Yoga, to improve golf

[neudi]

I am not sure if there is another thread on this topic, but I made it anyways.

How many people are doing yoga at this point? When I first heard of it I started laughing and saying that I would never do that stuff, I know others felt the same way. But now that I am looking at it, it looks like a great workout from inside your own house. I was thinking about starting it, but was wanting some feedback on others that are using it at this point. How has it improved your game, flexibility? Core Strength? Please tell me how you are doing with it and where you would recommend going to get it.

[Shindig]

  neudi said:

I am not sure if there is another thread on this topic, but I made it anyways.

I did Yoga Spring quarter, skipped summer, and did it again in Fall. It improved my flexibility. I know my long game has improved, with maybe 10 yards on the driver and a yard or two on the irons. I made more birdies in the last month than I have in all my golf before that.

It's certainly a workout, and I strongly encourage you to start out simple. I did yoga at school and not at home, so I don't know how well it works for at home. The instructor has corrected my stance several times, so I don't know how well I would've done it at home. I used to laugh at it too. Now I don't. It's a great way to begin the day 2x/week, and I believe my game has improved from it. Admittedly, that was the goal, and I will be continuing with yoga into the new year.

[neudi]

Thanks a lot, im hoping to get all the equipment and a few training videos to help get myself where I should be.

[Shindig]

  neudi said:

Thanks a lot, im hoping to get all the equipment and a few training videos to help get myself where I should be.

For what it's worth, I'm a big fan of doing it with as little equipment as possible (yoga, not golf). This allows you, if you want to, to do a little bit each morning without having to find your block, rope, etc. You'd be amazed which poses you can do with just a yoga mat (which you'll want).

Be sure to get a mat with plenty of padding.

[Bluenoser67]

This Guy

http://www.fredericksgolfflexibility...FQlxOAodxEafXA

Has made a mint selling yoga to golfers Of course he doesnt call it yoga because the average male cant accept the benefits of something that seems girly. I also do Yoga and think its great.

[gortyl]

let's put it this way, it can't hurt (unless you do it wrong, whereupon you CAN hurt yourself pretty bad, particularly your back). but if you do it correctly, under supervision for at least 5-10 sessions, it can only help.

i have not done yoga, but have done quite a bit of pilates, which is similar, but i feel is a bit better for building core strength. and there's just no question that it helps (again, IF you do it correctly).

but i just started a golf-specific program by titleist. it's been awesome (although I don't have any golf updates since i've haven't played a round since turkey day). but after three weeks on the program, i can tell you the exercises are intense and i absolutely feel more flexible, stronger and leaner. the beauty of it is that they spend an hour just on an objective analysis of your current fitness level - specifically flexibility and core strength. they input this into a proprietary software program and it spits out a 2-3 page report card, so to speak, and they assign you a fitness handicap. based on that report card, the trainer develops an exercise regimen specific to you so that you can improve your weak points and maintain an overall healthy golf body.

i'm not doing this program justice, so here's the website so you can research it on your own and find a titleist-certified trainer in your area.

http://www.mytpi.com/default.asp

i'm doing this over a 15-week period integrated with a 15-week golf instruction program. a great new shop just opened up here in st. louis to serve a need that we've been missing - high-end, high-tech, golf-specific fitness and instruction. good stuff....perfect for an addict.

[Ben]

I've been threatening to start with yoga but have yet to do so. I really want to though as I think flexibilty is a key to not only a better game now, but will also help my longevity. Pilates is what I'll probably end up going with as like gortyl mentions it involves a bit more on the side of strength training.

[allin]

I go to a class titled pilates inspired twice a week for the last 3 months at my health club. My instructor does incorporate some yoga. It has really helped my various aches and tendonitis issues. I hope for a club distance gain this year. I had a sub teacher a while back who made a statement about weight lifting which was new to me. Basically if you pick what she called antagonisic exercises, say bicepts followed by tricepts and did stretches between sets your flexibility actually can incarease more quickly.

[Ben]

Update. I have since taken up yoga. There are classes offered at my club and I am lucky  enough to be able to participate for free. Although I don't anymore, being at 8am... I did for a while, and I think it is very beneficial to start at yoga with a certified instructor. Like mentioned, there is something to be said for knowing how to go about the move and poses in the correct way. Now I am using these yoga flash cards I found on amazon.

Yoga Deck http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Deck-Poses-Meditations-Spirit/dp/B001XIKHN8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid;=1327728787&sr;=8-1

Yoga Deck II http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Olivia-Miller%7ENicole-Kaufman%7EOlivia-Miller/dp/B002G2JR9K/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid;=1327728787&sr;=8-7

Stretch Deck http://www.amazon.com/Stretch-Deck-50-Stretches/dp/0811833704/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid;=1327728787&sr;=8-6

Pretty basic poses, Yoga Deck II has some that are a little more advanced in difficulty.

I feel that flexibility is key to longevity in golf. be as strong as you'd like, but if you can't make a turn when you're 50, so what if you can bench two 45s on each side? But I digress, those that do strength train, are probably smart enough to know that it would be great to combine that with some sort of flexibility work.

[Charles Gentry]

I too and trying this to improve my game.  My daughter has improved greatly sense she started doing Yoga.  She is a 9 Handy-cap and is a Sophomore in high school.

[GaijinGolfer]

I dont do yoga but anything that improves your flexibility is only going to help your golf game.  No matter how strong you are, if you cant get your shoulders to coil and then rotate through the ball its not going to matter.

[saevel25]

I am thinking about yoga as well, i think it has some great positives for overall health. Which for me trumps golf..

[Harmonious]

Check out this book by Katherine Roberts (she used to do fitness spots on the Golf Channel, which is where I first heard about her book):

http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Golfers-Mind-Body-Approach-Fitness/dp/0071428704/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie;=UTF8&qid;=1330307697&sr;=1-1

I'm no expert on yoga, and I don't do it every day, but this book makes it easy, and it ties which yoga positions may help with different parts of the golf swing.  I found it very useful.

[Apotheosis]

yoga is fantastic for you mind/body/spirit perfect complement to the game of golf imo