Fitness: The truth about improving your core muscles

You might have heard a ‘better core’ will improve your stability and balance, and therefore your swing.

That is perfectly true.

But you might also be under the impression that the way to improve your core is sit-ups.

You’re wrong – they won’t.

Well, let’s qualify that; they will help, but they are not the best way to improve this aspect of your fitness for golf.

Here, I’ll show you some exercises which will make you much fitter for golf, which will allow you to swing the club more like the way your local PGA pro would like you to.

What’s more, you can make these improvements in your living room while watching the PGA Tour on a Sunday night!
Sit-ups will help, but they are not the best way to improve this aspect of your golf fitness…

THE START POSITION

Get on the floor and place your arms shoulder-width apart, palms facing forwards. Have your weight evenly distributed between your palms and your toes. It’s a bit like a press-up position, and even merely getting into this position – which is only the starting point – is already starting to fire your core.

FIRING UP THE ENGINE

Now we really get going – this exercise really fires your core. Raise your right hand and your left foot off the ground… and hold for 20 seconds. If you can hold for 30 seconds, do so. If you can’t make that your target to reach at some point down the line. Repeat for the left side, and do three sets of these.

ALL-ROUND WORKOUT

An alternative exercise is this one; keeping both feet on the floor, raise your left arm and turn your trunk so you are effectively reaching for the ceiling. Really stretch out your arm and trunk – this is massively working the core and also adds in some work for the shoulders and the obliques.

• John Sheehy is a personal trainer based at David Lloyd gym in Leeds. He is also a golf professional. Call 07988 449 936 or visit davidlloyd.co.uk