomechanical imbalances. This can relate to anything from pain to trying to swing in a two plane manner when your body is not able to get itself in that position. These alterations in your body can be detected from a physical screening that can determine the weakness or imbalances.
With the combination of the three inefficiencies corrections HIO golf fitness gets superior results.