Yoga for Golfers

Golfers who don't learn the subtleties of the mental game of golf remain frustrated or give up before mastering it.



To reach the mental peak of your game, the instrument of your body has to be well tuned.



A balanced body is a flexible body, and suppleness is the cornerstone of a good golf game.



By combining the elements of Yoga practice and golf, you can develop the required physical endurance and the mental discipline that the game demands.

Since golfers tend to swing from one side of the body, overtraining and repetitive motion shows up in the form of larger muscles on one side of a golfer's body. This is particularly in the shoulders, biceps, forearms, and upper back will be more developed on a golfer's dominant side. These stronger muscles are even tighter, while the weaker muscles are even more flexible. The tight muscles, in turn, curb the free movement of surrounding muscles. This, finally, leads to limited range of motion.

In order to create more equality on both sides of the body, golfers need to hold strengthening poses on the weaker side of the body and opening poses on the stronger, yet tighter, side of the body.The ones in particular you should concentrate on are:

• Downward-Facing Dog to Upward Bow
• Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand)
• Urdhva Dhanurasana (Backbend)
• Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II)

Focus and breath control for golfers

Success in golf is the outcome of focused, under self-imposed pressure to meet goals, whether it's hitting a bogey, a par, a birdie, or striving to lower their handicap. Here breath-control matters. By connecting to the nuances of breath, you can clear your conscious mind. Without any expectation of outcome, all natural resources will flow forth from the store house of your subconscious and play through the body like wind through a flute.

Suggested Pranayamas for golfers:

• Kapalabhatti
• Anuloma-Viloma

All the best and happy swinging!