Age Defying Golf Rx. Dr. D. Ryan York, PT, DPT, CGS Doctorate in Physical Therapy Certified Golf Performance Specialist, GOLO Golf University

Transcription

1 Age Defying Golf Rx Phase III: Golf Body Explosion Dr. D. Ryan York, PT, DPT, CGS Doctorate in Physical Therapy Certified Golf Performance Specialist, GOLO Golf University Dr. Chad Edwards, PT, DPT, CGFI Doctorate in Physical Therapy Certified Golf Fitness Instructor, Titleist Performance Institute 2015 by Dr Ryan York, Age Defying Golf. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Age Defying Golf.

2 It is recommended to consult your physician before starting an exercise program. This book offers information in regards to fitness, exercise, physical therapy, sports medicine, and golf training. The information in this book is not medical advice and is not meant to diagnose or treat specific injuries or disease. 2

3 Praise for Age-Defying Golf Rx I ve taken a lot of golf lessons-even attended a four day golf school-but I ve never learned as much about my swing and how to get more distance and power than I have from the Age-Defying Golf program. I ve gained flexibility and physical strength in my swing and am now hitting the ball further and straighter. I ve even taken 8-10 strokes off of my game since starting this program. But more importantly to me is the confidence and enjoyment I now have in my game. I m excited to play and love working on specific exercises that relate directly to golf. The Age-Defying Golf program will provide me with the physical ability to continue playing this game well into the future Cynthia Fowler, Orange County, CA I commenced playing golf at the age of 55 with the intention that this would become my sport upon retirement. During the past 11 years I have taken many, many golf lessons (and spent thousands of dollars) intent upon becoming a reasonable golfer. I have struggled with the game with ups and downs; during this period I realized that I would never become a big hitter. However, things have changed dramatically after commencing the Age-Defying Golf Program, and within a very short period of time (literally weeks), I am now hitting the ball further than I ever imagined possible. It has now become evident that this program has had much more impact upon my game than all the golf lessons I have taken over the years. My goal has been to take my golf to the next level; I am confident that with the work-out routine I am now taking, that I will quickly achieve this goal. I can highly recommend the Age Defying Golf Program and I have encouraged all my fellow golfers to enroll in the program. S.K. Clark, New Zealand I participated in the Age Defying golf program for three months, which made it possible for me to qualify for the National Senior Olympics. I got a score of 78. I had given up golf because somebody told me I was an old man, even sold my clubs. After working out with the Age Defying golf program, I bought new clubs. His exercises made it possible for me to play golf again. His program strengthened my muscles and improved the mechanics of my golf swing. You better believe this program really works. Don t quit. I encourage older people to play. It s always been my desire to play at Stanford (site of 2009 National Senior Olympics). Now I can finally do it. My intentions are to encourage golfers over 85 to continue. You can do it too. Chuck Young, age 95 I have played golf on and off for almost 20 years and I truly fell in love with the game. I was constantly asking my friends for tips and I desperately wanted to uncover the secrets that all the lower handicap golfers seemed to know. I took numerous lessons from golf pros with the hopes of learning how to 3

4 increase my power, and flexibility. They always gave me too much to think about and I left more confused with no results. With Age Defying Golf Rx, Dr York showed me how to train my muscle to remember the correct way to drive a ball through repetitive motion. How simple is that! Age Defying Golf Rx introduced me to an exercise program that encouraged me to understand my own flexibility, and how to increase my power/accuracy by teaching my body repetitive motions. I now golf with confidence with golfers who have lower handicaps. This program has taken strokes off my game, my friends are always commenting on my improvements and I am no longer considered the slow player, I can now keep up. Donna Clegg, Boise, ID 4

5 Table of Contents Chapter 1... Introduction and Purpose In this chapter we talk about the culmination of Age Defying Golf Rx: Power. Thus far in our program, we have worked on strength, stability, balance and flexibility. Now we add the final ingredient, speed training. In addition, we will introduce new concepts in power that go above and beyond traditional swing mechanics in a section titled Xtreme Power Rx. Chapter 2....How to Use This Manual This chapter includes instructions on how many sets of each exercise to perform, how often you should perform the exercises, how much time is required per week and per exercise session. We also talk about performance plateau s and teach a maneuver you should use with each exercise to stabilize and protect the spine. Chapter 3..Power EXPLOSION These are the key chapters to the Explosion Phase. Please complete each workout one time per week for 4-6 weeks. Each workout is approximately minutes long. Once you have completed the Explosion Phase, please rest at least 2 weeks before returning to the Foundation Phase and repeated the Age Defying Golf Program. First Workout of the Week You should complete workout #1, once each week for 4-6 weeks. Exercise with the video program Second Workout of the Week You should complete workout #2, one time each week for 4-6 weeks. Exercise with the video program. Third Workout of the Week You should complete workout #3, one time each week for 4-6 weeks. Exercise with the video program. Chapter 4.Xtreme Power Rx Included in this chapter are tips and techniques used by some of the greatest drivers in the world including long drive champions. Some of these techniques are a little unorthodox, but if you have the patience to practice them, you will tap into a major power booster. Chapter 5..Final Tips and Advice 5

