Yoga For Golf

At Aptos Yoga we investigate many forms of Yoga with the pleasure of sharing these pathways of peace with our clientele. Last Spring, a student of ours, Reid came to us asking if we would teach a summer class targeted for golfers. Yoga for golfers intrigued us, so we looked into it and it made so much sense. After all, when you’re involved with any athletic activity, you need flexibility.

Reid who works with a limo company all day long finds himself sitting in the seat of a cheap party bus st louis for most of his eight-hour shift. It’s physically taxing because of the restricted confinement. He simply can’t move around a lot. Also he told us that he sometimes experiences an additional level of underlying stress. He’s always on high alert when on the job. He ends his day a little stiff and mentally drained. Nonetheless, every Tuesday and Thursday he schedules nine holes of golf in the evening with a couple of buddies.

When Reid suggested the idea, we asked him if he would be willing to teach the class. He lit up at the invitation. He seemed to know exactly which set of stretches and mental releases he would incorporate into his sessions. That’s when Yoga 4 Golfers was born out of the Aptos Yoga studio.

Stretching, balance and core strength are a part of his program. These are all things that help a golfer feel confident. Tight muscles not only lead to misdirected drives they could also cause a player to injure him of herself. Swinging a club with ease puts the ball down the fairway onto the green with a flowing and accurate effort. Tensing up at the hole with your putter in hand, usually means a bogey.

Learning which postures and stretches to use before getting to the first tee gives the body a big advantage. Even if time is short a few quick and easy, limbering positions can set you up for a better game.

Reid’s program targets the most used muscles when golfing. He designed a general set of gentle asanas which stretch and strengthen all those muscle groups. Reid’s a very intuitive kind of guy and I’ve heard that he customizes a program so as to accommodate an individual. He had a rotator cup injury a few years ago – in fact, it is what brought him to Aptos Yoga as a new student. He has learned and now teaches others to add fluidity to their swing despite shoulder aches and pains.

This is his first teaching assignment since getting certified and it seems he’s a natural born Yoga instructor. He gets it. He realizes that a lot of the challenge for most golfers is mental. Staying focused and clear headed is the real test for many. Who hasn’t been distracted by important family or work issues when trying to do something else?

To relax the mind, Reid starts out with a few breathing exercises. He instructs on deep, diaphragm breaths that grab any tension by the tail and exhales it out. He guides his students into soft, yet exhilarating breathing followed by breaths that center the golfer into his or her core. He finishes with natural breathing that feels like it has gone through a cleansing process.

His goal is to have the body, mind and spirit aligned to the mission at hand – to play an enjoyable and hopefully great scoring game of golf.

Since beginning classes in June, Yoga 4 Golfers has been a wonderful success. We look forward to reintroducing it again next year. In the meantime, Reid has already started working with a local indoor driving range to get a class started over the winter.

Does this sound like a class that would interest you? Get in touch and we can get you teed up right away.