Stretch Your Way Into New Golf Season by Alan B. Nichols With an exceptionally cold winter this year and lots of snow and ice, Washington area golfers havenít been able to get out and play nearly as much as they would like. As a result, golf swings have probably gotten a bit rusty. And not only that, if golfers havenít been stretching and keeping their bodies tone and limber, odds are even greater that their swings will need some rehab before they hit the fairways in the spring. There is a lot golfers can do before the warm weather settles in permanently. They can use this time indoors to do some exercises and drills that will help them stand in good stead on the links. Dr. Greg Rose, a chiropractor in Montgomery County, Md., addresses the side of golf that is too often neglected: the maintenance of good body tone, flexibility, balance, endurance and strengthóall key factors in the makeup of a sound golf game. Rose is the co-founder of ClubGolf, a company in Gaithersburg, Md., that offers a complete regimen of physical conditioning for the golfer. His indoor facility is a health and fitness center designed primarily for golfers. It has a practice putting green and bays with nets to practice l ong shots, and enough testing and conditioning equipment to keep the most ambitious golfers busy for many days. The center features high-tech, state-of-the-art equipment that tests and strengthens every part of the body. There are also classes in yoga and Pilates, which tones the abdominals using a specially designed table. Chris Oleson, head golf pro at Little Bennett Golf Course in Clarksburg, Md., explained why flexibility and conditioning are necessary to improve performance on the golf course: ìFlexibility and strength allow you to have a longer swing arm and to generate more club-head speed,î he said. ìWe use the analogy of the race car,î Rose said. ìYour pro is like the driver, and we are like the pit crew. We look for any physical limitation in the golferís body, and we custom tailor a workout regimen to suit each individualís needs.î The equipment for all of this includes video cameras offering 3-D imaging, various testing devices, and some 18 machines designed to improve a golferís ability to develop a repeatable golf swing based on optimal physics. Force plates, for example, test and strengthen golfersí ability to shift their weight while maintaining good balance, while various weight-bearing equipment is designed to correct range-of-motion limitations. Key areas of the body that need attention include the hips, lower back and shoulders, including the rotator cuff. Golfers, particularly as they get older, lose flexibility or, as Rose said, the ability to separate their lower body from their upper bodyóan important requirement of the golf swing. Stretching the hamstring is also recommended. For good posture, it is equally important to develop tight abdominals and glutes, gluteus maximus and gluteus medius (buttock muscles). Golfers without access to equipment can do a lot to improve their golf games right in their living rooms. Pullovers, squats and reps with barbells or dumbbells to strengthen the upper body can yield high dividends on the course. According to Rose, the most common physical limitation among male golfers is poor flexibility. The most common physical limitation among female golfers is muscular strength and endurance. Using a treadmill or working with weights can increase a womanís ability to use her muscles over a four- or five-hour period without experiencing fatigue. For men, gaining increased flexibility means a longer swing and lower likelihood that he will hit from the top, a common tendency among many golfers, but particularly those with poor range of motion. For more information about improving your golf game through physical conditioning, please contact ClubGolf at (301) 519-1920 or visit www.clubgolf.com. Note: With spring just around the corner, golfers can take advantage of reduced greens fees at virtually all Washington area courses. In addition to these discounts, some courses also offer spring specials. Many courses initiate their summer rates beginning in late April or early May, so it pays to get out ahead of the summer crowd. Alan B. Nichols is a freelance writer in Bethesda, Md.