6 Chapter 1. Introduction to Golf Body Explosion Congratulations on completing the first two phases of the Age Defying Golf Rx program. If you have been faithful to the program, your core should be strong to give you power and provide safety, your muscles should be more pliable to allow proper mechanics without compensation, and your body should be more efficient. You are now ready to add the final ingredient: speed training. In addition to speed training, this final phase adds a special bonus which is X treme Power Rx. The exercise portion of the Explosion phase focuses on adding speed to your new found strength to ultimately increase club head speed at the moment you impact the ball. The trick here is to add velocity to your swing without disrupting correct swing mechanics. As a result, all the training in the Explosion phase works to reinforce proper mechanics and proper muscle sequencing to maximize distance as well as overall performance. So please follow the directions for each exercise explicitly. In addition, it is important to understand that we are training maximum speed here in order to improve your optimum speed when you are playing on the course. Optimum speed is not how hard you can swing the golf club but how hard you should swing the golf club. I don t know of any successful golfers that swing as hard as they can, because this method usually ends up in over recruitment of the wrong muscles, inefficient mechanics, decreased accuracy AND 6

7 decreased distance. Annika Sorenstam reports that she only swings at 70% of her maximum, and we have found that around 80% of your maximum swing seems to be the magical number for optimum swing speed without sacrificing mechanics. As a result, this program has focused on the goal of making your 80% swing more powerful. We add speed after we add strength and stability for the simple reason that that is what the research we have studied indicates is the most efficient method to add power. We are not guessing, this is what the evidence proves to be the case and this evidence bears out in the results that we have been able to attain for golfers through this program. So what is speed training and how does it work? Speed training is essentially training the neuro-muscular system (nerve to muscle) to be more efficient, to work quicker. Although strength is part of the equation, we have already added strength in the previous phases of this program. An effective method of increasing the efficiency of the neuro-muscular system is to train your bodies stretch reflex, also known as the stretch shortening cycle. There are plenty of resources on the internet if you would like to better understand this biological system. We have found other golf fitness programs that talk about this philosophy but have yet to find another program where they truly understand how to train this system correctly as it relates to golf. I am not sure why golf training is so far behind the training programs for other sports in this area. This type of training needs to be very specific to what you are training for, and you have to have a strong understanding of how this system works at the 7

8 neurological and muscular level to design a program that works. That is, specifically how muscle spindles and golgi tendon organs (GTO) in your muscles and tendons accept force, and respond to force, and how that translates into increased velocity in your golf swing. We have studied the research, we have done our own research, we have proven the system and now it is time for you to make it happen! It is time for you to develop the Explosion principals in your game. Good luck! 8

9 Chapter 2. How to Use This Manual This manual is designed as a companion to the Age Defying Golf Rx video program available to view on Vimeo. We prefer that you exercise with the video each time. You can also take the ebook- if you print it off, or on ipad, to the gym, or as you travel for a convenient way to keep up with your program. Please do not attempt any of the workouts without going through the video instructions 1 st!! Otherwise, you will likely get confused and frustrated. The videos are there to make the workouts easier to understand and follow. This program is designed to benefit the typical golfer that we see in our clinic who is between the ages of Of course there are many variations, individualities, and exceptions to what we typically encounter. As a result, you may find some exercises too difficult for you or they may cause abnormal pain. For the purposes of this program, we can define abnormal pain as any pain that is not muscle pain. If you encounter this pain, discontinue the exercise or try the adapted exercise shown in the video program. The Explosion Phase is made up of three different workouts to complete each week. Please allow 24 hours of rest between workouts and perform the workouts in order each week. 9

10 BASIC and ADVANCED Workout Options Each BASIC exercise session is designed to take minutes to complete. The BASIC exercise session is composed of the primary training exercises that can be done quickly and easily. However, if you are in good physical condition, have fair to good balance, and would like to get the most out of this program, then you should complete both the BASIC and ADVANCED sections of each workout. The ADVANCED exercise section is listed directly after the BASIC exercise section of each workout. In addition, if you will be completing both the BASIC and ADVANCED exercise sections, we prefer that you perform the ADVANCED exercises before you complete the BASIC exercises. You will notice in the exercise parameters section of each exercise that we advise 1-3 sets, or groups of repetitions. In the preceding phases, we advised you to perform 1 set of each at first and then increase to 3 sets in following weeks. However, in the Explosion Phase, you must complete 3 sets of all of the speed exercises. Speed exercises are those that we ask you to perform powerfully or quickly..explosion type exercises. With all non-explosive exercises, you can begin with 1 single set per session so you still have the freedom to choose a quick workout, performing only one set per exercise, or choose the most effective workout by performing 3 sets of each exercise. 10

11 Finally, Age Defying Golf Rx is designed around the muscle confusion principal. Your body and your muscles have the sometimes annoying characteristic of adapting or getting used to the task that is required of them. In other words, if you perform the same exercise, after a while your body will be able to complete the exercise without having to change and get stronger. This is called a training plateau and is bad news for any training regimen. Muscle confusion is a concept of strategic rest, intensity change, duration change, speed change etc., that does not allow your muscle to plateau. Instead, your body must continue to change and get stronger to handle the demands placed upon it. Age Defying Golf Rx was designed around this concept so that you do not have to think about it. Simply follow the program, the muscle confusion strategy is built in. The Explosion Phase is designed for 4-6 weeks of consecutive training. After this is complete, rest for 2 weeks and only use the golf drills. If you would like to continue training after your rest period, you can re-start with the Foundation phase and complete the 90-day progression again. The skies the limit! You will notice that in nearly every exercise, you are instructed to draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. The act of drawing in you belly button does two things. First, it works to activate the core stabilizing muscles of your trunk that protect your back from injury. Two, in creates intra-abdominal pressure in your abdominal cavity that research has shown to also help brace your spine and reduce the risk of back injury. 11

