Yoga For Golfers

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Most games are a combination of mental and physical activity. They all require a high degree of clarity of mind and an equally fit body. Of all sports, golf is mentally the most challenging. It poses situations that require a lot of creative problem solving and dealing with external influences that affect the game. The external influences are the crowd following the game, the weather conditions on a given day and the opponents.

A golfer has to deal with the jeering, booing and negative remarks from the crowd. On the other hand, the expectation of crowd can also have its effect on the golfer. If the opponent is strong or famous, that may be a source of stress and add to the performance anxiety. Golfers are constantly trying to figure out how to "get out of their own heads" while on the course. Golf legend Bobby Jones famously said, "golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half inch course; the space between your ears."

This is quite true because everything first happens in the mind. Your body makes the shot but it is your mind that controls the body. It has been proved that the body never makes a mistake; it precisely follows the messages from the mind. When the mind is agitated, nervous or noisy, it can cause disorientation and wreak havoc on the game.

The yogic techniques of relaxation, concentration and breath awareness are a tool for the golfer to tackle the clutter in the mind. Ones breathing pattern is a clear reflection of the level of stress in the mind at any given point. It is the mirror of your mental condition. As you become consciously aware of your breath, it slows down and the mind becomes calm and relaxed. When we are relaxed we hit the ball much farther and more accurately than when we are tense. The more relaxed you are, the better you play.

In his book "Training a Tiger: A Fathers Guide to training a Winner in Golf and Life" (Harper Collins, 1998), Earl Woods, father of the legendary golfer Tiger Woods, reminds his son, "If you dont clutter your conscious with endless pointers and tips, you make it easier for your subconscious instincts to guide".

Relaxation is actually the art of letting go and enjoying the ride, learning to be free of the stress of the potential outcome. This is the yogic principle of detachment. Detachment means to be unattached to the fruit or result of our action. This removes a lot of stress from the mind, because expectation breeds stress. Without any expectation of the outcome, all natural resources flow from the subconscious and we play through the body like wind through a flute. Now, this does not mean that one should be complacent. Try your best, set clear intentions and targets and then accept what comes your way. It is really a delicate balance between making it happen and letting it happen.

On the physical side, golf is a sport requiring flexibility, strength, endurance and core conditioning. Taking a full swing off the tee requires flexibility and an enormous range of motion of two primary joints - the hips and shoulders. Flexibility gives a large range of motion and you are able to generate more power off the tee. Functional strength is required to exert power and control over the club from the back swing through to impact and follow through. A strong core is needed to stabilize the body, enabling the exertion of power and movement without a loss of balance. Core conditioning stabilizes the trunk and back and helps in proper alignment and body stance for a good swing and precision in the stroke.

The golf swing is hard on the body as it produces strain in the joints and muscles in even the most fit and efficient golfers. A strong and stable body that is fluid and flexible creates the foundation for a healthy, injury-free golfer. Power, balance and weight transfer all depend on fluidity in the body. As Earl Wood tells his son, "what youre looking for is a soft, flexible, fluid swing - thats power."

Golf is an asymmetrical sport as the golfers swing only from one side of the body. People who practice one-sided twisting activities, like golf, do not use their bodies symmetrically. This causes imbalance in the body as the dominant side is more developed. Yogasanas help in overcoming postural imbalances inherent in this sport. A symmetrical golf stroke is more accurate, goes further and produces less strain in the body.

Yoga helps golfers to develop all of the mental and physical qualities required to improve their game and overcome the asymmetry inherent in this sport. It is also effective in releasing tension in the lower back, neck, shoulders, hips, groin and legs - areas that typically plague golfers.

Divine Wellness has created a special yoga class, customized for golfers. Contact us to learn more and play your best shot.