Different types of core exercises exist. Many of you are probably familiar with an exercise such as the sit-up, which is a great exercise that can be utilized to train the core. If you have read any of our other articles, you are well aware of what the word core means, and its relation to the golf swing. Let us do a quick review for your benefit, and introduce the types of core exercises to perform for your golf swing.
The core is an anatomical region of the body. It can generally be defined as the part of your body between the hips and chest. It in encompasses many muscles groups on the front, side, and backside of the body. In general the core consists of the muscles that make up your; abdominals, lower back, obliques, and hips.
The core region is important to the golf swing for many reasons. The core is essentially called the "engine" of the body. It is the area that "drives" the body for most any human movement, including your golf swing. It is primarily responsible for the capacities of: balance, stability, and power development within the body. For these capacities to occur efficiently it is necessary to train the core for improved performances.
Core Training Concepts
Many of us correlate core training to only the abdominal section of the body. In order to develop the core correctly for the golf swing, we must train all areas of the core equally. This means to address the obliques, hips, and lower back with the same number of exercises and repetitions as you do for the commonly trained abdominal region.
A quick note from experience: More times than none, the majority of individuals have what are termed "imbalances" in the core region. This statement means that certain muscles or muscle groups are weaker than others. The key for optimal performance in golf is to have a balanced core when it comes to the strength, endurance, and power levels in the muscles within this area of the body. Keeping this thought in mind, many times the lower back region is "weaker" than the abdominals (imbalanced core or not balance core as we like to say). If this is the case, additional attention/exercises are needed for the lower back, to bring it "up to speed" so to speak, in level with the abdominals.
Moving forward, knowing that we must train the entire core and create balance between all the muscles. It is time to discuss what type of exercises to utilize in training the core region. To develop the core region for golf you will want to perform exercises in the following categories: stability (balance), strength, endurance, and power. All four of these categories are necessary for an optimal swing. Leaving one of the categories listed above out of your training program is like building a boat with a hole in it. It won't work!
Let us define the differing training categories of a "golf specific core program" to help you better understand the purpose behind each category. The categories of core training are incorporated in golf training are: 1) Stability (balance) training, 2) strength training, 3) endurance training, and 4) power training.
Stabilization exercises are exercises that develop the balance capabilities of the body. A large portion of your balance capability is directly related to the core region of the body. We know that if you are unable to maintain your balance through out the golf swing. The efficiency of the swing, contact with the ball, and club head speed, will be compromised. For example, when you swing your driver and are not able to maintain that perfect "finished position", the problem may be related to you ability to balance.
Balance training develops the integration of your neural and muscular systems. Improvement in the functioning of these two systems of the body and integration of these two systems will result in a better swing. Follow the Logic and it will all make sense. They improve the capacity of the scale, then the body the ability to easily maintain the balance in your golf swing is when. Conducting exercises in your basic program, improve your balance (stabilization) the ability of a direct transfer to your golf swing then run.
The golf swing is necessary that certain parts of the body remains in a stable position while other body parts move. These actions aresimultaneously. To perform a powerful golf swing, the body must have the capacities to perform this action.
In order to perform the above activity it is required to develop the strength parameters of the core. If you have a weak core then the ability to maintain a posture, keep a posture, and perform this over a period of time will be compromised. To repeat, the core region of the body is involved in the stabilization process of the body. To improve this capacity, we must train to be more efficient to stabilize the body in the golf swing. exercise the power to develop and improve the capacity, while in your body to improve your golf swing.
The golf swing is a repetitive motion of the body by the theater group. They do the same tasks over and over again. An efficient golf swing and scores require that you have the same swing on the 18th hole, as is the 1st hole. If you do not repeat yourswing mechanics of your swing will suffer, as will your scores. To eliminate this situation it is necessary to develop the endurance capacities of the core region. Endurance exercises allow the body to perform the same activity over and over without getting fatigued. As a result of the golf swing being a repetitive athletic movement, endurance training will enhance the ability to maintain your optimal swing mechanics over an extended period of time.
Power Exercises are geared towards improving the power outputs of the body. The core region of the body is directly related to torque development in the golf swing. Power can also be defined as torque (rotational power) when discussing the golf swing. In order to create high amounts of club head, it is required of the body to create large amounts of torque. Creating greater power in the golf swing is the result of inputting power exercises into a comprehensive core training program.
Summary
In this article we have describe the core and how to train the core specifically for the improvement of your golf game. A few points to keep in mind from this article: 1) the core is a region of the body that includes all muscles from your hips to your chest, 2) you must develop the capacities of stability, strength, endurance, and power within the core for a benefit in your game, and 3) the development of the core must be balanced in terms of all muscles involved, and in all the training components (equal amounts of stability, strength, endurance, and power) within the core.