12 To draw in your belly button you want to imagine that someone is trying to poke your stomach with a sharp object and you are pulling in your stomach to avoid being harmed. To practice your draw-in maneuver, hold this position for 1-minute and focus on breathing. It takes a little bit practice to distinguish between your breathing muscles and your deep core stabilizing muscles. You will get better at this as you practice. ***THE TRANSITIONAL MOVE With certain exercises in this book, you will be instructed to make your TRANSITIONAL MOVE at the top of your backswing. This is an important move to train your body in the proper sequencing of movement as you transition from backswing to forward swing and I have not found another training program that addresses this issue. The transitional move is the beginning of pelvis rotation towards your target WITHOUT any shoulder movement. So many swing faults are caused by starting your downswing with your arms (which we ran in to with our clients before we started training the transitional move, which made a big difference). This is an extremely difficult move to train on the driving range but we have found that training it with exercise has translated into success on the golf course. If you try to train this move on the driving range, the usual result is too much pelvis rotation that occurs too early. This results in your upper body and arms getting stuck behind you and causing blocked shots to the right. 12

13 Here is the transitional move and how to perform it. Only work on this move in the training exercises that you are instructed to do it. At the top of your backswing, slightly rotate your pelvis towards your target. This initiates the downswing. The key with this move is that your upper body should not move at all! Just your pelvis. If you find this move difficult to feel or perform, have someone hold your shoulders in place and then perform the move. Practice this several times until you feel the correct move. Also make sure that your hips do not slide forward, but rotate in place. From this position, finish the remainder of the exercise. Keep practicing until you have perfected the move, then you will not have to think about it while you play. Your body will naturally move this way because you have trained the muscles to remember this sequence. 13

14 EXPLOSION: WORKOUT #1 Workout # 1 is the first of the three exercise sessions that you should perform each week. Only perform this workout one time per week. The first section, called BASIC, is designed to take minutes to complete. The BASIC exercise session is composed of the primary training exercises that can be done quickly and easily. However, if you are in good physical condition, have fair to good balance, and would like to get the most out of this program, then you should complete both the BASIC and ADVANCED sections of this workout. The ADVANCED exercise section is listed directly after the BASIC exercise section. **Perform Workout #1 with the video program. This workout lasts approximately minutes (depending on whether you choose 1 set or 3 sets of each exercise, perform the Basic and Advanced sections, and if done with the video).** 14

15 WORKOUT 1. BASICS 1. Impact Wrist Rotation with Speed Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: To strength and engrain the correct timing of wrist rotation for power and improved accuracy. Anchor the band at about waist height and to your right. Hold the band with your golf grip. Get into your correct golf stance knees bent, back straight, and hinge forward at the waist. This is the same exercise as it was performed in the Transition Phase, however, the key to this exercise is SPEED. Position #1: just prior to impact, the back of your left wrist should be facing directly away from your body. Position #2: at impact, your left wrist should be facing the fairway, or your target and your left wrist should be flat, not bent. Position #3: just after impact, your right wrist should roll over your left wrist and the back of the left wrist should be facing directly behind you. Perform 1-3 sets of 12 repetitions. Keys to Success: Be quick. Make sure that you are swinging out to the ball and not pulling in toward your left leg. 15

16 WORKOUT 1. BASICS 2. 3-Plane Horizontal Abduction for Speed Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: To improve posture, strengthen and stabilize the spine to reduce the risk of golf related injuries, and to develop speed in the back and shoulders. Slide the exercise band through the anchor so that the anchor is in the middle of the band. Place the anchor in the door at about chest height. Grasp each end of the band with your hands. Get into your correct golf stance knees bent, back flat, hinged forward at your waist. Draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. -Motion #1: As fast as you are able, pull the band straight out to the side keeping your arms straight. Perform 8 repetitions with SPEED and POWER! Rest 10 seconds then proceed to Motion#2 -Motion #2: As fast as you are able, pull the band up at an angle keeping your arms straight. Perform 8 repetitions with SPEED! Rest 10 seconds then proceed to Motion #3. 16

17 -Motion #3: As fast as you are able, pull the band down at an angle keeping your arms straight. Perform 8 repetitions with SPEED! Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: Perform 1-3 sets of each motion. Focus on maintaining a flat back and consistent spine angle (don t let your back move). 17

18 WORKOUT 1. BASICS 3. Resisted Downswings 2 Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: To engrain the proper downswing mechanics. Anchor the band at the top of the doorway. Stand sideways to the doorway as shown. Take two steps forward so that the exercise band is pulling from behind you at an angle. Draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. Begin in the address position. Take a ½ length backswing and STOP. Make your transitional move and STOP. Keeping your back facing the target and the rest of your body still, allow your hands to perform the downswing motion to the impact position and STOP. Perform 2-3 sets of 6-8 repetitions with perfect form. Keys to Success: You should replicate the correct inside to square swing plane. At the backswing position: 1) Your weight should be on the inside of your back foot, 2)your left arm should be straight, 3) your right elbow should be tucked in, no chicken wing. 18

