Fitness Ball Training for Golf

There are many training tools available to help achieve better balance in your golf swing. The most effective way to improve balance is by training the core musculature. Any time you put yourself in an unstable environment through the use of balance pads, fitness balls, or various other balance training aids, you increase your body's awareness and balance. As golfers make their way through the exercise continuum they will progress from simple to more complex exercises.

Fitness balls are an effective training tool for increasing strength, improving joint and body stability and increasing joint flexibility. The ball's round surface allows activation of the core stabilizer muscles. The unstable surface forces the body to adapt from moment to moment producing better balance, coordination between muscles and, ultimately, greater stability.

It can be suitable for people of all ages and activity levels because there are many progressions for each exercise. It can effectively and safely work essentially every muscle of the human body through a full range of motion with or without external resistance. The body's core is the foundation for all movement, so strong arms and legs without proportional core strength is counterproductive.

The fitness ball is a great way to make even the simplest exercises more complex, improve coordination and engage smaller muscles, which are chiefly responsible for balance and stability. Your chest, abs, back and glutes can achieve more functional, sport-specific strength with exercises of varying complexity.

Many golfers enjoy home based workout programs which allow them freedom away from the gym. Fitness balls are relatively inexpensive, versatile, and produce great results for your game. You can simply deflate the ball and take on trips so you don't miss workouts. Inflating a ball for use is simple and generally takes less than 5 minutes. Fitness balls are a natural training tool for most athletic endeavors and, in particular, golf.

Susan Hill is a CHEK golf biomechanic, sports nutritionist and fitness trainer. For more information on her golf specific programs, visit http://www.fitnessforgolf.com