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Dr. Ross Hartings from Active Chiropractic in Evansville, Indiana, shares a few tips to help us improve the driving distance of our golf game. Here’s what he has to say:

All golfers know a booming drive requires a long, flowing backswing. That movement requires an unrestricted ability of the spine to bend laterally, rotate and extend. This requires flexibility that is golf-specific in the neck, hips, and back. The spine must be able to coil in order to build up energy so that when the spine uncoils it can produce force through the golf ball. So the more flexible a golfer is through the spine, the farther he can drive the ball.

Here is a list of three important stretches to perform before every round of golf to help prevent injury and improve performance.

Neck Stretch:

1. Place one hand behind your head and run the other hand down the side of your body.
2. Slowly pull your head to the side and push down with your extended arm.
3. Hold the stretch for 5-10 seconds.
4. Repeat on the other side of the neck.

Hip Stretch:

1. Place one foot on the seat of a chair or bench.
2. Keep your back straight and place a hand on your raised knee for support.
3. Hold this stretch for 5-10 seconds.
4. Change legs and repeat the stretch.

Back Stretch:

1. Sit on a chair and point your feet straight ahead.
2. Slowly turn your upper body around and place both hands at waist-height on the backrest of the chair.
3. Feel how your back muscles stretch and hold this position for 5-10 seconds.
4. Repeat the exercise on your opposite side.

Other options for increasing flexibility in golfers

Lack of flexibility can also be addressed by treatment and a prescribed stretching program and muscle therapy specifically designed around each golfer’s restrictions. Obviously, chiropractic care is also ideally suited to deal with poor posture as spinal corrections are the primary task of the chiropractor. Chiropractors have extensive training in the biomechanics of human movement and are trained to address those dysfunctions that are stopping you from achieving your peak performance.

About Dr. Ross Hartings

My home town is Jasper, Indiana, where I participated in football, basketball and baseball. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Miami University of Ohio and received my Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Logan College in St. Louis, Missouri. While in chiropractic school, my focus was on the sports, nutritional and rehabilitative approaches of chiropractic. I worked with St. Louis area athletes in the Logan Rehabilitation Clinic and completed courses for a Master’s Degree in Sports Rehabilitation. I am a certified ART provider, and I use soft tissue techniques along with chiropractic adjustments to provide a comprehensive health care experience. My goal is to provide tailor-made treatment plans while incorporating health education to quickly and naturally restore each patient’s health.

Personally, I have been married to my wonderful wife Andrea for three years. We are the proud parents of our six-month old son Eli, and we have a five-year old golden retriever Haley.

Contact Dr. Hartings

You can contact Dr. Hartings by calling Active Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Clinic at 812-423-9146

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