19 Just prior to impact: 1) Don t allow your wrists to rotate until the last possible second. At the impact position: 1)Your left wrist should be straight, 2) your right wrist should be cupped backward, 3) your left arm should be straight. WORKOUT 1. BASICS 4. Kneeling Lunge Stretch with Rotation Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: To improve hip and torso flexibility. Place right foot on a low table or a chair. Push pelvis forward until stretch is felt in the front of your upper thigh. From this position, rotate your upper body to the right as far as you can comfortably. Hold stretch for 30 seconds, repeat stretch with left leg forward. Perform 1-3 sets. 19

20 WORKOUT 1. BASICS 5. Golf Stretch 1 Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: Separate shoulder turn from hip turn to improve X-Factor power. Take long step forward with your left leg. Holding the ends of a golf club rotate your body to the left until you feel a stretch. Hold stretch for 30 seconds, perform stretch 3 times, and repeat stretch to the right with right leg forward. If you find it difficult to balance in this position, move your feet further to the sides for a wide stance. 20

21 WORKOUT 1. BASICS 6. Golf Stretch 2 Hamstrings Emphasis Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: Separate shoulder turn from hip turn for X-Factor power plus hamstring stretch to improve posture stability through swing. Hold a golf club with your hands at each end. Take a long step forward with your left leg. Draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. Rotate your body to the left and hold. From this position, try to straighten your knees until you feel stretch behind your legs. Hold for 30 seconds. Perform 3 sets both directions. If you find it difficult to balance in this position, move your feet further to the sides for a wide stance or perform the alternate stretch with a chair as shown in the video. 21

22 WORKOUT 1: ADVANCED 7. Quick Core Torso Rotations Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: To develop quickness in your quick twitch muscle fibers of your torso and challenge the stability of your golf posture. Begin by getting in the correct golf stance knees bent, back straight, hinging forward at the waist. Take a step forward with one leg. Draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. With a lightly weighted medicine ball, perform a fast rotation motion moving back and forth as quickly as you are able to. Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions. Repeat with the opposite leg forward. The key to this exercise is SPEED! Think: QUICK! QUICK! Make sure to maintain your correct golf posture 22

23 WORKOUT 1: ADVANCED 8. Quick Core Diagonals Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: To develop quickness in your quick twitch muscle fibers of your obliques and to maximally challenge the stability and balance of your golf posture. Begin by getting in the correct golf stance knees bent, back straight, hinging forward at the waist. Take a step forward with one foot. Draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. In this position with a lightly weighted medicine ball, perform a fast chopping motion moving back and forth as quickly as you are able. Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions. Repeat with the opposite leg forward and chopping in the opposite direction. The key to this exercise is SPEED! Think: QUICK! QUICK! Make sure to maintain your correct golf posture. 23

24 WORKOUT 1: ADVANCED 9. Sideways Explosions Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: To develop a powerful coil into your X-Factor stretch and explosive hip power. Begin with your right leg forward. Swing your left arm around your right side and transition your weight over your right foot to begin the motion. Then swing your arm back to your left side and jump to the left using your right leg. Land on both feet and then set up to repeat the exercise again. This motion should be powerful and quick, but also safe! Perform 1-3 set of 8 repetitions. Repeat with the opposite leg. Think Load when you are getting ready to jump. Then think explode as you jump to the side. 24

25 WORKOUT 1: ADVANCED 10. Seated Russian Twists Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: To build powerful rotational strength and stability in your core muscles. You are going to feel this one! Begin by sitting on the floor, as shown, holding a weighted object, such as a medicine ball. Drawn in your belly button to stabilize your spine. Lean back as far as you are able as long as you can keep your spine straight and feet flat on the ground. From this position, rotate side to side touching the medicine ball to the floor each time. Repeat repetitions to each direction. Perform 1-3 sets. The key to this exercise is maintaining a straight and stabilized spine. If you feel that your low back is arching, then your core is not strong enough to stabilize the spine in that position. If this is the case, sit up to a position where you can stabilize the spine in a straight position. 25

26 EXPLOSION: WORKOUT #2 Workout # 2 is the second of the three exercise sessions that you should perform each week. Only perform this workout one time per week. The first section, called BASIC, is designed to take minutes to complete. The BASIC exercise session is composed of the primary training exercises that can be done quickly and easily. However, if you are in good physical condition, have fair to good balance, and would like to get the most out of this program, then you should complete both the BASIC and ADVANCED sections of this workout. **Perform Workout #2 with the video program and only use this guide as a back up. This workout lasts approximately minutes (depending on whether you choose 1 set or 3 sets of each exercise, perform the Basic and Advanced sections, and if done with the video).** 26

27 WORKOUT 2. BASICS 1. Swing fan (or broom) acceleration Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: To develop a strong powerful swing with emphasis on your larger and more important golf swing muscles of your hips, back and core. Begin in your correct golf stance holding a broom as if it was a golf club. Draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. Swing the broom as you would your driver. Perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions. The key for this exercise is powerful acceleration. In addition, it is very important that the broom reach its maximum velocity as it passes your left foot listen for the swish! 27

28 WORKOUT 2. BASICS 2. Leg Abduction with Resistance Band Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: To increase the strength and stability of your lateral hip muscles for correct loading of your back leg during your backswing (ei prevent backwards sway). Tie an exercise band around your legs, just above the ankles. Draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. Standing on one leg (hold onto something for balance if necessary) extend your leg laterally and return. Do not allow your foot to touch the ground! Perform 1-3 sets of 15 repetitions. Repeat with both legs. Make sure to keep both feet facing forward or slightly toed in in order to work the correct set of muscles. 28

