pilates for golfers - sample and tips for professionals and enthusiasts. ... agility, joint mobility...

About the Authors

Beth Begelman has more than 10 years experience in the fitness industry. After spending

several years in the airline field and in the corporate world, Beth began her career in fitness.

She started as an aerobics instructor and went on to obtain training and certifications in

personal training, mat Pilates, Pilates apparatus, yoga and golf specific fitness. Beth is certified

as a Pilates apparatus instructor with the PhysicalMind Institute; her mat training was

completed with STOTT PILATES ®. Additionally she holds a certification with Mike Wright’s

Golf Pilates as a Pilates for Golf trainer. She has obtained the highest level golf fitness

certifications with Advantage Golf and is a level 3 Golf Fitness Professional through the Titleist

Performance Institute.

Beth sits on the Advisory Board for Golf Fitness Magazine and is also a contributing writer. She is a co-founder of Pilates

Digest, an online magazine for Pilates professionals and enthusiasts.

Kelley Ranaudo has been in the fitness industry for 16 years and has been active her entire

life. She started dancing when she was 4 and enjoyed the discipline until she graduated from

high school. She received an undergraduate degree in Business Marketing and a graduate

degree in Exercise Science from the University of Florida. Kelley also received her MBA from

Webster University. She received her aerobic and personal training certification from AFAA

while in college and also received her ACSM certification during graduate school. She realized

her passion for fitness while teaching for the College of Health and Human Performance and

for the University of Florida Recreation Center during college.

Her experience includes running the Women’s Wellness Center, a hospital based fitness center

and managing the private spa and fitness center at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge in

Orlando. She is a STOTT PILATES® Certified Instructor and is trained on the MVe chair through Peak Pilates. She has

received certifications in Spinning, Kickboxing, and is a level 1 Golf Fitness Professional through the Titleist Performance

Institute. Additionally she is trained with Mike Wright’s Golf Pilates as a Pilates for Golf trainer. Kelley sits on the Advisory

Board for Golf Fitness Magazine and is also a contributing writer.

Kelley and her husband started The Fitness Studio of Orlando (www.FitnessOrlando.com) in March of 2003 as a personal

training, golf-specific fitness training and Pilates studio. Kelley continually works to educate herself and help others

entering the fitness industry. She believes if you have the passion for fitness and helping others, you should be working in

the field. She does her best to help those with the passion to succeed in this industry.

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About Pilates Digest

Pilates Digest (www.PilatesDigest.com) is an online resource engaging the Pilates community all over the world. The

website is filled with interviews, product reviews, training articles, sport-specific articles, video exercises, resources,

products and tips for professionals and enthusiasts. Whether teaching or practicing Pilates, you will be immersed in the

information this website provides. The training information is invaluable, the interviews are fascinating, the product

reviews are informative and the resources are abundant.

New content is provided every month by contributors with varied backgrounds and training. Resources are continually

being developed to help you in your Pilates practice. We are constantly updating and adding to our site. Our goal is to

help all of us be better Pilates instructors.


http://www.PilatesDigest.com




Introduction

This is a unique series of exercises that actually addresses the specific swing faults golfers experience. With the help of

some basic screenings and essential Pilates exercises, you can improve your client’s game. There are also some

exercises that are not Pilates based that were important to include as well (Golf). Both authors are trained in Mat through

STOTT PILATES ®, so the basis of many of the exercises comes from STOTT PILATES principles and repertoire

(STOTT).

Each section explains a golf swing fault and the physical limitations which create it. Also included are the assessments

used to determine the physical limitations and then which exercises should be incorporated into a program to make

improvements.

Each section includes 6-10 exercises to help correct the swing fault. Not only will these exercises help improve your

client’s golf game, but they will also help extend the years your client will be able to enjoy the game of golf.

We hope you enjoy the start of this Golf Swing Pilates series. We will continue to provide resources for Pilates instructors

to help their clients with their golf game. Visit Pilates Digest (www.PilatesDigest.com) for more Pilates articles and videos.

A special thanks to Bill Madonna of the Bill Madonna Golf Academy (www.BillMadonnaGolf.com) for providing the

resources to shoot photos and videos at their academy site, Hawk’s Landing Golf Course, located at Florida’s premier

Resort, Orlando World Center Marriott Resort.




http://www.BillMadonnaGolf.com

http://www.BillMadonnaGolf.com



Why is Pilates Beneficial for Golfers?

The principles of Pilates that make it such an amazing exercise discipline are very similar to golf. The mind/body

connection of each activity is important, as is the core control of the body. Pilates principles include concentration,

precision, fluidity, control, coordination, centering and breathing. These are all equally important in the practice and

playing of golf. This is just the beginning of the connection between the two.

Many people are unfamiliar with Pilates and exactly what a Pilates routine involves. Pilates exercises focus on the core of

the body — the abdominals, gluteals, pelvic muscles and lower- to mid-back region. Core conditioning, or torso stability,

is essential for improving balance and posture and reducing back pain. Pilates consists of controlled movements and

precise form that require concentration to train several muscle groups at once.

While Pilates training builds core abdominal and back strength, golfers also see increased flexibility, agility, joint mobility

and stability. Posture is improved, and clients become more aware of their posture. Pain and tension can also be

alleviated. Deep muscles are activated, strengthened and conditioned; and abdominals are flattened, while natural

posture is restored and strengthened. As a result, athletic performance is improved.

