golf courses Archives - Balance Winnipeg

Golf season is here again! Reserve your tee time here http://www.drivetheball.com/ ! Here we’ve comprised some tips and resources to help you have a full, satisfying golf season. You can also check out our older golf posts here and here. In these older posts we discuss the importance of warming up, cooling down and suggest some great exercises to punch up your golf game. In this post we’ll discuss some great drills and tips to improve technique.

Make Solid Contact You know that really satisfying “twack” that happens when your club hits the ball perfectly? Well you can have that every time by improving your ballstrike with this “centeredness of contact drill” from Golf Tips Magazine. Line up three golf balls perpendicular to your target, with the centre ball being the one you intend to hit. The other two balls act as guides to encourage you to make contact with your ball right at the centre of the face of your club. The outer two balls should not have moved once your shot has been completed. Having better club to ball contact makes your shots more accurate and predictable.

Avoid the Shame of a Mis-hit A steep back swing will result in an awkward ball strike that will cause the ball to pop up in front of you, embarrassing! By creating a shallower back swing you can discourage the ball from popping up rather than soaring away. Often, this problem is often caused by excessive forward weight shift (as discussed in the Stop the Pop article from Golf Tips Magazine) and can be combated simply by widening your stance. Golf Tips Magazine suggests this drill to familiarize yourself with the shallow back swing:

“Make abbreviated swings with your feet placed wider than shoulder width. Each swing should move from 2:00 to 8:00 (as if a large clock sits behind you). Concentrate on maintaining a higher position at the top of your swing (hands at 2:00) and a lower position at the finish (hands at 8:00). This will train your body to make a fuller backswing and shift your weight to your back foot on the backswing and to your forward foot on the downswing, instead of the other way around.”

Just starting to get into golf? Here is a quick article about these three common newbie mistakes (and how to improve them), be sure to check these options as well!

over-swinging
overusing the legs
losing leverage at the top of the swing

Check out these other website for more great tips! http://www.golfchannel.com http://www.pga.com/topic/golf-instruction http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/golf-beginners-tips#intro

Questions or comments? Let us know!

Yes, Winnipeg, it is true. It is mid-March and golf courses are opening up already. Here are some of the Winnipeg and Manitoba golf courses that are open this weekend:

John Blumberg http://www.johnblumberggolfcourse.com/

Cottonwood http://www.cottonwoodgolfcourse.com/

Kingswood http://kingswoodgolf.ca/

Fantasy Lake Golf Course http://www.fantasylake.ca/

The Winnipeg Canoe Club http://www.canoeclubgolfcourse.com/

Swing Into Spring – Tips from Balance

Warm up and cool down

A great way to increase your performance and decrease the risk of injury is to incorporate a warm up and cool down session into your routine. The warm up will activate and stretch muscles and joints, preparing your body for what it is about to do. The cool down will assist with returning your body to a resting state. For a more detailed routine, please contact our office.

Keep hydrated

While some refreshments are more common on the golf course, they quickly assist in the process of dehydration. Remember to keep hydrated by drinking water prior to hitting the course as well as throughout the day. Sports drinks can also be beneficial to restore electrolytes, replenish fluid levels and maintain energy levels.

Lighten your load

Using a push cart will not only save your back, it will keep you loose and conserve energy, keeping those strokes from adding up. If you choose to carry your clubs consider using a bag that has double straps to disperse the weight evenly and prevent strain from occurring. Another option is to use a power cart. It will allow the rest and recovery between swings and help you to play at the top of your game.

A strong game starts at the base

Always remember to wear supportive golf shoes or transfer your orthotics to your golf shoes. This will not only provide added comfort and shock absorption, it will keep your body in alignment allowing proper swing mechanics.

In summary: good hydration, good shoes, and stretch often

Here are some commonly prescribed stretches:

Shoulder External Rotation – put banding behind back and hold in one hand at one hip, keeping opposite elbow close to body with other end of banding in hand then rotate hand out, do 10 per arm.

Wood Choppers – put banding under one foot, hold other end in both hands, with arms completely straight, pull from foot straight up to opposite shoulder and into the air like a golf swing, do 10 per side.

Band Pulls – hold arms straight out in front of you holding one end of the banding in each hand, pull band straight out at shoulder height, do 20 repetitions.

Band Squats – put band under both feet, hold ends of banding in each hand, squat down with knees over toes and chest over feet, do 20 repetitions.

747’s – standing on one foot, other foot behind your body, reach down and try to touch the ground without falling over like you were picking up your golf ball, do this 10 times per leg.

Please keep in mind that these exercises should not be performed without first discussing with your health care provider, as these exercises may not be appropriate for certain conditions.

We have more posts on stretching! You can find a post about stretching your neck here (and part 2 and 3) and stretching your low back here.

Keep Your Golf Game on Par!

Golf in Winnipeg This Weekend!