29 WORKOUT 2. BASICS 3. Single Arm Simulation Swing for Speed Purpose: This is a very important exercise which helps to engrain the proper sequence of movement in the left arm. Setup: Golf Action: Exercise parameters: Keys to Success: Anchor the exercise band high on the door jam. Get into your correct golf stance and grab the band with your left arm as pictured. Finally, take 1-2 steps forward so that you swing from the inside to square swing path. Draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. First, make your TRANSITIONAL MOVE. Next, as fast as you can, move only your left arm to the impact position with SPEED! Perform 1-3 sets of 8 repetitions. You only make 2 moves with this exercise: 1)transitional move and 2) left arm to the impact position. Try to limit the motion of the rest of your body. Although we are working on speed and power, do not sacrifice correct mechanics. 29

30 WORKOUT 2. BASICS 4. Golf Stretch #4 Hamstrings and Glutes Purpose: Setup: Separate shoulder turn from hip turn for X-Factor power plus hamstring stretch to improve posture stability through swing. Take a long step forward with your left foot. Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Holding the ends of a golf club rotate your body to the left and hold. Now try to straighten your knees until you feel a stretch behind your knees. Finally, bend forward at the hips until you feel a stretch in your glutes (butt). Perform 1-3 sets with 30 second holds. 30

31 WORKOUT 2. BASICS 5. Golf Stretch 5 Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: To separate your shoulder turn from the hip turn for X-Factor power and to improve torso flexibility for a full backswing and follow through while reducing injury risks. Take a large step forward with your right foot. Holding the ends of a club, rotate your body to the right. Finally, sidebend to your right until you feel a stretch on your left side. Hold stretch for 30 seconds. Perform 3 repetitions both directions. 31

32 WORKOUT 2. BASICS 6. Back Rotational Stretch Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: Improve neck and left shoulder flexibility to improve the quality of your backswing and reduce power sapping compensatory motions. With one hand, grab a stationary object, like a door jam, with the hand furthest away (backhand grip). Rotate your hips and head away until you feel a strong stretch. Hold for 2 seconds and repeat 10 repetitions. Then hold this stretch for 30 seconds. Perform 1-3 sets. It is very important that you complete the 10 repetitions and then hold a prolonged stretch for 30 seconds. This is a critical stretch. 32

33 WORKOUT#2 ADVANCED 7. Lawnmower Pulls to Golf Finish Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Key to Success: To develop a powerful load and explode movement with your hips that translates into your full swing. Anchor the exercise band below knee level in a door. Stand with your right side facing the door and your left hand grasping the exercise band. Begin in the position pictured first, crouched with your arm across your body. From this position, POWERFULLY transfer to the position in the second picture which should emulate a powerful follow through position and try to hold the position for one second. Think EXPLOSION!!! Perform 1-3 sets of 8 repetitions. Then rest at least 30 seconds between sets. Ideally, you want to explode out of the crouched position focusing on your hips rotating first and then your upper body second. 33

34 WORKOUT#2 ADVANCED 8. Speed Torso Rotations with Exercise Band Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: To develop transitional speed and power. Anchor the exercise band at belly button height in a door. Stand with your right side facing the door. Holding the exercise band out in front of you with nearly straight arms, walk sideways until the band is taut. INITIATE ROTATION WITH THE HIPS Rotate towards the anchor slowly, then explosive rotate away. In other words, load slowly then explode. Perform 1-3 sets of 8 repetitions. The key to this exercise is how quickly you can move, NOT how hard you can pull the band. 34

35 WORKOUT#2 ADVANCED 9. Hip Releasing Rotations Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Improve hip and spinal flexibility in all planes of movement to improve your X-Factor stretch and to reduce the risk of back injuries. You will need a chair or stool for this exercise. Stand approximately 2-3 feet away from the chair, keeping one foot on the ground, step and put the other foot on the chair, somewhat of a lunge position. Draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. Make sure that both feet are facing forward as seen in the picture to the left. 1) lunge forward to stretch your leg and reach forward with both of your hands (Picture 1) Return to your starting position. Perform 10 repetitions. Switch feet and repeat. 2)Lunge forward again while tilting your body with your arms away from the forward leg (Picture 2). Return to starting position. Perform 10 repetitions. Switch feet and repeat. Finally, with arms straight in front of you, lunge forward and rotate your body towards your forward leg (Picture 3). Perform 10 repetitions. Switch feet and repeat. 35

36 Keys to Success: Try to reach as far as you can safely and comfortably. It may be difficult for you to keep your balance with this exercise. If this is the case, you may want to have another chair by your side to hold on to. 36

37 EXPLOSION: WORKOUT #3 Workout # 3 is the last of the three exercise sessions that you should perform each week. Only perform this workout one time per week. The first section, called BASIC, is designed to take minutes to complete. The BASIC exercise session is composed of the primary training exercises that can be done quickly and easily. However, if you are in good physical condition, have fair to good balance, and would like to get the most out of this program, then you should complete both the BASIC and ADVANCED sections of this workout. **Perform Workout #3 with the video program and only use this guide as a back up. This workout lasts approximately minutes (depending on whether you choose 1 set or 3 sets of each exercise, perform the Basic and Advanced sections, and if done with the video).** 37