A sports medicine physician and PGA Tour physician, Vijay Vad, MD, says that Pilates provides your game with a “tripod”

of benefits: (1) 18 holes of stamina, (2) more power, more yards, and (3) preventing injuries. In the July/August 2006

issue of PilatesStyle magazine he explains how core endurance and strength help to prevent fatigue from setting in

before the end of a round, and how Pilates increases shoulder and hip rotation which gives a golfer more power.

Pilates will help all levels of golfers from amateur to professional. In order for golfers to experience the true benefits of

Pilates, they should seek a properly trained instructor. Qualified instructors undergo hundreds of training hours for many

months or years before completing our certification. Weekend and online courses cannot begin to educate an instructor

with the information needed to assess, educate and safely train clients.




What are the Major Swing Faults?

A golf-specific workout program should be based on an individual golfer’s needs. Those needs should be determined via

a physical examination/assessment. Results of the assessment will also help determine a golfer’s swing faults and

tendencies. Most swing faults inhibit the correct sequencing and proper swing plane required for a perfect shot. All of

these factors affect the direction, power, speed and distance of the ball and the health and longevity of the golfer (Titleist,

31-81).

Major Swing Faults

• S Posture

• C Posture

• Loss of Posture

• Over the Top

• Sway and Slide

• Reverse Spine Angle

• Hanging Back

• Casting, Early Release and Scoop

• Chicken Winging




S-PostureThis describes a golfer at address who stands with an excessive arch in their lower back, known as lordosis. The

muscles in their low back are compressed and creating stress. This can affect the sequencing of the swing and leads to

many other swing faults.

S-Posture usually occurs because of weak abdominals and glutes, and a tight low back and hip flexors. This client

needs a combination of strengthening and stretching to get them in a more neutral pelvic position at address.




Golf Fitness Evaluation

Pelvic Tilt TestUsed to determine a client’s pelvic mobility

Directions:

1. Have the client assume their “5-iron” posture

2. Ask the client to arch their low back (anterior pelvic tilt) first*

3. Ask the client to flatten their low back (posterior tilt)

4. Note whether the movement is restricted either to the anterior or posterior

* It is critical to do the anterior tilt first because the client can give a false anterior tilt

reading if they posterior tilt first. You will find that when a golfer sets up with an

anterior tilt before you even ask them to move, this movement will be severely

restricted which can be quite bad for the golf swing and your client’s lumbar spine.

What to look for:

• Good range of motion to both the anterior and posterior. The movement should

be smooth. If it is not, note that the movement is shaky

• Some clients will try to move their pelvis by moving their knees and legs and/or

their upper spine. When this occurs their movement is limited as they are trying to

recruit other muscles to do the pelvic tilt

Implications for golf:

• Loss of Posture

• S Posture

• Early Extension

• Over-the-top

• Reverse Spine Angle

• Chicken Winging




S Posture Exercise

S Posture Exercise - Bird Dog with BandFocus: Torso, pelvis and scapular stabilization, hip and knee mobility

Purpose: To strengthen the abdominals and challenge stability in the torso, pelvis and shoulders

Instructions:

• Wrap the center of a flex band over the top and around the bottom of one foot and bring the ends up and around,

holding ends in one hand

• Begin in a quadruped position with knees below hips and wrists below shoulders. Neck should be a long, natural

extension of the spine

• Inhale to prepare and stabilize the scapula

• Exhale to lift the right knee off the floor and extend the leg straight out from the body. The heel should be no higher

than the rear end

• Inhale and release the right knee back toward the floor without letting it rest

• Repeat 8-10 repetitions on each side, switching the band between sets

• It is important to maintain trunk stability and neutral pelvis while moving through the work




Improve Your Client’s Golf Game using the Pilates Method

With the help of some basic screenings and essential exercises, you can drastically improve your client’s golf game and extend their years of playing golf. Practicing Pilates improves balance, core stability, hip stability, flexibility, strength, increased range-of-motion, mind/body connection and effective breathing techniques. If you want to improve your client’s golf game, with some basic exercises that can be done anywhere, this series is for you!

If you are looking for reliable information when working with golfers, this unbelievable manual actually addresses the specific swing faults golfers experience. This manual designed for Pilates instructors includes:

About the AuthorsKelley Ranaudo and Beth Begelman have over 26 years combined experience in the fitness industry. Kelley is a STOTT PILATES® certified instructor and Beth is certified with the PhysicalMind Institute. Both are certified through the Titleist Performance Institute and have additional training in Pilates for golf. Kelley and Beth sit on the Advisory Board for Golf Fitness Magazine and both are contributing writers. Beth currently trains many levels of golfers, from amateur to professional. They are located at The Fitness Studio of Orlando in Orlando, Florida, which was started by Kelley and her husband, John Ranaudo. Kelley, Beth and John founded Pilates Digest, an online magazine for Pilates professionals and enthusiasts, www.pilatesdigest.com.

PilatesDigestE n g a g i n g T h e P i l a t e s C o m m u n i t y O n l i n e

Over 140 pages of solid contentDetailed descriptions and pictures of golf swing faults and causesSpecific instructions to determine your client’s swing faultWarm-up exercises for each swing fault6 – 12 mat exercises for each swing faultPictures and step-by-step instructions for each exercise Help your client hit the ball farther, straighter and feel better

P.O. Box 554Windermere, FL 34786-0554407.459.1646 phone320.451.1646 faxwww.PilatesDigest.com

pilates for golfers - sample and tips for professionals and enthusiasts. ... agility, joint mobility...

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