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Flexercise... and Play Better Golf
Stuart Smith

Leaving aside the obvious improvements in club and ball technology, by far the most remarkable strides in the modern game have occurred as a result of the increasing levels of fitness and flexibility that we see on the tour's today.

Personal trainers are now as much in vogue as the swing coach has been since David Leadbetter kicked it all off in the mid- to late 1980's, and it is this - as much as anything - that has contributed to players hitting the ball further than we have ever seen before.

The top golfers really are athletes now. Look at Tiger Woods. He spends as much time in the gym as he does working on the range. He understands that better flexibility enables him to swing the club more efficiently and to maximise his potential for generating clubhead speed. That's the important issue here. You can have the best coaching in the world, but unless you are physically capable of reaching certain positions, you are not going to get any better.

Golf is not about muscling the ball, it's about using the levers at your disposal to create speed. And the more flexible you are, the better you will put those levers to work in the process of turning and swinging the clubhead. Ever since my playing days on the tour, I have tried to stay flexible, and even ten minutes a day working on the exercises I am about to show you can make a real difference to the way you feel when you do get a chance to play golf- however infrequently that may be.

Let me stress up front, any time you prepare to embark on a new training programme, it's important that you listen to your body and take things easy. Don't expect to change overnight. However, rehearsed regularly, these exercises will make a difference to your general levels of flexibility, and as a result you will find that you are able to create a more athletic posture and enjoy all-round better movement in the swing.