38 WORKOUT 3. BASICS 1. Backswing Trainer with Band Wrap Around Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Parameters: Develop power through resistance, correct loading on backswing, and position on follow through. Begin by attaching your exercise band and anchor to a doorway at around belly button height. Hold the band in your left hand and stand with your RIGHT side facing the door. Next, turn one FULL circle around to the LEFT so that the band wraps around you one time. Finally, get into your correct golf stance with your knees slightly bent, hinged forward at the waist, and your back flat. As if you were hitting a golf ball, take your normal backswing and follow through. Your follow through will be against resistance so turn strong, quickly, and under control to a full finish. Perform 1-3 sets of 8 repetitions. Keys to Success: During your backswing, pay particular attention that your right knee does not rotate or straighten at all. During your follow through, make sure that you fully follow through to your front foot so that the only part of your right foot touching the ground is your toe. ****This exercise has the potential to throw you off balance. Make sure that your balance is sure, or have someone or something to grab in case you lose your balance. Safety is much more important than execution. 38

39 WORKOUT 3. BASICS 2. Acceleration Trainer with Band Wrap Around Purpose: To develop powerful backswing loading and to increase hip speed through the swing. Setup: Golf Action: Parameters: Begin by attaching your exercise band and anchor to a doorway at around belly button height. Hold the band in your left hand and stand with your LEFT side facing the door. Next, turn one FULL circle around to the RIGHT so that the band wraps around you one time. Finally, get into your correct golf stance with your knees slightly bent, hinged forward at the waist, and your back flat. As if you were hitting a golf ball, take your normal backswing and follow through. Your follow through will be accelerated by the force from the resistance band so be careful not to lose you balance forward. Perform 1-3 sets of 8 repetitions. Keys to Success: During your backswing, pay particular attention that your right knee does not rotate or straighten at all. During your follow through, make sure that you accelerate rotationally with the band to a full finish. HANG ON, this exercise can send you shooting forward! ****This exercise has the potential to throw you off balance. Make sure that your balance is sure, or have someone or something to grab in case you lose your balance. Safety is much more important than execution. 39

40 WORKOUT 3: BASICS 3. Lunges with Rotations Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to success: Strengthen the powerful hip rotators and improve X-Factor flexibility for power. Begin in standing, in an athletic position. Take a long step forward and bend your forward knee. As you lunge, rotate your arms and upper body around the leg that is forward. Push back up to your starting position. Perform repetitions with both legs. From the lunged position, the faster you can push back up to standing, the better. 40

41 WORKOUT 3. BASICS 4. Supination/Pronation with Golf Club Purpose: To develop strong wrist rotation for power at the point of impact. Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: Begin by holding an iron straight out in front of you with your arm extended. Slowly rotate your arm to the right so that the club falls to the right. Stop when the club is parallel to the ground. Next, rotate your arm and the club to the left. Perform 1-3 sets of 15 repetitions. Perform this exercise slowly and with control. You can choke up on the club to make this exercise easier. To increase the resistance, tie a bath towel on the end of the golf club. 41

42 WORKOUT Resisted Backswings BASICS Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: To strengthen and engrain the proper positioning in backswing. Anchor the exercise band low on a door. Stand with your side to the door as shown. Get into your golf stance (knees bent, back straight, hinged forward at the waist). Draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. Perform the backswing until your left arm is parallel to the ground and wrists are cocked to 90 degrees. This motion should slow and controlled. Perform 2-3 sets of 8 perfect repetitions. Mechanics are extremely important with this exercise so be meticulous. If this is overwhelming, work on one thing at a time. In the address position: 1) your weight should be equal on both feet. Halfway back position: (picture #2) 1) your weight should be on the INSIDE of your back foot towards your heel, 2) your back knee should have maintained the bend it had at address, 3) your left arm should be straight 4) your wrists cocked at a 90 degree angle, 5) your head should not have moved much, 7) and your right elbow should be tucked in (no chicken winged out). 42

43 WORKOUT 3. BASICS 6. Heel to Butt Stretch Purpose: Setup: Treatment: Treatment Parameters: The purpose of this exercise is to develop flexibility in the front of your hips and to improve posture and muscle balance. Begin by lying on your stomach on the side of your bed with one foot off of the edge and on the floor as shown. Step as far forward as you can with the foot that is on the floor. From this position, bend the knee of the leg that is on the bed. You should feel a stretch in the upper thigh of that leg. Hold the stretch for 2-3 seconds and repeat. Perform 15 repetitions with each leg. 43

44 WORKOUT 3. BASICS 7. Golf Stretch #6 Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: To gain maximum X-Factor flexibility for maximum power. Take a long step forward with your right leg. Holding the ends of a golf club with both of your hands and rotate to the right. Now try and rotate your arms even further, pushing back with your left hand a pulling back with your right hand. Hold stretch for 30 seconds. Repeat with your left leg forward. Repeat 1-3 sets. 44

45 WORKOUT 3. BASICS 8. Golf Stretch #3 Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: To stretch hip flexors so you can maintain golf posture through your swing, which will improve ball striking consistency. Take a long step forward with your right foot. Now lean backwards slightly and thrust your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your left hip. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 sets with each leg forward. 45

46 WORKOUT #3 - ADVANCED 9. Hip Loader EXPLODER Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: To maximize rotational strength and power of your hips and torso for explosive distance off of the tee. You will need either a weighted ball or a sports ball (basketball, soccer, etc.) and a wall to throw it against. If you do not have a wall, make the motion of throwing the ball without actually throwing it. Take a backwards diagonal lunge while rotating your body around your leg so that the ball is on the opposite side of your lunging leg (the more rotation the better). From this position, push up powerfully and rotate back around, throwing the ball powerfully at your target. Perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions to each side. Focus on quickness and core power! 46

