January-March 2021 The Stone Newsletter

Planks – “Everybody hates them a little,” Gillilan says with a chuckle – but they're great for increasing strength in the abs, arms, shoulders, and legs. “A couple cues,” Gillilan adds: “If you feel it in your low back, your hips are too low, so bring them up. If you feel it in your shoulders, that means your hips are too high, so bring them a little lower.” Lunges – Because lunges are great for flexibility and strength in the lower body, they can be particularly helpful for golfers. With their focus on balance, lateral lunges are good for opening up the hips and strength- ening legs, hips, and core. “If I have somebody that can’t do squats, lunges are going to open those hips up as well as strengthen the lower body,” Gillilan says.

BALANCE FITNESS WITH SWING TRAINING “ Don’t neglect your fitness or your swing, always include aspects of both in your training, no matter if it's in-season or off, ” says Gillilan. First on the resolution list, according to Gillilan, is a bit of realistic self-assessment. It's important to keep in mind your own level of physical fitness when preparing yourself for the coming golf season. “Start with where you are, not where you think you should be,” Gillilan says. “If you lack general fitness, focus on that for four to six weeks before adding sport specific things. If you are generally fit, focus on adding some specific rotational accessories.” For golfers, Gillilan recommends the TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) assessment, which can help you focus in on those rotational deficiencies. “We assess the hip rotation, shoulder mobility, thoracic rotation, head & neck rotation, and wrist mobility,” Gillilan says. “If you are a regular golfer, rotational exercise with [elastic] bands are very important. But if you don’t have a good general base of fitness, the rotational work is going to be minimally effective.” GOLF EXERCISES YOU CAN DO AT HOME The Greystone Fitness Center features great equipment for anyone looking to knock out some mobility and flexibility exercises. But if you're not able to get to your favorite fitness center, the key is to find some things you can do at home. Here are a few suggestions: Incline pushups – Gillilan suggests doing pushups on an incline for strengthening the arms, which do all the swinging on the course. Starting with your hands on the edge of your bed or the seat of a chair, scoot your feet back to enter a push up pose. “On the push up, go all the way down and touch the chest, pinching the shoulder blades together as you bring your chest towards the surface,” he says. “Then when pushing up, you’re going to keep the hips and feet down but lift one arm and rotate, opening the chest – like a T. This is better and more easily done on an incline than on the flat ground.”

Russian Twist – Seated on the floor with a heavy ball in hand, you stabilize the lower half of your body and rotate the upper half. Gillilan says it is one of his favorite exercises for strengthening the core and increasing flexibility, but it is often done incorrectly. “People move the ball around their body, but instead of rotating their body, they're moving their arms,” he says. “You don’t have to raise your feet. Keep the ball in line with the middle of your chest and rotate the entire upper half of your body.” If you're new to working out, two days at a time is enough to make progress with your fitness program. But as you progress, you get to the point where two days just becomes maintenance and you should add a day. With three days, Gillilan says you'll see the greatest return and longevity to your workouts. Because golf requires both fitness and skill, Gillilan recommends having a trusted trainer for each. “A trainer and a golf pro are the absolute best combination for getting the most out of your golf game.”

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