The Power of Push Ups
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Important tips about strength training for junior golfers
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by Susan Hill
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The push up is one of the most underrated
exercises available to challenge the upper
body strength of junior golfers. Push ups are
one of the top recommended exercises among
elite trainers because they offer the
following benefits:
Great for improving strength to body
weight
ratios
Challenges upper body strength along with
core development
Re-enforces good posture and alignment, as
in
golf
Builds shoulder stability
Develops additional strength and power
throughout the kinetic chain
Increases muscle endurance
Provides versatility and ease of use.
There
are up to 30 different push up variations that
can be performed anywhere, anytime.
As with any exercise, a golfer can vary the
difficulty level along with the number of
repetitions, sets performed and altering the
speed of movement to change the emphasis from
strength to explosive power. Quality of
movement and set up of your push up is the key
to making this a successful part of your
routine. Quantity will come with time and
patience.
While there are many push up variations, here
are some basic rules that should be followed
every time.
Keep a neutral spine. Contract your
abdominal
muscles (pull them in close and tight) to
maintain a neutral spine position. This will
eliminate any unnecessary stress or strain to
the lower back.
Breathing is key. Inhale as you lower
your
body towards the floor. Exhale as you lift
your body back up.
Pay attention to your wrists. If you
experience any pain or discomfort in your
wrists while performing push ups, try placing
some light dumbbells in place of your hand
position. This will take any undo stress from
your wrists by changing your grip position and
degree of extension.
Keep you chin tucked. Try not to lift
your
chin toward the ceiling or tuck it down
towards the floor. By keeping your head in a
neutral position, this will better assist
proper body alignment.
Patience, Persistence, Consistency!
Push ups
can be frustrating at first. Try to stay
patient as strength development doesn’t happen
overnight. However, with a consistent effort,
you will likely see your strength increase
rapidly over short periods of time.
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