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per regimen sweetens

S Preparation is
; key to better
golf game

By lan Nobie
News Reporter

TYPICALLY, many
: golfers sit at a desk
- during work, hop in
“their car and then
-drive to the golf

course.

Once there, they grab
their clubs and head straight
‘to the first tee.
They forget an important
component of the golfing
regimen, says fitness consul-
@ tant Heather ##cCullough of
‘High Performance Lifesty: les:
-Stretching.
«McCullough recommends
a number of golf-specific
stretches to prevent injury
-and improve your golf game.
~ “Just hitting a golf ball

isn’t going to be enough to
make vou a better golfer,”
she said.

Golf puts pressure on
body parts such as the hips,
trunk and shoulders. All need
io be flexible for good golf,
said McCullough.

When muscles are tight,
goifers try to muscle the ball
using only their arms.

Thar feads to i
bad shots, she said.

To get flexible,
McCullough — recommends
the following exercises before
golfing:

S neck rotation: While keep-
ing shoulders facing straight
ahead, turn your chin coward
one shoulder, apply gentle
pressure with your hand on
your jaw to feel the neck
stretch and hold for 30 sec-
onds.

& shoulder stretch: Hold
right arm just above the
elbow with your left hand,
pull clbow slowly toward left
shoulder while shoulders are
relaxed and facing forward

ty and

for 30 seconds, Repeat other
side.

@ hamstring stretch: Place
your heel in front and on the
grass. Keep that leg straight
and then bend the back leg
and lean slightly forward to
front leg. Back remains
straight. Hold when you feel
a stretch in the back of your
leg behind the knee for 30
seconds, Switch legs.

@ front thigh stretch: Grab
your ankle and pull towards
your buttocks. Bring the
knees as close together as
Possible and = stand up
straight. Hold when you feel
a stretch down the front
thigh. If it’s toc hard to reach
your ankle, use a towel. Hold
30 secands and switch legs.
@ shoulder girdle and under-
arm stretch: Use your golf
club as if you were drying
your back with a towel. Put
one hand behind the head
and the other behind the low
back. Pull the golf club up.
Hold. Then pull the golfclub
down and hold. Then reverse

NEWS photo Mike Wakeflotd

FITNESS consultant Heather McCullough says stretching can go a long way to

° Improving a golfer’s.score.

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hand positions.

@ chest stretch: Stand side-
ways to a wall, with elbows
and hands on the wall with
elbows shoulder height. Step
forward unzil you feel a
stretch across your front
shoulder and chest, look
away from your hand and
hold 30 seconds. Switch.

@ trunk owvist: Hold club
behind neck. Slowly rotate
head, shoulders and torso to
one side as far as possible
while keeping both feet on
the ground and hold for 30

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seconds. Slowly rotate to the
other side and hold.

in addition, actions asso-
ciated with golf also put
golfers’ bodies in hazardous
positions.

For example, said
McCullough, ac the driving
range, golfers reach for
numerous balls with straight
legs, bending at the waist.
That’s) as no-no, © said
McCullough.

Instead, driving range
ball-bashers should be bend-

ing their knees.

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“ Just hitting
a golf ball
isn’t going to
be enough to
make you a
better golfer.”

— Fitness consultant
Heather McCullough

ha Heiei Me

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‘To book Your Tee Tinie call,
+.) ° The Crow w Isle Pro Shop? .
oe “(800 )387- 68)1 or Fax 1 Pest 338: 2815

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