47 WORKOUT #3 - ADVANCED 10. Single leg squats with crossover reach Purpose: Setup: Golf Action: Exercise Parameters: Keys to Success: To increase stability for golf swing consistency and hip strength for power. Stand on one leg and hold the dumbbell as shown in the opposite hand. Draw in your belly button to stabilize your spine. Perform a single leg squat while the hand holding the dumbbell reaches for your opposite ankle. Then return to standing and raise the dumbbell overhead as shown Perform 1 set of 12 repetitions with both legs. Make sure to bend your knees as well as your waist. This exercise requires good balance. If you do not have good balance, hold onto something stable with the arm not being used in the exercise. 47

48 Chapter X. X treme Power Rx. Introduction For the younger golfers, power is more about ego and wanting to outdrive your buddies. However, for most golfers over 50, it is no longer a matter of wanting but of needing. No one wants to admit that they will need 3 good shots to hit most par 4 s and nobody likes to pull out the driver or 3-wood on a run-of-the-mill par 3. In fact, to play the golf course as it was meant to be played, many men in their 60 s and early 70 s would have to play from the red tees not a very empowering thought. As a result, golfers just continue to struggle along trying to get up-and-down on every green and never having the opportunity or good feeling that comes from rolling in a few birdie putts once in a while. And women have it even worse. The average female golfer hits the ball 75% as far as the average male golfer. Well you say, the women s tees account for this difference so all is fair. But that is not true. If the male golfer wants to get an idea of how long the golf course is for women from the red tees, they would have to move their tees back until the golf course measured 7500 yards!!! That s long, really long. Age Defying Golf Rx was conceived with these two groups of golfers in mind. The following techniques are meant for golfers that already hit the ball straight off of the tee and are looking to maximize what 48

49 their body has to offer. I guarantee that these techniques will add valuable yards to your drives. 1. Take a Slightly Wider Stance The more torque and power that you produce with your swing, the more stable and controlled your lower body needs to be. You can accomplish this by taking a slightly wider stance with your feet. In addition, and more importantly for power, taking a wider stance tends to change how you swing the driver. Where as a narrow stance with your short irons and wedges helps to encourage a descending blow to the ball, a wider stance encourages a sweeping and ascending impact. An ascending impact will give you a higher trajectory for more carry and will reduce the backspin on the ball which will also give you more carry and more roll on your drives. Finally, a wider stance helps to limit excessive hip rotation. If you remember the principals of the X-factor, less hip rotation in combination with more shoulder rotation will result in an exponential increase in power. 49

50 2. Reverse K, or Backwards Tilting T Setup This setup is meant to be used with a driver or fairway woods. The reverse k setup (also known as the backwards tilting T ) helps promote a sweeping swing, will help you clear your hips better, and will help you achieve an improved secondary spine angle during your backswing. We have found that the key to teaching this setup is to remind the golfer not to overdo it. Start with a small tilt and increase from there. We have had golfers increase their swing speed by 4-5 mph simply by incorporating this simple drill. With your hands at your side, get into your correct golf stance. From this position, dip your right shoulder slightly so that your right hand reaches down your right leg. In addition, shift your weight so that 70% of your weight is over the inside of your back foot. Now we have your weight behind the ball and it should stay behind the ball until after you have driven it. This leads to our second tip. 50

51 2. Weight Behind the Ball at Impact I cannot say why golfers have a difficult time keeping their head and bodyweight behind the ball at the impact position. The powerful motion is to keep your weight behind a solid left side. This is how baseball players bat and throw, how tennis players hit the ball, how shot putters throw, etc. Golfers feel that if they get their body weight to shift backwards and then heave their body weight forward they can produce more power. However, power is produced when you keep your weight behind the ball and rotate your arms and the club through. You can imagine this power if we make the comparison to cracking a whip. When cracking a whip, the power does not come from your hand coming forward, but when your hand slows down and allows the whip to fire past the hand. If your hand never stopped going forward, all that stored power in the whip would be wasted. To make the comparison, the hand holding the whip is like your body in a golf swing. The body has to stop going forward to allow the arms and golf club to fire past the body. The rotation of your body is like the hand holding the whip making the wrist flip that produces the final crack of the whip. There are many ways to work on keeping your head and body behind the ball at impact. Teaching professionals will stick the shaft of the golf club in the ground so that it sticks up 2-3 left of your left hip. The idea is to not touch the shaft with your left hip which means that you are rotating instead of shifting your weight too far forward. 51

52 If you continue to have difficulty there are a couple of things you can try. One, is the reverse K setup which gets your upper body behind the ball before you swing. And second, put 70% of your weight on the inside of your back foot while you set up to the ball. If you do this, you are already in the correct position needed for your backswing and to keep your weight there until after you hit the ball. Then, all you have to do is turn in your backswing, you no longer have to worry about shifting your weight back because it is already there!! 3. Ball Forward One of the biggest faults that we find with golfers is teeing the ball too far back when using their driver. This results in all sorts of biomechanical adjustments that result in a loss of power and accuracy. Not to mention the increase in backspin and decreased loft of the ball. At a minimum, you should tee the ball up so that it is even with the inside of your front heel. Most golfers know this is the correct position, but we find that although most golfers feel that they are teeing the ball up correctly, they are actually teeing the ball too far back. So make sure to have someone check your position for you you may be surprised where your ball position actually is! However, if you want even more power, tee the ball up off of your big toe or second toe. You will be surprised how much of a difference this will make, its huge! Most swings reach their maximum speed just as the driver is passing the front leg. To accommodate for this position you need to make one more adjustment. Since you will be 52

