Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Get a More Controlled Golf Swing with Massage Therapy

By Steve Esquire

Your golf swing is everything to having a good golf game. Your swing involves the coordination of many different muscle groups in tandem. If any of them are off, then so is your swing and the ball will be off the mark. Proper warm up before playing a round helps get your muscles groups working together. This may include stretching, calisthenics and massage therapy. It is vital to get your body prepared properly for the physical activity of swinging your clubs. Massage therapy delivered with a massage chair is an effective way to get your body and muscles loosened up for your next round of golf.

When you swing your club, stress is put on the shoulders, elbows, wrists, lower back, hips and knees. If you have pain or discomfort in one of these areas, then it can really throw off your swing. When we have an ache, we tend to try to not put stress on that area to make it worse. This means we may unintentionally cause our swing to deviate from its desired course. A thorough warm up helps to loosen these tight areas and help to enhance your swing.

The three elements that constitute a good and proper golf warm up are massage, stretching and light exercise. Massage helps to reduce tension and tightness in muscles such as the back, shoulders, hips, arms and shoulders. Using a massage chair can effectively provide sufficient coverage. You should then stretch out the major muscle groups and areas of your body. Next, do some light exercises along with walking to get your body and muscles prepared for the day's activities. It is important to develop this into a routine each time you play.

You may not be familiar with the tremendous technology that has been integrated into massage chairs, but they can provide many effective massage therapies. You can select a Swedish, Shiatsu or deep tissue massage. These are effective in loosening your muscles, enhance circulation and also increasing mental awareness and concentration. Many top athletes get sports massages to help them maintain peak performance. It is important to drink a glass of water after getting a massage to help flush out the toxins released from your muscles.

An area of particular importance is the lower back. Most golfers complain about lower back pain. The lower back or lumbar area is the fulcrum of your swing. The leverage in your swing is a function of this pivot point. This is used repetitively throughout the day on every swing. It is vitally important that the major muscle groups used in this area are effectively warmed up. This includes the low back, hips and legs. These areas need to be warmed up and stretched. A good warm up includes the application of heat to enhance blood flow and a penetrating deep tissue massage.

What can cause injuries during the golf game? Many golf injuries come from over-swinging, poor swing mechanics, hitting the ground or excessively twisting during your swing. Most of these can be prevented. If you warm up correctly, then you can reduce the chance of these happening to you. As you can see, the swing is where the vast majority of golf related injuries can occur. Be smart and get a routine warm up to help prevent these happening to you. Your warm up must be thorough and consistent to help reduce injury. Furthermore, know your own personal limits and do not push your limits too far.

Your golf game can really be improved with massage therapy as part of the warm up. Of course, warming down is also important. If you are playing a few times a week, then it is really important to establish a warm up routine. This way you make sure that all of your muscle groups are adequately prepared for the physical exertion. Most people think of getting a massage when the experience soreness or discomfort. Unfortunately, this is trying to fix the symptom rather than the cause. Massage has many benefits and can help improve your game and your golf attitude. The most convenient and economical way to add massage to your game is with a massage chair recliner. If your swing is on, then life is good. When your swing is off, well then you will need a lot of Mulligans. - 16732

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