Among the new features on the blog will be tips from the wealth of golf knowledge we have in the Metropolitan section. To get you started, here are three stretches from Anthony Renna of Five Iron Fitness in White Plains that will help you before you start emptying that bucket of balls on the range. There’s even a link to a video at the end.

Three Moves For More Power
Anthony Renna, FiveIronFitness.com

Everyone wants to hit the ball longer, and good golfers know that just trying to kill it won’t do it. You need a combination of mobility, stability, strength power and endurance to consistently hit longer shots.

There are three keys to generating power in the golf swing:

1. Maintaining good posture. This will allow you to get the proper rotation needed in the back swing.

2. The ability to internally rotate around your hips. During the back swing, you need to be able to internally rotate around the right hip (for the right handed golfer) and then on the follow through, internally rotate around the left hip. Not being able to do so will cause compensations, lead to a loss of power generation and mess with sequencing.

3. Have good separation of upper body from lower body. In order to create tension in the torso and have the ability to generate power, you need upper body mobility with lower body stability. Mobility is useless without stability.

Here are three quick drills you can do right on the range before you start hitting balls:

1. Hip Hinge Drill

Stand tall with your driver on your back. You want three points of contact with the club, your head, in between your shoulder blades and your butt.

Keeping your knees slightly bent in a good athletic stance, move your butt back (hinge from the hip) keeping your torso straight the whole time. Imagine you are bowing. The club provides the feedback you need. If it comes off of your back, that means you are rounding or flexing your spine and doing it wrong. This drill will help you feel what it is like to be in good posture at address. Do 10 repetitions.

2. Hip Twisters

Standing tall, hold your club in front of you and use it for balance. Put one foot behind your other knee and keep the grounded foot pointing straight. Twist left and right (think of your knee as a windshield wiper going back and forth, 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock and really feel the rotation through the grounded leg hip. I like to try to keep the upper body as square as possible throughout the movement with my eyes looking forward. Do 10 repetitions on each side.

3. Back Lunge with Rotation

Standing tall with the club over your head, take a step back. Keeping the club over your head, rotate over the front leg. It is important to try to keep the front knee stable, in line with the foot. Do not let the knee move laterally in the direction of the rotation. Do 10 repetitions on each side.

If you would like to see videos of these exercises, go to the Five Iron Fitness web site.

Anthony Renna is a Level 3 Titleist Certified Golf Fitness Instructor and the owner of Five Iron Fitness, a golf-specific fitness studio, in White Plains. To find out how you can Improve Your Body and Improve Your Golf Game, go to www.FiveIronFitness.com or call them at 914-948-3549.