53 hitting the ball as your driver ascends instead of descends, you need to tee the ball a little higher for optimum impact and distance. For a forward ball position, tee the ball so that at least ¾ of the ball is higher than your driver at address. Beware! If you tend to slice the ball, a forward ball position may make your slice worse. You really need to focus on swinging through the ball to your target and not cutting across the ball. Finally, taking a wider stance and having a reverse k position at address are essential for success when the ball is teed forward. 4. Relaxed Wrists Most pro golfers will tell you that when they want to hit a really long ball, they focus on keeping their grip and wrists relaxed. That s because when you want to hit it long, your body will naturally try to grip it hard. When your grip is too tight and your wrists are tight, you will not be able to release the club through impact properly. This principle of staying relaxed applies to your whole body as well. In fact, I have never heard a pro golfer say that they swing 100% as hard as they can, even when they are trying to hit a long ball. You will probably be best served to never swing more than 85% of your maximum! 5. Wider Arc In golf, there are only a few factors that affect ball distance. Here, we will look to physics to explain how golfers with beanpoles for arms can generate so much power. The answer is width, swing width. Width is the reason that the long and tall Randy Johnson 53

54 can hurl at blazing fastball around 100 mph. With your lower chest bone (sternum) as the center of movement, the further your hands and the club are away, the greater power you will have. Of course, we have to remember the correct principals of swing mechanics so we are not going crazy here. But we can increase our width and, thus, power in a sensible way. As I am writing this chapter, I received the latest issue of Golf Digest magazine (Sept. 08), which has a great article and picture sequence depicting Padraig Harrington s swing changes that he has made since This is a player that maximizes the principle of swing width! The first position that I see in Harrington s backswing that impresses me with width, is his halfway back position, when his hands are at waist level. At this position, the shaft of his driver is parallel to the ground, the butt of the shaft is aiming directly down the target line, his left arm is straight, and his wrists are NOT cocked. It is almost as if he is reaching backwards so the head of the driver is as far away from the sternum as it can be maximum width. The point of the wrist cock is interesting because it is opposite than when a player is using an iron. With an iron, the wrists should be cocked halfway back to promote a descending blow to the ball. However, we want a sweeping type of swing with the woods so the wrists should not be fully cocked until the end of your backswing. This also helps to store up power. 54

55 6. X Factor Maximized As explained earlier, the x-factor is the difference between how much your hips rotate and how much your upper body or shoulder rotate. The greater the difference the greater the power (as long as you do not have mechanical breakdowns). This is one of the reasons why tour players with less than impressive physical bodies can produce so much power. The average x-factor of a tour pro is as much as double that of your typical amateur golfer. This is one of the differences between swinging hard with no power and swinging effortlessly with great power. One component of the X-factor is flexibility. We have addressed this exhaustively throughout the Age Defying Golf Rx program. However, I also see many golfers who rotate their hips too much. These golfers are working way too hard and not using biomechanics to their advantage. It is important to limit the rotation of your pelvis to approximately 45 0 on the backswing and maximize your shoulder turn so that you can maximize your X-Factor. Here are the keys to maximizing your X-Factor: 1. Do not let your right knee straighten on your backswing. 2. Keep your kneecap facing forward on your backswing, do not let it rotate. However, if you have poor flexibility, you may have to allow the kneecap to rotate to get a full backswing! This is OK as long as you do not let your R knee straighten, or lose its bend, in your backswing. 55

56 3. Do not let your body weight roll to the outside of your back foot on your backswing. Your weight should primarily be on the inside of your heel. 4. Keep your shoulders down so you can rotate your shoulders UNDERNEATH your chin during your backswing. 5. At the top of your backswing, your shirt buttons should be directly over your right hip, your right knee and your right ankle (stacked). The difficult part about maximizing your X-factor is getting the timing and muscle firing sequence correct as you make your transition to your downswing. As a result, practice this many times before you play and focus on a smooth transition back and through. If you perform these mechanics properly, you should feel the build up of tension in your right hip.that is stored power, let it ride! **Remember, these techniques should only be used with your driver and fairway woods. 56

57 FINAL NOTE CONCERNING ON COURSE TECHNIQUES AND MECHANICS One of the most important lessons on taking golf lessons is to NOT think about any of the drills or techniques that you have worked on when playing a round of golf. These thoughts will tie you up and ruin your swing. The goal of the swing drills is to train your body to be in the correct position without having to think about this. How many repetitions of a drill does it take to train your body? Some studies suggest a minimum of 5000 repetitions so don t get frustrated if these drills don t translate into success on the course right away. Just keep working on them and they will become second nature. Sage advice concerning swing changes is to work on the changes on the driving range and with practice. However, when you play golf your should focus on being relaxed and athletic with your swing and living with the swing you have that day. To help keep your mind off of swing drills and the minutia of mechanics, it helps to have 1-2 swing thoughts as you swing. This is not my expertise and I would direct you to the growing number of golf books on the mental game of golf. 90% of golf is played between your ears, so do some research on how to train your mental game. One of my favorites is The Mental Game of Golf: A Guide to Peak Performance by Patrick J. Cohn. Remember, the keys are to stay loose and athletic in your swing. Some well-used swing thoughts are to say back and through as you swing or one and two to promote a good rhythm and good timing. There are hundreds of positive swing thoughts out there to 57