Here’s My Exact Guide To Yoga For Golfers
Written by: Michele Lyman, 500-RYT
Golf has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. My dad has been an avid golfer all his life and his passion for the game definitely rubbed off on me. When I was growing up, he was either playing golf with his buddies, chipping in the backyard, talking about the shots he made, or watching it on TV. I guess you could say I didn’t have a fighting chance to not learn to love it! I’ve been playing on and off since I was a teenager and only recently became addicted to playing on a regular basis.
Now, if you are a golfer, you know that it only takes a shot or two to make the difference between an incredibly fun day on the course or a very frustrating one. When I play, my friends will hear me say, “I love this game!” and, “I hate this game!” multiple times during a round - sometimes on the same hole! It’s now sort of a joke.
When it comes to playing golf, you probably have three main goals:
Eliminate strokes and improve your overall game
Stay out of pain and away from injury
Be able to play this crazy game you love for many, many more years
Want to know the best way to achieve all three of those goals?
You guessed it - yoga.
Although I’m not playing birdie golf, I know my yoga practice has helped to improve my game and keep me out of pain. And I want the same for you! Here’s how practicing yoga for 20 minutes a day can keep you out of pain and improve your overall game so you can have more fun experiences than frustrating ones on the course.
Connection Between Yoga and Golf
Physically, the golf swing is extremely taxing on your body. Most of your joints have to move through their maximum range of motion at a very high speed, about 70-100 times during a round of golf. And, because you only swing with one side of your body, your muscles develop unevenly. During the four seconds that it takes to swing your club, your body uses lateral, rotational and vertical movements that become imbalanced. And mentally, if your mind is restless and you’re unfocused, your game will suffer.
The fundamental purpose of yoga is to build strength and harmony in both the mind and body. Think of it as a complete system of physical, mental, and spiritual practices that help you achieve better emotional health, mental clarity and physical fitness. So, when practicing yoga, you develop strength, endurance, stability, flexibility, balance, mental acuity, patience and concentration.
Sounds to me like the exact same things you need to improve your golf game and stay away from pain and injury.
Benefits of Yoga for Your Golf Game
Still aren’t sure a yoga practice is for you? Let’s break down exactly how yoga can benefit your golf game.
Flexibility
Poses are held for multiple rounds of breath to encourage the muscles to relax and lengthen. Over time, your tight hip and shoulder muscles will lengthen and loosen, which will increase your range of motion and improve your swing.
Strength & Power
Many movements in yoga are geared toward strengthening muscle groups in your body. And a stronger body means a more powerful swing, which means less strokes to get the ball in the hole.
Endurance
Since many yoga poses are held for longer periods of time and combinations of movements are repeated during practice, your body begins to build endurance. This endurance will allow you to perform better for a longer period of time on the course.
Mobility
Yoga also focuses on movements of the joints in order to decrease stress on them and increase their flexibility. As your joints become more mobile, you can move faster and improve your accuracy.
Stability & Balance
Balance postures focus on improving your center of gravity, which is important when you are not on stable grounds. Whether you’re hitting from an awkward stance or just standing on uneven footing, improved balance and stability will leave you more grounded during your swing.
Body Awareness
The focus and concentration needed during yoga increases your sense of self-awareness and your body’s ability to understand how it moves in relationship to itself and its environment. In other words, your body gets smarter and your coordination gets better, which will improve your golf swing.
Focus
In yoga there is an emphasis on using the breath to stay mindful and present in the moment. This improves your mental focus and endurance. Ever stand over the ball and have your mind drift to something completely unrelated? Not helpful when you are trying to sink a 15’ put. Learning to be present during each moment of your round will improve your patience, concentration and overall experience on the course.
Best Yoga Poses for Golfers
The best way to teach you the poses is to show you! Below is a 20-minute sequence designed to increase your flexibility, improve your balance, and enhance your concentration. You'll practice simple movement and breathing exercises to improve your swing and your mental focus.
Don't have 20 minutes? No problem! Simply pick a few movements that would be most beneficial for your game and do just those instead!
So there you have it! You now have the knowledge you need to begin a consistent yoga practice that will support your golf game! You’ll prevent injury, improve your swing, take strokes off your game and make your golfing buddies jealous in no time!