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With springtime just around the corner, golf enthusiasts are anxiously awaiting the warmer weather for
their “season” to be in full swing. As a result, golfers are looking for pre-season conditioning options to build
strength, increase energy and get in shape for their favorite sport.
Golf demands a delicate balance of mental and physical skill and Pilates enables you to focus on both through
mind-body awareness by gaining insight into the inseparable connection between the physical and psychological
components of athletic performance. Golfers can take their physical performance to a higher level by training
their minds in addition to their bodies.
In the last five years fitness has become a huge part of various athletes’ daily routine. From the NFL
to the NHL, athletes of all levels are realizing the benefits of “alternative” methods of exercise to
increase power, align the body, and work the ‘core’. Not to mention golf pros such as Tiger Woods
and David Duval – two top-dollar stars who are known to incorporate Pilates into their regular training
regimen. Elite athletes are still training daily, but the focus on conventional weight training has been complemented
with the need to work on balance, flexibility, core stability and mental focus.
Pilates is great exercise for golfers because it helps strengthen the core, which is instrumental in the golf
game. Having a strong core allows you to set up to the ball correctly and efficiently without pain. When you have
the correct address position, you have a better chance to swing correctly. When you’re swinging, because
Pilates emphasizes initiating from the core through the peripheral limbs, power is generated from the ground up,
which will lead to an increase in club head speed.
WHAT IS PILATES?
Pilates helps athletes develop core strength, increase flexibility, assists in rehabilitation after injury and
creates balance throughout the entire body. As a result, athletes can withstand rigorous training regimes and
ultimately improve their golf drive or baseball pitch, prevent or recover from injury, and maintain an optimal
weight for their activity of choice.
It’s a form of overall strength and conditioning used in the development of strong core muscles which
also focuses on breathing, balance and range of motion. Interestingly, Pilates is more popular with women but has a
higher participation rate among males when it comes to golf-specific training. Pilates is now being used by
golfers — men and women — to help increases hip stability, strengthen the deep abdominal muscles
and upper midback.
The increase in range of movement results in the potential for longer drives. The benefits of Pilates training
to the modern-day golf swing are so well documented that many national golf schools and coaches are implementing
classes into their programs.
BENEFITS FOR ATHLETES
Overall, Pilates is a key component to athletic conditioning because it focuses on the deeper muscle groups,
or “local” stabilizers. These are key in controlling joint movement and in sustaining the stability
of the joints that can often be damaged through repetitive and high demand training. As well, the physical
awareness that the athlete gains through a strong Pilates program can aid in their moveme
Pilates works on developing kinesthetic awareness of the body, or where it is in relationship to itself, and
the world around it. It also focuses on good postural alignment which will help an individual perform a
movement efficiently, thus reducing the amount of unnecessary strain on the muscles and joints. Specific
strengthening exercises will also help to balance the muscles around a joint and balance pairs of muscles that
support the joints.Many clients say when they take Pilates they start to think about their body and its
function differently. In particular, they start thinking about their ‘center’ or the
‘core’. Ultimately they find that they transfer all that they learn in the studio to the playing
field – often subconsciously. Whether cyclists, golfers, rugby players – clients find they have more
power after taking Pilates.
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Many clients say when they take Pilates they start to think about their body and its function differently.
In particular, they start thinking about their ‘center’ or the ‘core’. Ultimately they
find that they transfer all that they learn in the studio to the playing field – often subconsciously.
Whether cyclists, golfers, rugby players – clients find they have more power after taking Pilates.
In general, athletes are good at what they do, and since Pilates is often a foreign activity for them, they are
forced to think about what they are doing physically and mentally. It’s not like a cyclist doing a Spinning
class. Pilates makes athletes get back in touch with their basic training principles and therefore expands on what
they already know. The benefits are amazing – increased power, strength and mobility.
PILATES FOR PREVENTION OF INJURY
In golf, players compete against gravity in a three-dimensional, unstable environment. In order to prevent
injuries and improve swings, the exercises in a well-designed fitness program must directly enhance the
golfers’ ability to keep their center of gravity (upper body) aligned over their base of support (feet and
legs). Machine-based fitness programs — which function by strengthening muscles in isolation — do
not contribute significantly to improved athletic function. When you swing a club, the brain recruits groups of
muscles, coordinating them in unique sequences like a conductor leading an orchestra. Integrated Pilates training
parallels how the body functions when playing a sport.
Pilates is particularly effective for recovering from injury. It teaches athletes to be mindful in their
movements – integrating their pelvis, trunk and shoulder girdle in a safe, challenging and progressive
system. Pilates can be a very effective supplement to an injury rehabilitation program as it provides athletes with
a challenging workout without impact or excessive weight bearing.
The exercises in a Pilates workout aid in developing core strength particularly in the trunk muscles.
Additionally, because the exercises focus on deeper muscles, Pilates can assist with injury prevention. Because
Pilates works on a controlled lengthening of the muscles, it can be beneficial in assisting overall flexibility in
tighter regions (lower back, hamstrings, shoulders) and this can aid in creating a stronger game and a greater level
of stamina on the course. Finally, the emphasis on breath as one of the principles can aid a golfer to focus on
their game, relax through their swing and control precise movements such as those needed in putting. Pilates helps
improve overall co-ordination of biomechanics, flexibility, and core strength, therefore decreasing the chances of
injury.
PILATES FOR THE AVID GOLFER
For the most part, golf and Pilates share the same basic principles, requiring flexibility, rotation and core
and gluteal strength. For golfers looking to stay healthy on the greens, Pilates is the ideal golfing partner. While
the golf-pro may help correct swings and take strokes off a player’s game, the Pilates specialist can improve
a golfer’s performance, stamina and stability. These changes can help clients drive the ball farther and avoid
the sand-trap of fatigue and injury.
For the most part, golf and Pilates share the same basic principles, requiring flexibility, rotation and core
and gluteal strength. For golfers looking to stay healthy on the greens, Pilates is the ideal golfing partner. While
the golf-pro may help correct swings and take strokes off a player’s game, the Pilates specialist can improve
a golfer’s performance, stamina and stability. These changes can help clients drive the ball farther and avoid
the sand-trap of fatigue and injury.
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