First remember that there are multiple ways to stretch a muscle. The way we are going to discuss and to be honest is the best option in our opinion is to lengthen the muscle by contracting the antagonist or opposite muscle. What is the opposite of the Hamstring then is what we need to determine. The obvious answer is of course the quadriceps. We also want to make sure that the hip flexors are included in this as well. The reason for this is that just like the hamstring, the hip flexors and quadriceps are responsible for the anterior movement of the pelvis.

Since your hamstrings attach at the back of your pelvis, the movement of the pelvis forward or anterior then will pull on the hamstrings causing them to lengthen. Lengthening of the hamstrings then involves not only getting the body in a position to attempt to completely straighten the leg, it also requires the contraction of the quadriceps and hip flexor muscles.

Here are a few examples of some moves that will do this for you.

The basic leg lift is actually a good way to start when gaining flexibility in the hamstrings. To perform the move make sure that before you begin to lift the leg you have contracted the muscles of the quadriceps as hard as you can and pull your toes back towards you. Now lift as high as you can until the knee wants to bend, then lower it back down.

The next move is similar to the leg lift but know you use the arms to assist in getting the leg a little higher than you can with just your muscles. Make sure that with the assistance of the hands that you are still contracting the muscles of the quadriceps and hip flexors as hard as you can while you hold the stretch. Like Loren mentioned in one of the Fitness Tips of the Week, hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds to allow the hamstring to lengthen.

We have also done a few moves in our Exercise of the Week Program Like the Runners Stretch that are great examples of moves to lengthen the hamstrings.

ShareThis

I love golf, I am terrible at it but I love to play. I am hoping to retire to a life filled with golf and grandkids. I am anxious to start over the game by learning to play with my left hand. I am a very left hand dominant person but i always tried to play the game right handed. Brilliant I know, but the clubs I learned on were for a right handed person, my grandfathers. 

I have played enough golf to realize that there is one factor above all else that will make the largest difference in your play each time you go out is how efficient your body is. If you are not at your best physically you have to be a pretty incredible golfer to overcome this. Great Golfers can make little changes in their swing to compensate for tightness in their back or hips. Thats the guys on the tour. So for the 99.9% of us not playing on ABC this weekend, our muscular efficiency is our livelihood to having a chance at playing a good game. 

In the context of these posts I want to help all of us out to have a chance to make the tour. Just kidding, how about if the goal is to say that our bodies will be one less excuse for our poor play. It must be the new $400 driver causing that ball to slice! 

The Sport of golf has exploded in the past decade (thank you Tiger Woods) and there is so much information out there to help you out. There are thousands of drills and techniques designed to improve your game. I get Golf Digest every Month and it is absolutely loaded with great tips. Here is the key to all of the other Golf training tips and drills. They are dependent on your muscular system being able to perform the drill correctly. 

The Goal of our training program for you is to accomplish the following physical components:

1. Flexibility, not the flexibility you think of but rather the ability of your muscular system to create great enough range of motion in your joints to truly lengthen out your muscles. What I mean by this is if you stand up and bend over at the waist you will start to feel something in the back of your legs. We assume this is the muscle “stretching”. I believe this is simply your pain receptors in the hamstrings telling you to please not go any farther or I will rip. To actually lengthen the hamstring you must contract the antagonistic muscle or series of muscles that will pull the pelvis forward and pull on the hamstring. The hamstrings originate on the back of your pelvis (hips) and then insert below your knee on the tibia and fibula bones of the lower leg. So to truly lengthen the muscle you must contract the muscles that would pull the pelvis forward which in turn would pull on the hamstrings. Try bending over again but this time before you start, try to tighten your thighs as hard as you can and arch your back, now hold this posture as you lean forward. Notice the difference in the sensation? Now you are gaining flexibility in the hamstrings.

2. Range of Motion. This is different than flexibility. Range of motion is your bodies ability to take the joints through their natural range of motion. We will break this down in the next few posts but your swing is very much dependent on your ability to rotate your femur as it rests in the hip socket. Also your ability to have your scapulas (shoulder blades) be free of any tightness that restricts movement during your back swing. These are 2 of several key range of motion components that are vital to your success in your swing. 

3. Endurance. The other key ingredient is the ability to have the muscular endurance to maintain your flexibility and range of motion for the course of 18 holes, well or 72 once we are on the tour! This is not endurance you gain from a treadmill but rather by training the muscular system to withstand the demands of your sport and still b able to maintain proper muscular efficiency and posture in your body.

Stay with us and we will give you the tools you need to rally change your game this year!

ShareThis