Your golf swing and pilates

Paulette Blaszak Pilates Golf Expert

Originally uploaded by troymccarty

On our staff at White Cloud Studios we have Paulette Blaszak or resident Golf and Pilates expert I ask her how Pilates benefits golfers here is what she said.

Paulette explains
There are countless ways Pilates helps the golf swing,
the biggest being strength and flexibility in the core
abdominal and lower back muscles. The resulting
benefit for the swing is better posture (which is
key), stamina, and balance. Let’s not forget the
coordination factor, as well as better concentration.
What every golfer desires to do is hit the ball
farther and straighter, because ultimately, this will
lower their score. Getting the maximum club head
speed at point of impact is what causes the ball to
go farther and to achieve this, one has to have the
greatest “coil” possible. What this boils down to is
pelvic stability and upper body flexibility. In the
classic swing, the sequence is: hands – arms -
shoulders – hips – legs. In a perfect world, the
shoulders would rotate 90 degrees with the hip turn
being 22-40 degrees. Most golfers lack the
flexibility to rotate the shoulders enough, so they
compensate by using the arms and lose power and speed,
and are at greater risk for injury in left elbow and
wrist. The Pilates technique can address flexibility
in the neck, shoulders, pecs,lats and thoracic spine
area to improve the differential between shoulders and
hips.

Putting calls upon balance of course, but breath is
crucial also. Do you realize how many people hold
their breath when they focus?! When one putts, it is
a perfect example of core stability with distal
mobility.

Spine Twist is an excellent exercise to help the
golfer attain a more supple body. This can be done
either standing or seated and holding a club
horizontally in front or behind the torso. Remember,
the pelvis doesn’t move- Rotate your torso to the right holding your pelvis and legs still (feel that your spine is spiraling up to the sky) rotate back in to the center. Try to keep both shoulder lever and your golf club as level as possible. Then repeat to the left. All too often golfers will
do their version of this and their ankles and knees
are what is getting warmed up because they rotate the
hips with the torso.

Next Pialtes for Golf Clinic is: March 24, 2008,
7:30-9:30pm at Prana Yoga and Dance in Broadview Hts.
Also May 3, 2008, 11:30-1:30pm at Chagrin Falls
White Cloud Studio, and May 24, 2008, 11:30-1:30pm
at Lakewood White Cloud Studio.

You can find out more information about White Cloud Studios and these golf clinics by calling us 216.221.9998 or visiting or web site at www.whitecloudstudios.com