July 2011
The importance of core stability
When talking to athletes and trainers, it is very common to hear about core training. What exactly is the core? The core is the area between your thighs and shoulders - your mid-section. When you think about it, almost every activity requires motion to occur between the pelvis and shoulders, including the bending and twisting you do on the golf course. These motions are controlled by your core muscles.
• When the core is working at its best, you can control your trunk motion and transfer energy from your legs upward to your shoulders, hands and golf club
• When your core is not working well, two things can happen:
o First, your trunk may twist and bend in undesirable ways, leading to loss of your swing plane and inconsistency, or even injury (back pain is one of the most common injuries among professional and amateur golfers)
o Second, you won’t generate, store, and release energy effectively, which will rob you of clubhead speed and distance
An important concept to keep in mind is that you attempt to strengthen your core in all three planes of motion. These planes of motion help describe how you’re oriented in space. They are:
• Sagittal plane - moving forwards and backwards
• Frontal plane - bending side to side
• Transverse plane - rotating from left to right
Ideally, your work-out program will include exercises that challenge your core in all three of these planes.
During each of your strength training workouts, choose different exercises to strengthen each of these three planes. As your training progresses, incorporate exercises that train two or more planes of motion at the same time.
Let’s look at some examples:
• The single leg hip lift is a great exercise to train your gluteal muscles in the backwards sagittal plane:
o Lie on your back with both knees bent and both feet flat on the floor. Bring the left knee to your chest and hold it there with your hands.
o Next, tighten your right buttock muscles and lift your hips off of the floor by pushing through your right leg. Hold this position for a count of five and perform eight to ten repetitions
o Repeat this exercise by switching the leg positions and lifting with the left leg. If you notice a strength difference between the two sides, do more repetitions on the weaker side until that feeling no longer exists.
(See accompanying image)
• Hip band walks are a great frontal plane exercise to build stability in your hips and help you stop “swaying or sliding” during your golf swing:
o Place an elastic resistance band or tubing (available on the internet or at most sports stores) around your ankles. Move your feet to hip width apart to produce slight tension in the band. Keep your feet pointing forward.
o Next, move your right leg out to the side away from your body.
o Now, take a smaller step to the right with your left leg. Always maintain some tension in the band.
o Continue to move to your right over a distance of ten to twenty feet.
o Return to the starting point by reversing the direction and leading with the left leg. Try and build up to five to ten repetitions.
o Try and get three sessions in a week with a day of rest in between each session.
• Split stance cable/tubing rows are a great transverse plane (rotational) exercise to train the trunk muscles used during the golf swing:
o Stand with your left foot forward and your right foot back. Grasp the handle of the cable or tubing in your right hand. Start with your shoulders and trunk turned to the left. Keep your hips facing the cable or tubing attachment.
o Next, pull back against the cable with your right hand as you rotate your shoulders to the right. Be sure to make a nice full shoulder turn. Keep the handle close to your body.
o Stabilize your lower body as you move the upper body. A good analogy would be drawing a bow string back with the right hand.
o Perform three sets of eight to ten repetitions. Switch feet positions and hands and repeat. Perform three sessions per week.
Prior to beginning any exercise program, it is wise to consult with your primary physician. After that, meeting with a physical therapist or strength and conditioning expert is a great way to get started on the right foot.
By Joe Eischen PT, ATC, CSCS
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