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  • Using a golf club can come in handy when doing...

    Using a golf club can come in handy when doing the Wide Leg Forward Hold. If you're extra flexible, grasp your hands behind your back and eschew the club.

  • The Seated Overhead Arm Stretch improves posture and aligns your...

    The Seated Overhead Arm Stretch improves posture and aligns your spine, among other benefits.

  • The Wide Leg Forward Hold exercise tones and strengthens many...

    The Wide Leg Forward Hold exercise tones and strengthens many body areas that will keep you loose and pain free during the round.

  • The Easy Spinal Twist increases flexibility in your spine, torso,...

    The Easy Spinal Twist increases flexibility in your spine, torso, shoulders and hips.

  • The Tree Pose is good overall body strengthener as well...

    The Tree Pose is good overall body strengthener as well as a good pose for improved posture and better balance.

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The physical benefits of yoga are known: improved flexibility and circulation, release of muscular tension, spinal extension and better range of motion, to name a few. But there’s a bigger prize to be won through regular yoga practice, and it occurs above the shoulders.

See if this sounds familiar:

Breakfast was amazing, and the barista at the coffee shop got your order just right. You can feel it in your bones – today is the day it all comes together. You step to the first tee and inhale and exhale deeply. Good posture? Check! Weight evenly distributed? Check! New super driver ready to rock? Check! You take a swing and crush the ball into the clear blue sky. You feel a sense of pride … for about 4 seconds. If only the big-shot course designer hadn’t put that bunker in the perfect spot to gobble up your ball.

Oh well. Your sand play has been decent … until now. And then, instead of two putts it’s three. Your chest tightens, your posture slumps and your spinal range of motion decreases as stress hormones overtake your body. By the end of the round you wonder why you even play this silly game.

What if, after that first shot, you’d taken three strategic breaths? What if you stretched to release the tension? Yoga can be a game changer, if you let it, because there are benefits when it comes to concentration and physical release that can keep your game at peak potential. Golf is a chance to challenge ourselves to do and be better and to transform and transcend our limits, both mentally and physically.

Whether you’ve tried yoga or not, these postures and poses are suitable for golfers of all levels and body types because they’ll increase spinal flexibility and open your shoulders and chest for a more consistent and fluid swing. They’ll also strengthen and tone your legs for more power and spine support in addition to improving your focus on and off of the course.

SEATED OVERHEAD ARM STRETCH

Sit in a comfortable position. Inhale, reach your right arm over your head and turn your palm toward you. Imagine you’re giving yourself a pat on the back with your right hand. Then, take your left hand to your right elbow and gently push it back until you feel a stretching sensation. When at your maximum depth, take 10 slow and deep breaths. Draw your lower belly in if you’re overarching your back. Repeat on the left side.

Golf benefits: Opens chest and shoulders; increases circulation and flexibility in arms and shoulders; improves posture; aligns spine and strengthens the abdomen.

WIDE LEG FORWARD HOLD

Stand with your feet wide and arms to the side. Inhale and reach your arms over your head. As you exhale, let your hands fall behind you and interlace your fingers, if possible. If not, get a golf club and hold it behind your back with a grip wide enough for a maximum stretch through the chest. Inhale and then exhale before bending forward and bringing your arms up and away from your lower back. As you inhale, concentrate on bringing the breath into the heart and under the collarbone. As you exhale, bend a little deeper and keep the legs active by rolling your weight toward the balls of your feet to align your hips over your heels. Hold for 10 breaths before inhaling, slowly rising and releasing your hands.

Golf benefits: Opens shoulders and chest to promote better breathing and posture; strengthens and stretches the inner and back legs and spine; tones abdominal organs; relieves mild backaches to keep you comfortable for 18 holes.

EASY SPINAL TWIST

Lay on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor hip distance apart.  Extend your arms to the side. Inhale deeply and, as you exhale, let your knees fall to the left. Allow them to rest there for 10 breaths. Keep your right shoulder on the ground, if possible. If not, make that your goal moving forward. After your last breath, inhale and bring your knees back up through center and, as you exhale, drop them to the right, with your left shoulder down. Repeat for 10 breaths before bringing your knees to your chest, curling your body into a ball and rocking side to side to release the spine.

Golf benefits: Increases flexibility in spine, torso, shoulders and hips; allows for full range of motion during the swing.

TREE POSE

Stand with both feet firmly planted and hands by your side. Close your eyes and notice how you naturally carry the weight on your feet. Make subtle corrections, if needed, to get weight evenly distributed on each foot. Use your right hand to pick up your right foot and place it in one of three spots: heel on the shin, foot on the calf or foot on the inner left thigh. Push back with your left leg against the foot to promote balance and bring your hands together in front of your chest. If possible, reach your arms up for more benefit, and to really test your balance, look up and/or close your eyes. Hold for 10 breaths and repeat on the other side.

Golf benefits: Strengthens thighs, calves, ankles and spine; stretches groin muscles, inner thighs, chest and shoulders; improves posture, balance, focus and concentration; relieves sciatica; produces a feeling of calm and presence.

Shilah Sarkissian is a leader in the health and wellness community and teaches yoga at local studios. She also partners with the Monarch Beach Golf Academy in Dana Point and leads local and international retreats for golfers and wellness seekers. For more tips and information, visit yogatrippin.net or monarchbeachgolf.com.