Strength/flexibility program shown to increase clubhead speed and driving distance

One of my clients, a club pro, told me he was hitting the ball farther. I asked him, “Are you sure?” He replied, “I use GPS to measure my distance. I am positive”.

To hit a golf ball farther you have to increase your clubhead speed. Increased strength helps; increased flexibility helps a bit more. When you combine both increased strength and flexibility the improvement in clubhead speed is more that the sum of the improvement from flexibility or strength alone, as reporting in the December 1997 industry journal Fitness Management, researchers Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., and John R. Parziale, MD,

RESEARCH STUDY RESULTS

Flexibility & Strength Strength Only Flexibility Only

Clubhead speed +20 mph +3 mph +5.4 mph

Shoulder Abduct +11.9 deg. +1 deg. +13.5 deg.

Hip Flexion +16.3 deg. +2.8 deg. +15 deg.

Hip Extension     +8 deg. +3.4 deg.

The study demonstrated the improvement recreational golfers can expect from both MedX Stretch flexibility exercises and MedX circuit strength training. Used properly, MedX exercise equipment will increase:

• Strength

• Enhanced flexibility

Properly performed Medx rotary torso exercise produces improvements in strength and flexibility.

Enhanced flexibility is more that increased range of motion. It also includes more strength through that increased range of motion. For golfers, the result is a more powerful swing and an added measure of protection from injury.

At our Austin Strength Training facility we have a extensive line of MedX exercise equipment. MedX equipment is engineered to provide less resistance at the point where the muscles are weakest (in the stretched position). The resistance in the stretched position is sufficient to stimulate strength increases but not too heavy to be unsafe. With regular exercise on MedX equipment you will be more limber, stronger, and if you are a golfer, you can expect to hit the ball farther. Expect similar improvement for tennis and other sports where strength and range of motion are important.

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Golfers driving for greater distance

Golfers with more strength and flexibility will increase their club head speed and hit the ball farther. Increasing only strength produces marginal improvement; the same goes for increasing just flexibility.  However, increasing both strength and flexibility produces far greater results.  From a study of golfers using MedX circuit strength training and MedX stretch flexibility exercises: 

 Reporting in the December 1997 industry journal Fitness Management, researchers Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., and John R. Parziale, MD

At  Austin Personal Training and New Orleans Personal Training  we use MedX stretch machines and MedX strength training equipment  to focus on strength and flexibility improvements.  One of our clients, a club golf pro, told me he was hitting the ball farther.  I asked him, “Are you sure?”  He said, “Yes I am sure. I use a GPS system to measure the distance”.  He does once-a-week 30-minute training sessions with us.  

With our program golfers can:

·       Increase strength and flexibility

·       Address muscle imbalances and decrease the likelihood of injuries that often resulting from repetitively swinging the club in one direction.

·       Have improved energy and stamina to finish strong on the back nine.

·       Spend minimal time in the gym and have more time available to play golf.

·       Play and enjoy golf more often which will positively affect your health.

Can stretching one part of the body affect the flexibility of another part of the body?

Cross-over effects in strength training: Strength train a single leg. That leg will get stronger, and to a lesser extent, the other leg will increase in strength as well. Strength train just the quadriceps. The quads get stronger, and to a lesser extent, the hamstrings do too.

The same occurs in stretching; stretching a muscle of one leg has a "cross-over effect" that produces an increase in flexibility of the opposite leg. It is thought to be a localized change; one leg affects the other.

Will upper-body stretches affect the lower body?   From this study, Acute bouts of upper and lower body static and dynamic stretching increase non-local joint range of motion:

“There were significant shoulder range of motion (ROM) increases following lower body stretches. There was a significant hip flexor ROM increase following upper body stretches.

And this:

“Rather than a mechanical or neural drive mechanism, an enhanced stretch tolerance was likely the significant factor in the improved ROM”.

The study concludes that stretching one part of the body affects the stretch tolerance for the whole body. At Austin Strength Training and New Orleans Strength Training we have:

MedX strength/medical rehab equipment that promotes flexibility [pictured]

MedX stretch machines [pictured on left]

And at the Austin location we have weekly stretch classes open to anyone who would like to attend.

Enhanced flexibility of the adductors

Your flexibility can be defined as your range of motion.  Enhanced flexibility is your strength through that range of motion.  Proper strength training will increase your range of motion, enhance your flexibility, and give your added protection from injury. We have the adductor machine at our New Orleans Personal Trainers and our Austin Personal Training locations.